Networked intelligent mobile robot assistants: patient monitoring and telemedicine

Abstract

This paper discusses the need for, and the design and development, of highly adaptable, networked, intelligent, mobile robot assistants and systems for use in patient monitoring and telemedicine. It considers the factors that were taken into account in designing these systems and provide details of the hardware and software developed by the author and how these are used, in conjunction with commercially available hardware, to build these robot assistants and systems. It discusses how intelligence, mobility and adaptability are built into these systems and how these robots can be networked and controlled over the Internet. It discusses the increasing awareness and use of telemedicine and how these assistants may be used in the practice of telemedicine and patient monitoring. It also considers how this work relates to work carried out by researchers in other parts of the world. This work is unique in that it uses only inexpensive and therefore very affordable robots and other equipment and in that these systems are designed to be highly adaptable.