Advances in technology have facilitated the creation of robotics for use in healthcare. As Bill Gates stated the robotic industry is advancing as fast as computers 30 years ago. Studies say that investments in robots for healthcare vary depending on different reports, but sums go around the 40 million Euros in 2009(Healthcare, the road to robotic helpers, 2009), estimates say that the sum can reach the $4 trillion in 2015. (Health Care Market Place Project, 2007)
Robotics offers many advantages to health including, accuracy, precision (European Commission, 2008), faster recover time and minimally invasive approach, which has benefited doctors and patients directly. The use of robotics enables that new technologies are created in the future. (Dr. Quesada Ramirez, 2010)
However, doctors and specialists are also concerned by the use of robotics for health because of the decrease of human intervention in procedures and care (University of the West of England, 2010), as well as the safety of the patients and the high cost of the technologies which can only be used in developed countries. The decrease of human intervention causes that the new generations of doctors are technology dependant and do not have skills in open techniques, this has also led to an increasing gap of doctor-patient relation or the family- elder relation if we refer to automated elderly care (Dr. Quesada Ramirez, 2010).
B. The IT background of the issue
In May 2010 the Kompai robot created by Robosoft will be tested by elders of UK and Netherlands as part of a project aimed to improve the quality of life of the elderly (University of the West of England, 2010).
Kompai is designed to respond to the vocal stimulus of the elder when it is asked to perform...
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Sharma, Prashant , “Basic Facts About WiFi and Its Advancements”, 2 December 2008 , TechPluto, 19 May 2010 ,
University of the West of England, "Could Robots and Smart Devices Help Older People Look After Themselves?", 26 March 2010 , Science Daily, 27 May 2010,
The main type of assistive technology of the future is the use of personal care robots. These robots are machines that resemble human-like characteristics/intelligence. The robots will be controlled by voice command and assist seniors in daily tasks at home, such as activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living (Bernard, 2014). Robots allow for the opportunity to resolve dilemmas of understaffed nursing homes or assisted living communities, providing care to older adults whose names are on a waiting list for facility care. A robot, known as the Paro Robot, has been developed and tested within the field of long term care. This therapeutic robot costs $6,000.00 and was developed by Japan’s Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (Older Adults, Technology, and the Future of Long-Term Care, 2015). The steep price of this robot further allowed for the creation of a cheaper form of robotic care that will be used for the future of long term care. Japan’s Advanced Institute for Science and Technology created the $100.00 robot pet, which can be used as animal therapy. This type of therapy confers lots of benefits to the health and well being of older adults, without the risk of infections, bits, etc. These robots
Robotic Surgery is an emerging technology that utilizes purpose-built robots to perform surgical procedures on patients. At present these robots are not autonomous, they are controlled by a surgeon at all times.
The focus of robotic surgery can be very debatable for many people in this environmental community. A brief introduction is given to the definitions and history of surgical robotics. The capabilities and merits of surgical robots are then contrasted with the related field of computer assisted surgery. A classification is then given of the various types of robot system currently being investigated internationally, together with a number of examples of different applications in both soft-tissue and orthopedic surgery. The paper finishes with a discussion of the main difficulties facing robotic surgery and a prediction of future progress.
Surgery is an important aspect of the medical field. They are performed by a team of medical experts led by medical doctors. However, in recent years, robots have been used in the hospitals to carry out some medical duties. These duties include medical checkups and surgeries. The article Robotic Surgery by Mount Carmel Health Care System, described the procedures as follows:
A robot-assisted surgery demonstrates how far America and the whole world have come in means of technology within a particular working field. The necessity for a more superior technology within hospital settings are best supported by the development of the da Vinci Surgical System. In 1991, when the surgical system was introduced to the globe, many acknowledged that this system improved three different aspects of regular laparoscopic surgery: it gave doctor...
Abstract - Over the past 100 years modern science has been responsible for some miraculous inventions to aid the delivery of medical treatment such as the x-ray machine, ultra sound technology and the cochlear implant. One of the latest improvements is in the field of robotic surgery, which is redefining the way in which patients undergo procedures. Not to be confused with computer-aided surgery, robotic surgery utilizes the robot to actually perform the manual tasks of the surgery. In fact, there is no second thought that robotic arm performs the surgery under the assistance of a doctor. In this research paper we have explored the working of robotics arm, the benefits of conducting patients operations via robotic arm, the problems faced in
Schimelpfening, Nancy. Robots for Humanity: Restoring Function to the Disabled Through Technology. 21 December 2013.
Robots are machines that can do the work of a person and that work automatically or are controlled by a computer (Merriam-Webster, 2014). The Robot Institute of America (circa 1979) defines robots as “a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks” (Branwyn, G.). The Japanese Industrial Robot Association (JIRA) has classified robots based on the following: manually operated manipulators, sequential manipulators, programmable manipulators, numerically controlled robots, sensate robots, adaptive robots, smart robots, and intelligent mechatronic systems (Branwyn, G.). Robots have been improved over time and have proven to be efficient because the computer is controlling them. The history of robots goes as far back as the Ancient Greeks and Romans for the use of toys, tool...
Nowadays, technology is a dominant feature in the lives of people around the world. Most of daily life activities involve the use of technology which is expanding every day through scientific innovations. However, such innovations do not always occur in every part of the world, but mostly in technologically developed countries, such as South Korea, the USA and Japan. Presently, the development of robotics science has become a subject of considerable attention in those countries. According to Weng, Chen and Sun (2009, 267), “Technocrats from many developed countries, especially Japan and South Korea, are preparing for the human–robot co-existence society that they believe will emerge by 2030.” The word “robot” was introduced in the beginning of 1920th by the Czech playwright Karel Capek from the Czech word “robota”, meaning “forced labor” (Robertson 2007, 373). According to Robertson (2007, 373), robot, in practical usage, can be defined as an autonomous or semiautonomous device that is used to perform its tasks either controlled by human, fractionally controlled and with human guidance or regardless of external actions that are performed by people. Regrettably, the majority of robots in the past centuries could not operate without human control and intervention. However, the progress in robotics over the past few decades enabled humanity to achieve soaring results in creation of autonomous humanoid robots.
“Back in 2000, there were only 1,000 robotic surgeries world-wide. That number surged to 360,000 in 2011 and 450,000 last year” (Pinkerton). Is robotic surgery going to be the way to go? What is robotic surgery? Is the recovery quicker than a normal procedure? Are there more risks? Is robotic surgery more precise and costly?
The advantages of using technology in healthcare are far too many to enumerate. As we become more and more dependent on intelligent machines in the medical field, computation technology, specifically, will have a vital role to play in the coming years. They simplify the design process of medical equipment (like prosthetics, stents, pacemakers, etc.), help simulate the effects of a particular device or drug on the human body, consolidate & manage patient records in a central database, etc. Computers are also living up to the challenge of fulfilling out ever-increasing demands of precision and efficiency.
The field of medical robotics is a relatively new area. The first known documented utilization of robotics in the medical field occurred in the year 1985. A robot aided in placing a needle in the correct position for a biopsy of a patient's brain. Although there is still much to explore and discover in the area of medical robotics, the advances steadily increase at a fast pace. Historically, robots have often been first introduced to automate or ameliorate discrete processes, such as painting a car or placing test probes on electronic circuits, but their greatest economic influence has often come indirectly as essential enablers of computer-integration of entire production or accommodation processes.
Williams, Gray ?Robots and Automation.? The new book of popular science. Grolier Inc., 1996, 186-94.
In today's society, robots come in different types and qualities, and robots’ use was mainly in the laboratories and factories; however, that has drastically changed where their uses are changing at a high speed. In addition to that, they have spread throughout the world. The main function of robots is to replace the work that people used to do, or perform tasks that man cannot. A robot is a mechanical or virtual device that uses a computer program, or electronic circuitry, to carry out its functions. In modern science, robotics refers to the study of robots is robotics, which deals with designing, constructing, operating, and using robots and computer systems for controlling and processing information and providing feedbacks. However, as much as robots replace human labor, individuals or organizations can use them in dangerous environments that might be harmful and beneficial to humans. Therefore, to understand the logic behind the creation of robots, one should learn the pros and cons of robotics, in the current society. This is because people are using this technology without having a deep understanding of its effects. However, an objective evaluation of the use of robots, in the modern society, shows that they have a positive influence on human beings, but if the robots were overused, it could lead to a negative side. which shows why human beings should use robots wisely that will result an improvement to their societies and own lives. Robots have become interactive equipment whereby they have become part of human life. In this regard, people use them directly or indirectly to enhance the quality of their lives. However, Sharkey argues that there are ethical issues that arise because of using robots to enhance hu...