The technology in this medicine-sorting robot, whose Indiegogo campaign is currently at $61,000 of their $75,000 goal with a month to go, is impressive to say the least. The product recognizes your face, distributes your necessary medication, tracks your heart rate and steps (when you download the wearable app), and even alerts you when you’ve forgotten a dose. It can link you to your doctor, it can inform family members of a potential problem, and it learns your patterns to better assist you in your medical needs. Pillo even has an adorable face that winks, smirks, and smiles at your requests. So why does it still sound like the scariest thing ever? Despite the advanced facial recognition technology that guarantees the correct medicine goes to the correct person every time, and the tamper proof software that protects your pills and your personal information, something about this device makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Whether its due to a recent article I wrote about an artificial intelligence “kill switch” or my extensive knowledge of 2001: A Space Odyssey, something makes me nervous about this kind of automation when it comes to life-or-death matters like medicine. But should I be this skeptical? While this technology may have alarming implications, the benefits far outweigh the concerns when it comes to family health. Pillo will help keep families together for longer with comprehensive medication plans for elderly family members. It will help teach children the importance of taking their medicine and get them in the habit of doing so. It will allow people to focus on their lives outside of their ailments, making the world a better place for everyone. Or Pillo’s eyes will turn red and it will poison us all before lunch time. Either way, it’s definitely worth finding out what the world will be like with “the smartest and friendliest way to manage yours and your family’s health” in everyone’s homes. Get in on the Indiegogo campaign and you can order one for half price ($299).
