Game-Changing Robotics Technology Can Provide Remote Medical Treatment in High-Risk Emergency Environments

Researchers have made a significant advancement in the field of robotics by developing a system for remote medical interventions during high-risk emergencies. Using an innovative technology, known as medical telexistence (MediTel), the team built a robotic-controlled uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) with a virtual reality (VR) capability. This groundbreaking feature allows medical professionals to evaluate and treat severely injured individuals in hazardous conditions, providing a safe solution for remote triage.

This game-changing robotics technology has been developed by researchers at The University of Sheffield (Sheffield, UK) for providing remote medical treatment to casualties in high-risk emergency environments such as humanitarian disasters and war zones. In a record time of nine months, the researchers succeeded in developing this pioneering, fully- integrated medical telexistence solution. The vehicle includes two robotic arms that have the ability to utilize medical instruments remotely. In less than 20 minutes, the UGV can carry out a critical preliminary examination on a patient, checking temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate, palpating the abdomen, and providing pain relief through an auto-injector. Meanwhile, all real-time data is streamed back to the remote operator.

Image: Robots can provide remote medical treatment in a hazardous environment (Photo courtesy of The University of Sheffield)

Through field testing, the UGV demonstrated its ability to accurately assess and triage a casualty. This medical telexistence technology promises to bring about a transformative change in the way medical triage is conducted in perilous situations where safety is a concern. The team of researchers will further enhance this technology, with plans to transform it into an integrated medical emergency platform that can be rapidly deployed to humanitarian disasters affecting multiple individuals, thereby enabling remote medics to deliver vital life-saving treatment.

“Our MediTel project has demonstrated game-changing medical telexistence technology that has the potential to save lives and provide remote assessment and treatment of casualties in high-risk environments such as humanitarian disasters,” said David King, Head of Digital Design at the AMRC who led the project.

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The University of Sheffield