Researchers at Showa and Waseda universities and robot company Tmsuk have unveiled a talking robot dental patient for training students, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The robot, Hanako, greets the students with a friendly "Hello, please take care of me," and can express pain, roll her eyes, and even drool like a real patient, according to the report.
In one demonstration, Hanako moved her head and complained that "it hurts," as a student prepared one of her resin teeth, AFP reported. She can also move her eyes, eyelids, jaw, and tongue; discharge a salivalike liquid; and slowly slacken her jaw muscles to simulate the gradual "fatigue" of a real patient, according to the report.
The robot is being used for clinical exams, with more than 80 Showa University students using Hanako for that purpose this month, AFP stated.
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