TCM student creates an acupuncture robot

A college student in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has designed a robot that he says can perform acupuncture.

Xu Tiancheng, a postgraduate student at Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said he was inspired by Baymax, the healthcare robot from the hit animated movie Big Hero 6. He said his robot can treat several ailments, including insomnia, stomachache and muscle fatigue.

"My father is an acupuncturist, and I noticed in his clinic that the most diligent acupuncturist can only treat about 100 patients a day," Xu said. "Robots can free practitioners from exhaustive, repetitive labor so they can focus on designing better treatment plans."