Before Trusting a Robot With Time-Critical Items, Measure It
■ The samples haven't arrived
Morning blood draws. Terashima loads the samples into Hakobukun: "To the lab, please." At noon the lab calls: "The morning samples haven't arrived yet." Hakobukun is on another floor, checking its current location. The samples were just barely usable, but Terashima shakes her head. "We only made it by luck."
■ One delay, and the trust is gone
A report on a nursing robot in U.S. hospitals (Proof News) says nurses stopped sending blood draws with the robot because it got lost moving between floors. Late samples have to be discarded and drawn again.
■ Conclusion: Measure that it arrives in time, then trust it
Shiraishi asked the lab how many minutes each kind of sample can wait, and timed Hakobukun dozens of times. Until that is confirmed, people carry the samples. "I'll carry them once I've measured that I'm on time."
