Robot doctor-in-training rolls into Astoria vein clinic
A four-foot Unitree prototype named Astra works its way into a New York vein-treatment practice, currently promoting the clinic and performing basic tasks with an eye toward autonomous surgical assistance.
An unlikely medical assistant is rolling through the halls of a New York vein-treatment chain. Astra, a four-foot-tall prototype robot, is being put to work at the Astra Vein Treatment Clinics, which operate sites in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Dr. George Boltin, a vascular specialist who owns the three clinics, bought the Unitree-made bot for $20,000 after a yearlong wait and has positioned it at the clinics as technology evolves.
Right now, Astra is mostly a promotional presence and a utility for basic tasks. Boltin operates the bot with a controller that attaches to his phone, guiding it to wave at passersby, stroll down Steinway Street in Queens, and hand out flyers to potential patients. The 100-pound robot can also pick itself up if it falls, tell a joke, and sprint at about 3 miles per hour. It’s the same Unitree model as the viral Rizzbot, though Astra runs on the company-advised, PG software rather than user-modified code. The unit is still a prototype and not yet autonomous. Boltin says future software updates could eventually allow Astra to assist in the operating room by handing tools and providing procedural reminders, though the necessary safeguards remain a priority.
Boltin emphasizes that the robot is not a replacement for staff, at least not yet. "Astra is never going to miss work, he’s always going to have a battery I can charge," he told reporters. Yet he also acknowledges vulnerabilities. "It’s certainly feasible someone can hijack the network ... I think about, if somebody were to program Astra to have a knife in his hand — because he can do stuff with his hands — and have him murder somebody, how do you prove who did it?" He said he has implemented safeguards and relies on VPNs, but he says the prospect of a hacked robot is a real concern.
Public reaction on Steinway Street was mixed. Some passersby filmed and traded jokes about the future of work and robots. Andres Narvaze, who had just finished a kickboxing class, said the sight was imposing: "Imagine seeing that thing at night? I will punch it, easily; I will kick it. Look at it run, it’s weird as hell." Others, like Jenny G., a hotel customer-service worker, warned about job displacement but acknowledged the technology's inevitability. "I kinda know that the robots will be taking over eventually. It’s the new era," she said, while noting the spectacle remains a draw. Jimmy Phillips, a retiree visiting from Florida, described Astra as reminiscent of autonomous vacuums that went outdoors: "It’s great. It’s almost human. It doesn’t talk, but he runs. Look at him!" He added that the robot’s energy is evident.
Astra remains a prototype, and the clinic does not describe it as a medical device at this stage. Boltin notes the project is as much a real-world trial as a public demonstration of how AI and robotics might intersect with routine vascular care. If and when Astra moves toward autonomous operation, the clinic says it would proceed with rigorous safety protocols and clear boundaries for medical use, including the separation of promotional functions from hands-on surgical tasks. The ongoing project reflects a broader trend in technology and AI: painting a picture of what future operating rooms could resemble, even as clinicians weigh the practical and ethical implications.
The robot’s footprint in the neighborhood demonstrates the tension between curiosity and caution that typically accompanies AI in public life. Boltin notes that Astra’s role will evolve as software updates come online and as the clinic assesses the bot’s impact on patient experience, staffing, and safety. For now, Astra is a well-armed symbol of a future in which devices and humans work side by side—at least in the walls of a vein clinic and on the lively streets of Steinway Street.