Robotics in Health Care

969 Words2 Pages

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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...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,

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