Robots Don't Only Replace People
■ The rival was inside the wall
When Shiraishi announced that Hakobukun would carry specimens to the lab next, Oshiro pointed at the pneumatic tube station on the wall: "We already have something for specimens." They raced with a dummy specimen of the same weight. Oshiro dropped the capsule in, and Hakobukun set off. When it reached the lab, the capsule was long there. "…I was beaten."
■ Without comparing to existing equipment, it means little
In a U.S. report on a hospital nursing robot (Proof News), a nurse at a hospital that already sent things by pneumatic tube said the robot was pointless (the maker disputes this, saying the roles differ). When bringing in a robot, the comparison is not only with human hands. Hospitals already have pneumatic tubes and other small transport systems.
■ Conclusion: Split the work between equipment and robot by what is carried
Shiraishi rewrote the list of what to carry, dividing it between the tube and Hakobukun by specimen type, container, and handling rules. "I will carry what doesn't fit in the tube."
Before the race, decide what each one is for.
