​​What is Vomiting Larry?

"Vomiting Larry," a humanoid robot that projectile vomits in the name of science. Developed by researchers at the Health and Safety Lab in Derbyshire, England, Larry was designed to help study the spread of the norovirus — an incredibly virulent gastrointestinal disease that experts describe as "the Ferrari of the virus world." Researchers have spent more than 40 years looking for a cure for the norovirus, which can inflict often violent vomiting and diarrhea upon the 21 million Americans infected each year, but have thus far been unable to solve its riddle.

That's where Larry comes in. Because the virus can be transmitted through tiny vomit particles, scientists are hoping to learn more about how it spreads with an anatomically correct "humanoid simulated vomiting system." Each time Larry vomits, researchers can get a better idea of how far the aerosolized norovirus particles travel.

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