The DLR MIRO is the second generation of versatile robot arms for surgical applications, developed at the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics. With its low weight of 10 kg and dimensions similar to those of the human arm, the MIRO robot can assist the surgeon directly at the operating table where space is sparse. The planned scope of applications of this robot arm ranges from guiding a laser unit for the precise separation of bone tissue in orthopaedics to setting holes for bone screws, robot-assisted endoscope guidance and on to the multi-robot concept for (endoscopic) minimal invasive surgery. Continue reading
Robert Ringrose of MIT demo’ed a very cool design at AAAI97. His Hopper robot leg stands on its own, and, when activated, hops straight up and down, maintaining its balance. It corrects its balance if you shove it to one side. It can be adjusted to hop forward, backward left, right, etc., simply by changing its center of gravity. The hopper will move in the direction of its mass. Continue reading
Guidance Matrix Based Navigation for an Autonomous Mobile Robot in Dynamic Unstructured Environments – Chelliah Kanesalingam (PhD)
Real-time Video Processing for Mobile Robot Navigation and Steering – Nic Snailum (PhD) An Integrated Mobile Internet, Television and Telephone System at 42GHz – Evangelos Pallis (PhD) Design and Construction of an Autonomous Mobile Robot – David Buckley (MSc by Project) Sonar Signal Processing for Mobile Robot Guidance – Wei Zhang (MSc by Project) Continue reading
A new doctor at the hospital. Well, more or less.
The male doctor is a robot that works with a joystick, has three wheels, a stethoscope and may be the solution to the shortage of doctors and nurses that affects hospitals in the nation. Chico (English acronym of Computer Intensive Care Attendant) allows physicians and nurses to virtually examine patients, they speak, have access to digitized medical records and, ideally, diagnose diseases but is far from the patient.
The robot’s face is a flat screen.
Not that Chico does the work of doctors, but facilitates their work supervising the patient. And when the doctor is next to the patient, can get a second opinion from a distance. Or if the doctor and patient speak different languages, Chico coordinated interpretation. “With the acute shortage of specialists in trauma and critical care, telemedicine is going to move,”said Dr. Jeffrey Augenstein, a professor of surgery and director of Ryder Trauma Center.” The advantage of such a thing is worth millions.”
The robot does not cost a penny to Jackson Memorial Hospital. The Army and the Jackson lease it reaps the benefits because the Army medical personnel are trained in this hospital before being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Doctors at Jackson and Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami began using a male since last month on an experimental basis, although not yet fully operational. As the population ages and the shortage of specialized physicians is acute, medical videoconferencing robot could be the future.
“In the history of modern medicine to the patients we assessed seeing and talking to them. This would be a way to change that system,”said Augenstein.” We sat in this room [the robot] and have access to all information of no matter who is patient with us or across the world.” The robot of Jackson is one of a kind used in the trauma center, according to the creator of the device, In Touch Technologies, based in California. Four other Army hospitals – one in Seattle, two in Texas and one in Germany – but those hospitals are trauma centers.
Dozens of similar units, called RP-7 Remote Presence Robots are used in hospitals around the country to assess embolisms, heart attacks and critical care. Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson handles 4,000 cases a year.
The Army expects that robots allow access to specialists at the forefront of battle.”The Army has a shortage of surgeons … with a growing need in the battlefield … this can help,”said Dr. Donald Robinson, lieutenant colonel and chief of Army Training Center at Jackson.
Hospital officials say the robot is a great benefit to the population.
“What if someone is injured in Key West or in a rural county,” asks Augenstein. Answer: If the hospital has a broadband connection the robot can help doctors diagnose from Jackson if the patient should be transported to the trauma center. The robot was created by Dr. Yulun Wang, In Touch Technologies. This latest version of the preceding six.
Robots do not require regular maintenance but are permanently monitored every two minutes, technical service teams. “The robot informs its corresponding computer server when operating properly,”Wang
Some 25 doctors, surgeons and trauma center technicians have learned to use the robot. Dr. Antonio Martta Jr., Associate Professor of Surgery, is known as the most skilled operator of the robot, which sensors avoid colliding with people or objects. “For me it’s easy,”said Martta laughing.” Before I spent much time playing video games.”
The robot is new, but doctors say that the origin of its operation is not.
“All of us have practiced telemedicine, just not as advanced,”said Augenstein.”You get a call from another doctor, send a picture … we do this daily. We practice distance mentoring.” Doctors do not believe that robots replace them completely. “In the practice of medicine the doctor’s presence is necessary for human contact.”
Rudy is the new employee Davis Medical Center, University of California. It measures 1.68 meters, weighs 90 kilos and is a robot. Its main function is to allow doctors to interact with post-operative patients without being present. The body of this ‘Robodoc’ consists of a camera, a television screen and microphone. Thanks to its structure, the physicians, patients and family members can see and hold a conversation.
Besides, Rudy is able to zoom in to the camera lens “to provide an overview of vital signs and quirugica incision,” says an article in ‘The British Medical Journal. The machine runs through the hospital’s wireless network for management and the doctor needs a computer, a camcorder can record sound and a joystick. With these elements and the Rudy’s own, the robot can be operated even from outside the hospital.
Currently, the model is being tested by various hospitals in the U.S. and one of the issues that will need to clarify, within this period, is whether patients prefer seeing their own doctor, even through the robot, rather than seeing a specialist who does not know. The main objective of these tests, according to British publication collects, passes measure symptoms of post-operative patients when they are controlled vary from traditional visits or when they receive ‘televisiting’.
Facing the increasing number of medical students and the few units available for learning, a Mexican university began using robotic patients to train future doctors. The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) on Monday opened the “virtual hospital” world’s largest, in which students can practice from birth with a mannequin robot up a shot in the arm of a plastic baby.
The robots are dummies complete with mechanical organs, synthetic blood and mechanical breathing systems. “The increase of medical students in the country has not been proportional to the increase in medical care units,” said Joaquin Lopez Barcena, general secretary of the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM, the largest public university in the country. “This is a very valuable learning opportunity,” he added. The “virtual hospital” which cost about 15 million pesos (about 1.08 million or 1.38 million) – has 24 robotic patients and a software that can simulate illnesses ranging from diabetes to a heart heart.
For Paola Mendoza, a freshman of Medicine, the robotic patients peace of mind. “I would feel nervous if it were a real patient,” he said after drawing blood synthetic plastic arm. “With this (dummy) I can practice many times,” he said. With nearly 15,000 students, UNAM has one of the largest medical schools in Latin America. Mexico has this year with more than 70,000 medical students, according to the Mexican Association of Colleges and Schools of Medicine. “Medical schools proliferate everywhere in Mexico,” said Martha Hijar, a researcher at the National Institute of Public Health. “It’s a well-paid career that offers a good status in society, so many come in that field,” he said.
Restructuring Plan requires Sony has announced the discontinuation of production of Aibo, the famous robot dog that can monitor your home when you’re not here to speak with a vocabulary of more than 1000 words and even for latest developments, to keep a blog! Launched in 1999, the Aibo adventure stops, lack of profitability, like that of QRIO, the humanoid robot from Sony, which has never been marketed. Continue reading
Medicine is increasingly calling the robot to explore new therapeutic approaches. We have already seen the case Cosmobot the robot communication aid for children, and the use of Keepon, the robot therapist to interact with children with delays and / or mental disorders. Continue reading
Research in medical robotics have intensified in recent years, supported by several national incentives (Robea program, ACI and RNTS * *) and European. The areas most promising short-term tele-ultrasound robot (OTELO projects  and B ), and interventional radiology (IRAS project  Robea). In the longer term, the minimally invasive endoscopically should benefit from the most recent advances in robotics in terms of perception, decision and action. Continue reading
Robotics and Mechatronics will honor the first festival of robots for the general public, academics and professionals. A rally around the robot through the robot competitions, conferences and workshops, exhibitions and entertainment. This national gathering, an initiative of Mantes-la-Jolie, aims to raise public awareness of robotics and its integration Continue reading