Progress in robotics for combating infectious diseases
Year: 2021
Type: review
Abstract: The world was unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovery is likely to be a long process. Robots have long been heralded to take on dangerous, dull, and dirty jobs, often in environments that are unsuitable for humans. Could robots be used to fight future pandemics? We review the fundamental requirements for robotics for infectious disease management and outline how robotic technologies can be used in different scenarios, including disease prevention and monitoring, clinical care, laboratory automation, logistics, and maintenance of socioeconomic activities. We also address some of the open challenges for developing advanced robots that are application oriented, reliable, safe, and rapidly deployable when needed. Last, we look at the ethical use of robots and call for globally sustained efforts in order for robots to be ready for future outbreaks.
Source: Science Robotics
Institutions: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Texas A&M University, Imperial College London, University of Twente, University of Stuttgart, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, The Francis Crick Institute, ETH Zurich, City College of New York, City University of New York, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, University of Louisville, Henan University, Henan Provincial People's Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Control and Systems Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3139540107