Author : Trivarna Sri Koduru
When you hear the term “robot,” what images spring to mind? Do you envision a mechanical humanoid in a spaceship in the far future? Perhaps you assume that robots are not assistants but a threat to humanity, like in the movies such as The Terminator. Or you may recall J.A.R.V.I.S., Ultron, and Vision from Marvel Comics.
Whatever your thoughts are, one thing is sure:
Robots will coexist with us.
Robots are autonomously operated machines that perform a sequence of acts independently and execute the task usually performed by a human.
Robots are versatile machines, as proven by their numerous shapes and purposes. We already see robots in healthcare, home life, manufacturing, space exploration, military, entertainment, travel, and other fields.
Robots in Healthcare
The purpose of robots in the medical field is beneficial to humans by increasing surgical success rates, providing better and more personalized care for patients, and creating a more hygienic hospital environment.
Medical robots are transforming healthcare. They are innovating how surgeries are performed, how patients are cared for, and how care facilities are maintained.
Robots support healthcare personnel in various ways, from sterilizing hospitals during a pandemic to teaching social skills to children with autism.
Robots are also changing the face of patient care and rehabilitation.
In this article, I will discuss six of the numerous ways that robots are changing healthcare.
SURGICAL ROBOTS
Robot-assisted surgery opens up new avenues for treating complex injuries. Doctors may design a one-of-a-kind and individualized surgery with surgical robots for each patient’s needs.
The teleoperation system is the most common robotic medical support for surgical procedures, allowing constant and highly accurate treatment. Surgical robots have traditionally not included autonomous surgical execution and decision-making. Medical robots help surgeons with complex operations like single-position fusions, which are frequently technically tricky.
NURSING ROBOTS
Nursing is one of the most rapidly rising professions. Nurses do several manual duties in addition to caring for and monitoring patients. They are frequently overworked, which has an impact on their mental and physical health. As a result, turnover rates are very high compared to other jobs.
Robot Name: MOXI Robot Name: ROBEAR
Nursing robots can aid nurses with various tasks, including routine patient monitoring and collecting and dropping off test results.
SOCIAL ROBOTS
Robots can help with medical treatments not just for physical problems but also for mental health. Intuitively, mental healthcare is essentially human, as therapy frequently necessitates emotional engagement and compassion. Robots, on the other hand, are excellent at offering emotional support. People prefer to perceive social robots as human acquaintances, and human-robot interactions may efficiently duplicate feelings such as empathy.
Robot Name: PEPPER
Social robots provide an unexpected advantage when engaging with patients: people are more honest with robots than with human staff. When dealing with robots, they are less concerned about being assessed and following social standards. Interacting with social robots offers similar psychological effects as interacting with people, such as reducing loneliness and enhancing social drive.
REHABILITATION ROBOTS
In many respects, robots are aiding in the healing process for both physical and cognitive rehabilitation. Wearable robots, such as exoskeletons for the lower and upper limbs and end effectors for the distal section of the limb, assist patients in improving control of their body motions and decreasing pain.
SANITATION ROBOTS
Since the Covid-19 epidemic, the need for sterilizing care facilities has grown. Robots are suitable for this sanitizing operation since they are virus-free and can do complete, systemized deep cleaning. In addition to care institutions, sanitization robots might be employed in any public location, potentially improving public health.
Robot Name: ELLA Robot Name: KARMI-Bot
MICROBOTS
Microbots are microscopic robots that can navigate the human body. Microbots allow for minimally invasive surgery, which reduces the risk of problems. As one possible method of fighting cancer, scientists foresee microbots targeting malignant cells and attaching anticancer medications to the molecules. With the infinite potential of microbots, fatal illnesses may be eradicated in the near future.
Healthcare is an ever-changing industry. Although robotics does not solve all healthcare concerns, medical robots change how patients get treatment. It is critical to comprehend how medical robots are employed in healthcare and how patients and healthcare professionals react to them.
ACM GITAM Visakhapatnam
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