Healthbot way of the future

Dr Bruce MacDonald with a healthbot which can respond to a range of patient needs. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Going to the doctor might just be a whole lot easier in a few years.

Mobile health robots - or healthbots - look to help meet the increasingly high demand of nurses by elderly patients.

The machines would help patients with simple tasks such as measuring their heart rate, blood pressure and temperature.

It would also be programmed to remind a patient to take their medication, detect when someone has fallen in their home and also call for emergency response.

The healthbot was developed by researchers from Korea and a group at the University of Auckland.

A healthbot was showcased to around 300 people at the University Business Partnership Project launch at the university last night.