Medical Robots Research Paper

The history of robots has its origins in the ancient world. There are legends of statues coming to life and acting as servants, and mention of the god Hephaestus crafting talking mechanical handmaidens out of gold (Ancient 2). However, the thought of medical robots becoming a reality did not come around until 1998 when Dr. David Gow created the first bionic arm called the Edinburgh Modular Arm System (Patel 1). The first robotic system applied in a surgical procedure was the Puma 560, which was used to orient a needle for a brain biopsy under computerized tomography guidance. This system was soon discontinued due to safety issues (Robotic 15). The Puma 560 has not been the only bust. There have been many counts of robotic defects ending …show more content…
There are robot driven cars, assembly line robotics, robotic vacuums, robotic dogs, and even love-bots, but the area in which these robotic advancements are obviously lacking is in the medical field. Some say that this is a crucial area that needs to be focused on so that the medical field will be up to speed with the rest of modern day science and technology. However, the lack of artificial intelligence in the field of medicine is not something to be concerned with. Surgeons spend many years in school working to become the absolute best that they can be so that they may have the opportunity to better the lives of others. To incorporate a robot into surgery, that surgeon would have to go back through extensive training to learn how to use these machines. The surgeries then take longer to perform due to the lack of experience of the operator with the machinery, and the cost is much higher than if the perfectly capable doctor were to operate on the patient himself. The cost is so high because the technology is so new. Medical robots cost around $1,000,000 to purchase and $100,000 or more to maintain each year. This high price limits hospitals and health-care centers from using them and harnessing their abilities (Surgery 9). There are also more serious issues than price, such as latency. It is crucial that certain moves be made at specific times for the best results to occur (13). During any surgery there are times where …show more content…
It was originally thought up to help people that are in totally different countries. The dream was that a doctor in a country such as the United States or Great Britain could perform an advanced surgery on someone in desperate need in a lesser developed country, or one that was in the midst of a war and needed surgical assistance for their soldiers (Piesing 6). The concept resolves a problem, and supplies advanced medical care to the places where it is needed most. However, the conclusion has been drawn that this is very far into the future, and for now they are focusing on trying to integrate robots into a more hands on environment. Although it is unfortunate, the facts cannot be denied when clearly