robomedic tech briefing

The robot is essentially a mechanical arm with multiple points of articulation. These joints are driven by servos and allow the robot to move in multiple directions, much like the snakes on which the robot’s design is based. This gives it lots of free range to check for injuries. Its maneuverability also allows the robot to fit into small spaces in case the soldier
cannot be removed. The arm is equipped with a camera and covered with an array of sensors that can diagnose the patient’s condition. The robot is operated completely by remote control, keeping the medics out of the field of fire, with software that helps the operator manage the multiple articulated points. The researchers plan to team the robot with an electronic stretcher that can perform more tests as the wounded are moved off of the battlefield.
This technology is meant strictly for the military as this specific robot would have very little use in the consumer market. It would work well in battle conditions where army medics could not safely reach wounded soldiers and assess the damage or remove them from the middle of the fighting. The military is looking more and more to using robotics and other technologies as a means of keeping human soldiers safe and away from danger.
This technology is important because it would be useful in keeping some soldiers on the battlefield safe and still allowing medics to diagnose the damage and injuries to wounded soldiers. Remote operated robots have already been frequently used in battlefield conditions with success and have prevented deaths. This particular system could be used to save even more and limit the number of deaths from wounds sustained on the battlefield and by those who try to help the wounded.
There are several positive impacts of this technology. Perhaps the most notable would be the decrease in deaths of those wounded because medical treatment could not arrive in time. The robot’s capability to assess injuries would be a useful tool for medics on the field. It would also keep those medics out of harm’s way by sending in a robot instead of a human who could be easily injured while trying to treat another injured patient.

www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22045/