Robot
14:50, 07-Nov-2017
Robot passes Chinese national medical exam with flying colors
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The result of this year’s National Medical Licensing Examination (NMLE), the qualification exam for doctors in China, was released on Monday, with one of the candidates turning heads.
But it wasn't just because of the remarkable scores, but also because it was a robot that sat the exam.
The robot, which functions as an AI medical assistant, was co-developed by iFlytek, a Chinese tech company famous for voice recognition software, and Tsinghua University.
Under the supervision of the National Medical Examination Center, the robot was entered to sit the written exam in August, the results of which were released Monday.
The exam room for the AI medical assistant. /Photo via iFlytek
The exam room for the AI medical assistant. /Photo via iFlytek
With a final score of 456, almost 100 points higher than the minimum pass line of 360, the robot passed with flying colors.
Its success in the exam proved the robot's ability in self-directed learning and practical application, iFlytek said in an announcement Tuesday.
Through deep learning, a massive database was built by the robot based on medical textbooks, clinical guidelines and classic medical cases.
The robot then used its comprehensive ability, which involves various algorithms, to tackle questions during the exam.
According to the announcement, the robot will be used for medical education and training and will also assist doctors in hospitals and communities.
In cooperation with Anhui Provincial Hospital, iFlytek also launched China's first smart hospital in August.
Among other things it features a voice-based information system and a computer-aided medical image diagnosis system.
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