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Michmizos receives a global research award grant from Intel to develop a robotic nurse. This work is based on a new method developed this year in Michmizos's Lab, to co-train deep and spiking neural networks. This is a $150K, single-PI award for 2 years. 

Abstract. The Circolo Hospital in Varese, a city in the northern Lombardy region that was the first epicentre of the covid-19 outbreak in Italy, welcomed the addition of robot nurses tirelessly helping flesh-and-blood doctors and nurses. We propose to fast develop Loihi-controlled mobile robots, controlled by an end-to-end hybrid spiking and deep neural network that can co-learn to navigate in highly dynamic real-world environment. The project will allow the fast deployment of a Loihi-controlled robot nurse in hospitals, and the evaluation of its ability to deliver effective healthcare to people in need, from monitoring vital signs and transporting medication, to increasing communication avenues for patients and carrying medical supplies to their bedside. Other relevant applications aiming to decrease in-person interaction are straightforward, including service robots for warehouses, supermarkets, nursing homes, and schools.