Robots to support health care
Institutes are also developing biological robots that can be used inside the body.
The Helmholtz Robot Research Institute developed an artificial heart robot in 2004. This robot can be inserted into the body for people who have weak hearts, and it can pump blood to the arteries. The robot, which requires six watts of electricity, is very small and can be used in emergency situations, such as for people who have heart attacks. The robot operates wirelessly, so there is no need to worry about the batteries going dead. This robot is not yet commercialized for general use, because the defect rates must be minimized. The Scuola Superiore Sant’ Anna (SSSA) in Italy is currently developing a robot to be used as an endoscope, a type of camera that is used to film the inside of the body. Resembling a cricket with long legs, the robot can be bunched up and swallowed like a capsule.
It “spreads” out its legs inside the body, and “walks” to areas to film the inside of the organs, the images of which are then displayed on a monitor. Researchers say that it will take at least five years before development is complete. Another robotic project taking place at the SSSA is for the operating table. This robot can be fixed to the end of a catheter, a tube used to remove liquid from the body. The robot has a tiny knife attached to the end, enabling remote-controlled operations. by Park Bang-ju
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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