Nursing home robot sniffs out unwelcome scents, deodorizes air

Some Korean nursing home residents recently welcomed a newly developed robot that can deodorize the air after detecting the scent of soiled diapers.

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Robot and Convergence developed the robot, KIRO-5, which is about three feet tall and weighs more than 175 pounds, according to a Tuesday report in Gizmag. That bulk gives KIRO-5 the stability to also act as a walker. The robot also alerts residents when it's time to wake up, eat and exercise, and can alert nursing home staff in the event of an emergency.

The robot's front-mounted camera allows workers to better monitor a facility, as demonstrated in this video.

After nursing home trials are complete and recommendations are incorporated, the robot could be introduced in more than 500 locations throughout Korea, according to an official cited by Gizmag.

American nursing home residents are open to robotic assistance, but would prefer human caregiving for bathing and grooming, according to a recent Georgia Institute of Technology survey.