Robot that suffers from illnesses, bleeds being used for medical staff training

Sydney, March 21 (ANI): A new robot that expresses pain and suffers from multiple health problems is being used for the training of medical staff.

The robot called 'SimMan 3G' can talk, cry and bleed apart from imitating symptoms ranging from anaphylaxis to cardiac arrest.

''SimMan 3G is a mannequin who can behave just like a real patient,'' the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dr. Richard Morris, the director of anaesthesia at St George Hospital, Kogarah, as saying.

He added: ''But the advantage is we can practise procedures on him that we can't practise on real human beings.''

SimMan can replicate a heart attack and be brought back to ''life'' using a defibrillator.

Morris added: ''It is the same principle as in aviation. If you are travelling on a plane you can reasonably expect that the pilot has practised before making his first flight ... Now with simulators we can practise lots of things before we actually do the procedures on human beings.''

SimMan 3G can even undergo a sex transplant to turn into a female equivalent.

Scientists have supplemented SimMan with a family, which includes female mate Simone, and children Simbaby and SimNewB.

Morris said: ''He takes the practice out of the practice of medicine. In a few years one of these simulated humans will be in every major hospital and many of the smaller ones as well.''

The robot is priced at 100,000 dollars and can be operated from a wireless box.