The Future of Medical Care?

Printmiss - I haven't heard about the communication one but it wouldn't surprise me if it is in the making.

This soldiers new bionic arm is unbelievable and he moves it and his new fingers using his mind:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV0yqVoHv70

If they've managed that, they may well be on the way with speech too.

jane - at around 2.14, the video talks of the robots being taken into hospitals to see if patients felt uncomfortable around them (the first robots were not particularly human looking and were not well received by the patients). The talking to elderly people and helping children with learning disabilities is another function they are thinking the robots could be used for.

I don't think the robots would care about abuse, physical or verbal as they have no psych to be offended. If the robots are made to be able to deal with aggressive behaviour, it may well put an end to that as well! Robotic guards?

As to cost, I'm sure the same thoughts were weighed up during the industrial revolution when machinery was brought in to replace the so-called tedious work (but obviously meant people lost their incomes as well). Think of your computer and how much you spend on that to keep it running.

I didn't say the NHS were guilty of exploiting it's workforce - that was a general comment regarding general employment.

I do believe, however, that this is the route that things will go down eventually.

May I interrupt here, with a question of my own, and which I think someone on here might be able to help me with. Some time ago, on t.v. there was a short piece about some equipment which it was hoped would be used to help those who lost the power of speech to communicate. This appeared to be by means of electrodes over the head (brain) and when the patient was asked a question, it was possible to 'read' the answer - or maybe hear it, I can't remember, but this really interested me - does anyone else recall this, and does anyone know if anything more has been done?

Holly
I've watched your second link twice and the only reference to a clinical application that I could make out was that they suggested that the robots might be useful talking to elderly patients to prevent cognitive decline, and some children with learning disabilities
I wonder how the robots cope with people hurling physical abuse at them, or resorting to physical violence, as happens to human staff in NHS hospitals.

As for being cheaper to employ, think again. They will be hugely expensive to buy, and have ongoing maintenance costs which will probably far exceed the cost of employing a person.

And although some employers employ people on zero hours contracts, below minimum wage and with disregard of Health & Safety regulations, for once I will defend the NHS and say it isn't one of them.

durhamjen - I think that as costs soar for employment within health services, it could come in very useful when there are shortages. It's a bit worrying that humans may become obsolete though! When you consider that there are a lot of employers happy to employ people on zero hours contracts, below minimum wage and with dodgy health and safety in place, these robots will seem like a godsend: they can work them 24 hours a day for no pay at all!

janeainsworth - This link probably explains it better:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF39Ygp53mQ

From around 2.40, they explain the use of the robot trials and it is mainly within healthcare. I don't imagine these robots would replace humans in the near future but I think this is the path they are going down.

The robotic practice patients were for dental trainees.

Still, all very fascinating and very, very clever.

www.theguardian.com/society/2014/mar/23/family-doctor-service-brink-extinction

Could come in useful.

Holly the robots are patients for the human practitioners to practise on.