Deloitte Insight report has indicated that ubiquitous technology and data will play a decisive role to transform future healthcare in the next 10 years. Medical robots are one of the revolutionary technologies. Taiwan Center for Smart Healthcare Science and Technology in Thailand co-organize international webinar “Advanced Motion Control for Medical Robotics Technologies” with Mahidol University for joint top talent cultivation. The webinar invited speakers from Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia to present the latest healthcare robotic potentials in each country. At least 70 participants from Southern and Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nepal attended the webinar.
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Pic 1: Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysian experts share latest developments of medical robots
Most medical robots are used in cleaning & disinfection, surgery, rehabilitation and assistance for regular healthcare workflow. For example, medical robots could deliver medication, take vital signs without waking the patients, and insert IV and draw blood. More than that, the combination of AR/VR technology is potential, making data visualization possible and can be used in medical training, pain and depandance management, mental health treatments, and simultaneous interaction between doctors and patients.
Center for Biomedical and Robotics Technology (BART LAB), Mahidol University, is a collaborative medical/engineering research center for medical robotics and computer-integrated surgical technology with missions to conduct research, to develop and commercialize prototypes, and establish research and knowledge networks in these fields. Dr. Branesh Madhavan Pillai, Faculty member (Foreign Expert), is specialized in designing surgical robotics for MIS (Minimally Invasive Surgery). He demonstrated how the surgical robot could assist surgeons in the insertion process of laparoscopic surgery, and its motion control design. He and his team studied the comprehension of the insertion process and interactive force-torque behavior between the trocar and the abdomen. The development of robotic-assisted/automated surgeries could avoid injuries to the gastrointestinal tract and blood vessels in primary trocar insertion, the first step of laparoscopic surgery.
Prof. Noor Azuan Abu Osman, Registrar for the University Malaya and Director for BioApps Pvt Ltd (MY) and his teams in Centre for Applied Biomechanics developed RoMicP© robotic ankle-foot, aiming to overcome some shortcomings of most lower-limb robotic prosthesis, hefty price and time-consuming for tuning. As a researcher in the Center, Dr. Mouaz Al Kouzbary introduced that RoMicP© robotic ankle-foot, supported by advanced AI-based hierarchical control system, is advantageous to the prosthesis users with its affordable price and minimal tuning requirements.
NCKU Medical Device Innovation Center (MDIC) develops medical devices for smart healthcare and elderly care. Dr. Chien Ju Lin and her research team proposed AR-mPETS, a device able to train finger force control for the elderly, improving their hand dexterity and maintaining daily activity. Combining with augmented reality (AR), AR-mPETS provide visual feedback and make training more interactive and interesting.
- News/Photo provided by National Cheng Kung University