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...
... middle of paper ...
...ow Classroom Video Conferencing Works" , 28 May 2008, HowStuffWorks, 27 May 2010,
Miskelly, Frank G., “Assistive tecnhology in elderly Care”, 2001, British Geriatrics Society, 18 May 2010,
Robosoft, “Kompai, Develop your own companion robot”, 2010, Robosoft Advanced Robotic Solutions, 22 May 2010,
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,
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
...ases strain and likelihood of error which results in an increase in the time taken to perform the procedure. Computer assisted surgery uses computers for guiding and performing surgical intrusions in addition to pre-surgical planning. Robotic surgery or robotically assisted surgery overcomes the limitations of traditional Human-Machine Interfaces and enhance the abilities of surgeons during open surgeries. Moreover, there are numerous training simulators available to surgeons for practice and learning purposes.
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.
Machines may advance the diagnosis and treatment of patients, but will never be able to replace...
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...
6. Aleksander, Igor, and Piers Burnett. REINVENTING MAN: The Robot Becomes Reality. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983. p 25.
Schimelpfening, Nancy. Robots for Humanity: Restoring Function to the Disabled Through Technology. 21 December 2013.
The science behind humanlike robots is advancing. They are becoming more smart, mobile and autonom...
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:
By convention, the field of healthcare research was entirely occupied by physicians and doctors. They were the ones who came up with new methods to treat diseases and get better results from diagnostic tests. Technology, on the other hand, was always looked at as a way to solve problems that we faced that didn’t pertain to the medical sector. It was employed to enhance the quality of life and make day to day work easier. But as technology progressed, so did the areas of application. The structural balancing techniques which were previously used to hold a building steady were now being used to develop near-perfect artificial joints and prosthetic limbs. Transparent polymers, developed to enhance robotic vision, were being suggested as a candidate for an artificial lens for the human eye. Before anyone could even understand what was happening, engineering had taken up the mantle to further medical technology to dizzying new heights.
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.
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...
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...