Simon Fraser University researchers have designed three new robots that aid doctors to collect vital patient information. Each of these robots has its own ability and they are designed to detect and analyze medical parameters such as temperature, electrocardiograms, oxygen saturation, and respiration rates.
The first is a robotic arm and it can take measurements of a patient with its fingertips that contain electrodes. The second one comes in an insole form. When fitted inside a shoe, it can track a patient’s gait. Lastly, the third is a humanoid robot that is designed to detect a patient’s oxygen levels. This is particularly crucial for a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The researchers believe that this technology will greatly contribute to the creation of an integrated healthcare system that will enable doctors to gather vital data from patients autonomously. They especially believe that the robots, which were made using 3D printed origami structure, will be useful in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They can help doctors collect important information from patients and this minimizes direct contact between patients and healthcare professionals. Consequently, this will lower the transmission rate.
According to the researchers, there is a likelihood to combine this technology with artificial intelligence technology in the future to do bigger things like generating medication prescriptions.