5 Ways Robotics Is Transforming Healthcare

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YuanYe Technology is a cutting-edge wearable robotics company founded by PhDs and masters from Harvard University and MIT, dedicated to leveraging robotic technology to restore and enhance the mobility of its users. Unlike traditional exoskeletons that primarily assist wearers by supporting body weight, YuanYe has developed the world’s first muscle armor—more flexible, lighter, and smarter than ever before.

Researchers have also successfully connected a mechanical prosthetic to the wearer’s nervous system, and they hope this breakthrough will enhance both the comfort and reliability of the prosthetic. The patient is a Swedish woman who lost her arm in an agricultural accident and has long suffered from phantom limb pain. She says the surgery has allowed her to "live a much better life."

Wearable robots are also making inroads into more commercial sectors. Outdoor apparel company Arc'teryx has partnered with Skip, a company founded by former Google employees, to develop power-assisted hiking pants designed to help users with mobility challenges.

Remote possibilities

Robotics is also being used to advance the development of telemedicine—providing remote patient care. Boston-based startup Perceptive claims to have successfully completed the first-ever fully robotic dental procedure, which utilized autonomous dental technology featuring AI-driven data analysis as well as robotic arms and specialized tools.

Additionally, a remotely controlled, swallowable robot has been developed to assist doctors in performing remote endoscopic examinations. Endiatx’s PillBot is designed to enable patients to comfortably interact with gastroenterologists from the comfort of their own homes.

Using robots for rehabilitation

This technology is also being applied to postoperative patient care. The National Robotics Center, in collaboration with AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, has launched a pilot study aimed at developing socially assistive robots that can support stroke and brain-injury survivors through upper-limb rehabilitation programs—currently, only 31% of patients complete this rehabilitation process.

The robot communicates with the patient via headphones, which can detect neural activity. These signals are used to interpret the patient’s intended movements, after which the robot provides verbal encouragement, visual demonstrations of the, and feedback once the patient successfully completes the required action.

Enhance training

Robots not only offer a new approach to patient care but are also being developed to support the training of new medical staff.

The Extension Research Division at UC San Diego has developed a humanoid robot named RIA. Students can use the robot for role-playing training, as it can be programmed to simulate various medical conditions.

Jonathan Rezach, Project Manager at the English Language Institute, said: "RIA doesn’t jump to conclusions. She doesn’t get tired. And she doesn’t check her smartphone—so she can effortlessly and seamlessly rehearse these role-plays over and over again."

By leveraging artificial intelligence and robotics, RIA can deliver human-like emotional responses—helping doctors prepare for real-world patient interactions.

The above content solely represents the author's personal views.This article is translated from the World Economic Forum's Agenda blog; the Chinese version is for reference purposes only.Feel free to share this on WeChat Moments; please leave a comment below the post if you’d like to republish.

Editor: Wang Can

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