Photo credit: The National Robotarium
Lisa Farrell, business development manager at The National Robotarium, looks at how AI and robotics could transform preventative medicine.
As our health services face ever-increasing demands and financial constraints, the potential for artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to revolutionise healthcare delivery is gathering momentum - and for good reason.
With a 9.9 per cent staff vacancy rate in our healthcare services sector as of the end of March 2023, according to the NHS, socially assistive robots in hospitals could ease pressure on nursing staff, while alleviating patient anxiety.
Conversational AI systems or physical robots can also assist with cleaning duties or even support surgical procedures. The benefits are only bound by our collective imaginations.
The growing integration of advanced technologies into hospital workflows is helping to significantly improve patient outcomes, enhance care accessibility, and optimise budgets. And we at the National Robotarium are wholly supportive of tech being introduced into the healthcare environment.
Augmenting care professionals
One of the most promising avenues for healthcare robotics is in supporting the roles of doctors, nurses, and other care professionals. By automating repetitive or physically demanding tasks, intelligent systems can help alleviate staff workloads, allowing our healthcare workers to focus on what they do best - providing compassionate, human-centred care.
If we can make a person’s job less dull, less dirty, and less dangerous, not only will they be able to do their job better, but they will likely stay in the role longer and experience more job satisfaction.
At our facility, we’ve set up a dedicated space called the LARA Lab, which is an assisted living laboratory used by our researchers and partners to deliver research, and aid those managing health conditions to remain independent in their homes for longer.
This lab is fully kitted with a kitchen, lounge, bathroom and two bedrooms to simulate a living experience where working experiments are regularly conducted.
We also have a strong working relationship with Blackwood Homes and Care, a housing association and care provider with over 100 developments across mainland Scotland. Blackwood’s innovation team is working with us to enable innovative tele-care, tele-health and social robot applications, by fully integrating a mobile and interactive robot with Blackwood’s digital ecosystem. This will allow the residents to trial socially assistive robots in real time, in their own homes.
Similarly, we’re working with Leuchie House, a national respite centre that supports people with MS, who have had a stroke or who are living with a number of other neurological conditions.
By trialling technologies that could help people gain greater independence, or by providing support after a stroke or monitoring for deterioration in conditions like dementia, we’ll be alleviating some of the pressure faced by healthcare professionals on a daily basis. The data that’s gathered will make a huge difference both to the patient and to the carer.
The FEATHER research project – delivered in partnership with the School of Informatics at The University of Edinburgh - is another great example where AI and robotics are having a direct positive impact on the healthcare industry.
This innovation uses pressure sensors and activity monitoring to detect changes in an older person’s behaviour that could signal a potential health issue, like urinary tract infections. This method ensures that care professionals receive around the clock monitoring and are also alerted to subtle changes in the person’s daily habits or movements.
Enhancing patient recovery
Beyond supporting healthcare staff, robotics and AI also have the potential to directly enhance patient experiences and outcomes. Robotic physiotherapy systems could provide personalised therapeutic interventions in community settings.
Bioliberty, one of our tenant companies, has developed a robotic glove which assists in strengthening hand weakness as part of its purpose to enhance stroke rehabilitation. It also allows patients access to care closer to home while reducing hospital and GP wait times, easing pressure on support staff and optimising outcomes.
Surgical robots are also advancing rapidly, with systems becoming increasingly capable of assisting surgeons during complex procedures.
Anecdotally, I recently had a surgeon visit the National Robotarium who inquired about the possibility of a robotic brace for himself that could prevent strains and fatigue for surgeons during operations in the theatre. This is a great indicator of how many health professionals are increasingly willing to adopt AI and robotics into their own daily practice.
Touchlab, the first tenants into the National Robotarium are developing and manufacturing a biomimetic e-skin system that is thinner than human skin and can be used with hard or soft robotics to sense pressure, location and direction in real-time.
Their unique nanotechnology enables surgeons and operators to experience ‘true presence’ through a machine whilst being able to withstand extreme environments and temperatures.
The technology is being applied to solve grand challenges across a vast range of existing and untapped markets, including healthcare, nuclear decommissioning, medicine, automation and space robotics.
In the realm of diagnostics, AI-powered systems also show promise in enabling earlier and more accurate detection of health issues. This is paving the way for proactive, personalised care based on vast amounts of data, including an individual’s genetics and environmental factors.
Addressing barriers to adoption
While the potential benefits of healthcare robotics are of course vast, and there is fantastic technology being evidenced around the country, a number of hurdles need to be addressed before widespread adoption can occur. Robust testing and co-production with stakeholders, for example, needs to take place before we can collectively adopt new technologies.
That’s where the National Robotarium comes in.
We’re conducting research which aims to advance robotics, while working with health and care organisations to see through the very busy tech landscape. Once we understand their needs and what technology is right for them, we can make recommendations on how to implement the necessary research, AI and robotics into their chosen focus area.
We’ll then work with health care businesses on how the changes will impact their priorities of patient outcomes and budgets.
We are actively and continuously engaging with health boards, providers, and policymakers to identify and overcome any barriers to adoption and we’re very pleased that the response has been really positive.
Fostering trust and acceptance
Patient acceptance and trust are also critical factors in the successful deployment of healthcare robotics. The National Robotarium consistently carries out research to understand what is acceptable to patients and caregivers, in terms of factors such as robot appearance, facial features, voice, and social behaviours.
Every person has their own personal views and experience of robotics, and through innovative research, we’re trying to understand what is acceptable or what people would prefer to see.
Our specialist Professor in Developmental Psychology, Thusha Rajendran, often discusses the relationship between humans and robots, exploring ways to build trust between man and machine. He believes, and we agree, that a fusion of psychology, engineering and computer science can create exciting new robotics innovations that can make our lives healthier and safer.
Fostering trust and acceptance
Patient acceptance and trust are also critical factors in the successful deployment of healthcare robotics. The National Robotarium consistently carries out research to understand what is acceptable to patients and caregivers, in terms of factors such as robot appearance, facial features, voice, and social behaviours.
Every person has their own personal views and experience of robotics, and through innovative research, we’re trying to understand what is acceptable or what people would prefer to see.
Our specialist Professor in Developmental Psychology, Thusha Rajendran, often discusses the relationship between humans and robots, exploring ways to build trust between man and machine. He believes, and we agree, that a fusion of psychology, engineering and computer science can create exciting new robotics innovations that can make our lives healthier and safer.
Additionally, we’re committed to addressing practical concerns like cybersecurity and ensuring fair, ethical and inclusive access to robotic technologies.
In collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University, the facility has secured funding for a centre to train the next generation of PhD candidates in building trust in robotics.
Improving access and equity
Beyond enhancing care delivery in urban hospitals, healthcare robotics have the potential to address challenges of access and care equity for rural and remote populations. For example, one of our researchers, Dr Mauro Dragone led on a project that pioneered intelligent sending and tele-presence robotic technology to help health practitioners remotely assess a person’s physical and cognitive health from anywhere in the world.
Because a person’s physical and cognitive abilities change over time, these prototypes use machine learning and AI to carry out non-intrusive assessments, delivering data 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This information is invaluable for the patient’s healthcare professional. What’s more is that this project allows the carer to interact with the patient directly, seeing through the robot’s eyes and ‘moving’ around the room where necessary and even responding to emergencies.
As robotics and AI systems augment the roles of care professionals more and more, these technologies may attract new talent to healthcare careers, helping to alleviate staff shortages and improve access to care across diverse regions.
Improving access and equity
Beyond enhancing care delivery in urban hospitals, healthcare robotics have the potential to address challenges of access and care equity for rural and remote populations. For example, one of our researchers, Dr Mauro Dragone led on a project that pioneered intelligent sending and tele-presence robotic technology to help health practitioners remotely assess a person’s physical and cognitive health from anywhere in the world.
Because a person’s physical and cognitive abilities change over time, these prototypes use machine learning and AI to carry out non-intrusive assessments, delivering data 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This information is invaluable for the patient’s healthcare professional. What’s more is that this project allows the carer to interact with the patient directly, seeing through the robot’s eyes and ‘moving’ around the room where necessary and even responding to emergencies.
As robotics and AI systems augment the roles of care professionals more and more, these technologies may attract new talent to healthcare careers, helping to alleviate staff shortages and improve access to care across diverse regions.
A transformative future
The National Robotarium has been involved in projects ranging from medicines discovery and manufacture, to robotics surgery and stroke rehabilitation, and I foresee real, tangible impact from all of them over the next 12 months.
There are advances in every area of healthcare, and the pace of change is accelerating all the time. We, as a society, are on the precipice of some pretty major and exciting developments.
As a facility we’re driven by real-world need and are ready to assist businesses and industry with the best solutions to their automaton needs.
We’re co-producing solutions with the people who are experiencing challenges every day, and that means engaging with healthcare staff - not only clinicians and allied professionals but procurement teams, site management, HR, and training. The better we can build a picture of our healthcare systems, the better we can optimise solutions and prove the case for mass adoption.
As the transformative potential of healthcare robotics continues to unfold, The National Robotarium stands ready to collaborate, innovate, and lead the way toward a future where AI and intelligent systems play a vital role in improving health outcomes for all.
