Being Close Through a Borrowed Body
■ In Isolation Rooms, Protective Gear Limits How Long Nurses Stay Every time nurses enter an isolation room, they put on a gown, gloves, and a mask, and they cannot stay long. So Morita sits alone, looking out the window. Infection control is right, but it costs patients conversation.
■ Remote Operation Separates Being Present From the Risk of Infection Pikarikun walks in without any gear and sits by the bed. Its operator is on her sofa at home, so there is no chance of infection. This is the value of telepresence: separating presence from risk. Morita says it is his longest talk since admission.
■ Conclusion: Robots Can Redesign the Way People Get Close Afterward, Pikarikun stands under disinfecting light at the door. The machine pays the price that protective gear charges the nurse. A robot's value is not only doing tasks for people. It can restore closeness that people could not reach. Where flesh cannot go, a borrowed body stays longest.
