Improving Healthcare with Tech

Healthcare has always been a critical service, and the COVID-19 pandemic has put the spotlight starkly on its importance. Access to healthcare services is especially vital for the elderly and those with disabilities.

Below are three areas of focus that outline how we are using technology to help meet their needs and enable them to enjoy a better quality of life.

Enhance Overall Wellbeing

Our ongoing research in assistive technology and robotics shows promising solutions that can make independent living a reality for our elderly and people with disabilities. Our goal is to enable them to complete their daily tasks and activities independently to contribute to their overall wellbeing.

Improve Patient Care

Robotics can help improve patient care, for instance, assisting them with automated bathing machines, and droids that monitor their mobility progress. Robots can also help recovering stroke patients to exercise and alert early-stage dementia patients to take their medication.

Enhanced Productivity in Healthcare

Technology can lighten the workload of our healthcare workers with tools such as delivery drones that dispatch medicines and equipment, to data analytics that improve daily operations and reduces waiting times.

Other examples include:

• An industrial robotic arm that can pick and pack a range of objects, including fragile medical items.
• Automated guided vehicles that can transport food, linen documents,or move heavy items such as beds.
• Augmented reality for doctors to explore and learn medical treatments and procedures.

RoboCoach Xian

RoboCoach Xian is a trainer teaching physical exercise routines to senior citizens individually or in groups. Enhanced with sensors, it offers personalised, gentle exercise routines that the elderly and young children can do, with low risk of injury.

Importantly, it also provides physical and cognitive therapy for seniors who have suffered strokes or have disorders such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s.

Currently, we’re researching how we can further enhance RoboCoach Xian. One possibility is to add a screen reader to help the visually-impaired learn and communicate more easily.

Interested to learn more about our R&D work in robotics? Visit the Centre for Healthcare Assistive and Robotics Technology (CHART) to find out more.