Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic effects on the healthcare system, businesses, and education. In many countries, businesses were shut down, universities and schools had to cancel in-person classes, and many workers had to work remotely and socially distance in order to prevent the spread of the virus. These measures opened the door for technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence to play an important role in minimizing the negative effects of such closures. There have been many efforts in the design and development of robotic systems for applications such as disinfection and eldercare. Healthcare education has seen a lot of potential in simulation robots, which offer valuable opportunities for remote learning during the pandemic. However, there are ethical considerations that need to be deliberated in the design and development of such systems. In this paper, we discuss the principles of roboethics and how these can be applied in the new era of COVID-19. We focus on identifying the most relevant ethical principles and apply them to a case study in dentistry education. DenTeach was developed as a portable device that uses sensors and computer simulation to make dental education more efficient. DenTeach makes remote instruction possible by allowing students to learn and practice dental procedures from home. We evaluate DenTeach on the principles of data, common good, and safety, and highlight the importance of roboethics in Canada. The principles identified in this paper can inform researchers and educational institutions considering implementing robots in their curriculum.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disturbances in all aspects of everyday life, including healthcare, commerce, manufacturing, and education
DenTeach allows for continuous education through COVID-19, and aids in helping classrooms to become more efficient
The COVID-19 pandemic has stimulated the field of robotics to compensate for restrictions implemented to slow the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 virus
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disturbances in all aspects of everyday life, including healthcare, commerce, manufacturing, and education. Research in interactive autonomy aims to develop robots that are able to effectively interface and collaborate with humans Robots developed under the latter category are designed to work in extreme environments for long-term missions. In line with the common good principle, governments should consider the careers of workers whose positions are “automatable,” providing them with postgraduate education opportunities and expanded job markets should come together with higher robot implementation. Dental colleges are not able to conduct any of the practical aspects of the curriculum due to classroom setup and instructors’ capacity This is a major source of concern for dental students, whose clinical education has been disrupted by the pandemic (Hung et al, 2020).
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