THE WHITE HOUSE IS NOW CONSIDERING HOW ROBOTS CAN HELP FIGHT EBOLA. <SOT KERRY: “Meeting this crisis is gonna require that we draw on each other’s collective experience and our collective capacities.> THREE TYPES OF ROBOTS THAT COULD PLAY A ROLE IN COMBATING THE VIRUS, NOW ON THE NEW YORK TIMES MINUTE. // <Nat pop from promotional video> TELEPRESENCE ROBOTS - SEEN HERE IN A PROMOTIONAL VIDEO FROM A COMPANY CALLED IN TOUCH - COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED IN THE FIELD. <Nat pop from promotional video> THE DEVICES - WHICH ALLOW DOCTORS AND OTHER EXPERTS TO CONSULT REMOTELY - COULD HELP WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND AID IN DIAGNOSIS. IN THE PAST, U.S. DOCTORS HAVE USED TELEPRESENCE TO CONSULT WITH PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM A SIMPLE COLD TO A STROKE <SOT video: Ok, Don I’m going to ask you to a do a few things right now, can I have you open your eyes really wide?> THE LIMITATION IS THAT TELEPRESENCE MACHINES DON’T YET HAVE THE DEXTERITY OF HUMANS. A DOCTOR CAN ONLY WATCH. FOR NOW AT LEAST, SOME MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL - BE IT A DOCTOR OR A NURSE - WILL BE DIRECTLY EXPOSED TO EBOLA. <Nat Ebola Patient with a real life doctor or nurse in a moon suit> // THERE ARE ALSO GERM ZAPPING ROBOTS. <Sot: blast from Gigi> THIS IS GIGI, THE ROBOT RESEMBLES R2D2 AND HAS THE ABILITY TO DECONTAMINATE A ROOM BY BLASTING AN ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT. <Sot: second blast from Gigi if possible> IT’S ALREADY BEEN USED ON EBOLA. AFTER HE DIED, GIGI DECONTAMINATED THOMAS ERIC DUNCAN’S TREATMENT AREA IN DALLAS. IT’S THE MACHINE’S COST - 104 THOUSAND DOLLARS A PIECE - THAT MAY BE IT’S LIMITING FACTOR. // <Sot: Sensor Collaboration complete> FINALLY, THERE ARE HUMANOID ROBOTS. WE’VE SEEN PROTOTYPES COMPETE AT DARPA’S ROBOTICS CHALLENGE. <second nat of a humanoid robot> AND THE POTENTIAL DOES EXIST FOR THEM TO BE USED IN THE FIELD, BUT THEY JUST DON’T YET HAVE THE DEXTERITY TO REPLACE A NURSE OR DOCTOR. <Sot Obama: On fight for Ebola> ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ARE ORGANIZING AN UPCOMING NATIONWIDE SET OF WORKSHOPS THAT THEY HOPE WILL SPUR MORE IDEAS FOR HOW ROBOTS CAN HELP. -END IT-