This robot could mean a possible breakthrough 3

for healthcare professionals 4

who screen for and treat the coronavirus. 5

Researchers at one of China's most prestigious universities 6

have designed this robot 7

that can perform ultrasounds, act as a stethoscope, 8

and conduct mouth swabs. 9

Since the robot has cameras, 10

doctors don't even have to be in the same room 11

as the patient, let alone the same city. 12

The idea for the bot came about 13

after researchers decided they wanted to contribute 14

to fighting the deadly virus. 15

They say one of the biggest issues 16

is doctors becoming infected. 17

The bots use the same technology 18

as space stations and lunar explorers, 19

but developers say they don't want 20

to make it fully automated 21

because patients still need that human element 22

of a doctor's comfort. 23

Researchers say the feedback from doctors 24

who had used the robots has been good 25

and they'd like to build 26

more than the two they currently have. 27

The bots cost more than 72,000 U.S. dollars each 28

and university funding has run out. 29

For now, people are urged to take precautions 30

like frequent hand washing 31

to prevent the spread of the virus 32

and staying home if you feel symptoms. 33

(upbeat music) 34

For insideedition.com, I'm Stephanie Officer.