STANFORD ROBOTICS CENTER David Packard Building, Chu Kut Yung Labs David Packard Building, Chu Kut Yung Labs
David Packard Building, Chu Kut Yung Labs

Health and Wellness

Medical robots are the 'new colleagues' that are bringing advance to every branch of medicine. As a guide to the role of robotics in healthcare, consider Stanford's research community's use of the following types of robotic systems:

Surgical robots | These robots enable surgical procedures with greater precision and better outcomes than an unaided human surgeon, and permit remote surgery where the human surgeon cannot be physically present with the patient.

A laparoscopic robotic surgery machine. Patient-side cart of the da Vinci surgical system. Image source: wikipedia (Nimur)
A laparoscopic robotic surgery machine. Patient-side cart of the da Vinci surgical system. Image source: Wikipedia (Nimur)

Rehabilitation robots | facilitate and support activity of the infirm, elderly, and those with dysfunction of body parts affecting movement. These robots are also used for rehabilitation and related procedures, such as training and therapy.

Biorobots | a group of robots designed to imitate certain human and animal mechanisms and behaviors. Telepresence robots: allow off-site medical professionals to move, look around, communicate, and participate from remote locations. Pharmacy automation robots: dispense oral solids in retail pharmacy settings or prepare sterile IV admixtures in hospital pharmacy settings.

Companion robots | have the capability to engage with users, keeping them company and alerting if there is a problem arises with their health.

Disinfection robots | have the capability to clean a room in minutes, generally using pulsed ultraviolet light. These are being used, for example, in fighting Ebola virus disease.