Robot Simulates Childbirth

Associated Press reporter Paul Elias writes about a robotic birth simulator named Noelle that lets doctors and nurses practice delivering babies in hopes of preventing mistakes when it comes to births in real life. Noelle robots range from $3,200 for a basic version to a $20,000 deluxe model, and are becoming "standard issue," in the United States, writes Elias, who sat in on a practice run.

She can be programmed for a variety of complications and for cervix dilation. She can labor for hours and produce a breach baby or unexpectedly give birth in a matter of minutes.

She ultimately delivers a plastic doll that can change colors, from a healthy pink glow to the deadly blue of oxygen deficiency. The baby mannequin is wired to flash vital signs when hooked up to monitors.

The computerized mannequins emit realistic pulse rates and can urinate and breathe.

She can also bleed, and wireless commands can "inflict all sorts of complications, overriding any preprogrammed instructions."

Image courtesy the Associated Press