Role of robotics for combating infectious diseases
Robotics play an important role in combating infectious diseases by providing a contact-free environment and allowing healthcare workers to remotely take temperatures, measure bp and oxygen levels. They also provide a helping hand in decontaminating surfaces of hospitals and other places or automated testing. But robotics can be used for many more important things than doing labor work during the spread of infectious diseases.
Clinical treatment, such as telemedicine and decontamination, logistics, such as the transportation and handling of contaminated waste, and reconnaissance, such as checking compliance with voluntary quarantines, can all benefit from robots. Even in the midst of COVID-19, robots are being used for cleaning, providing prescriptions and food, assessing vital signs, and helping border controls. As the deadly illness spreads across the country, more Chinese businesses are hurrying to deploy robots and automation technology.
The pandemic has also brought attention to the need for aid and social robots to assist folks at home, particularly the elderly. Not only can social robots monitor patients and ensure that they follow their therapies, but they can also provide much-needed social connections. It could provide solace to those who are unable to live with their family members, whether due to a pandemic or other circumstances. The social robots could also help with simple activities and monitor vital signs if the individual appears to be getting sick.
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 for combating infectious diseases? Robotic technologies can be used for infectious disease management in different scenarios, including disease prevention and monitoring, clinical care, laboratory automation, logistics, and maintenance of socio-economic activities. So it is vital to develop advanced robots that are application-oriented, reliable, safe, and rapidly deployable when needed.
