Robots in healthcare

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to review of the use of robots in two healthcare applications: surgery and prosthetics. Design/methodology/approach Following a brief introduction, this paper first considers robotic surgery and discusses a selection of commercial products, applications and recent technological advances. It then considers recent developments in robotic prosthetics. Findings It is shown that surgical robots are being employed in an ever‐growing range of clinical procedures. Systems employing tactile feedback are under development. Improved robotic prosthetics are the topic of a major research effort and recent developments include hands and grippers, walking aids and novel control techniques, including thought‐activated systems which exploit advances in brain‐computer interface technology. Originality/value This paper provides details of recent developments and applications of robotic surgery and prosthetics.