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"Vomiting Larry is a robotic assistant built to produce projectile vomit \u2014 and lots of it. Researchers use Larry, who is technically a \"simulated vomiting system,\" to study the food-borne illness norovirus and how it spreads.\nWhile a vomiting robot may seem like the plot of a Saturday Night Live sketch, the norovirus is no laughing matter. Just last week, an outbreak sickened hundreds of people on a pair of cruise liners. It's a type of food poisoning that affects millions in the United States every year. Though it often results in nothing worse than having to take a sick day or two, the virus can be a serious threat to vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.\nWhile norovirus most often spreads through tainted food, it can also take shape of a puke-borne illness. When someone suffering from norovirus vomits \u2014 and that's not an uncommon reaction \u2014 the virus becomes aerosolized, along with the rest of the person's stomach contents.\nThe virus can travel long distances, and that's where Larry comes in. As a robot, Larry can spill his superior metal guts longer and harder than any human, and can do it over and over again. This helps researchers better understand just how far the virus can travel in a patient's vomit and ideally improve techniques for cleaning. \nThe video of Larry is courtesy of the BBC. Feel free to skip to about the 2:40 mark where the robot makes his appearance. Don't feel bad about it \u2014 we're all here to see a robot get sick.\nPhoto courtesy of Health and Safety Laboratory"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/01/04/vomiting-larry-robot/>