The Boston Globe

Business

FDA approves iRobot device for use in hospitals

Machine meant to aid doctors, but cost is high

Bedford’s iRobot Corp., best known for its Roomba vacuum cleaners, has won Food and Drug Administration clearance for a new line of robots designed to let doctors interact with hospital patients remotely.

The sleek, 5-foot-6-inch robot called the RP-VITA is designed to navigate around hospitals on its own and has a 15-inch LCD screen as a face.

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