Healthcare Robots Research Articles

Robotics in Elderly Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis of 20 Recent European Research Projects

Studies foresee a dramatic increase in the elderly population of Western Europe over the next decades, putting pressure on healthcare systems. Healthcare robots are developed to facilitate independent living for elderly people. This paper aims to provide a qualitative analysis of recent projects in healthcare robotics (2008-2024) and proposes new research directions for healthcare robots for older adults. We provide an overview of current research and a roadmap for upcoming research. Our study began with a literature search using four databases. Searches were performed for articles from research projects containing the words “elderly care”, “assisted aging”, “health monitoring”, or “elderly health”. Additional exclusion criteria were used to focus on elderly healthcare and utilization of commercial robotic systems. Resulting from this endeavor, 20 recent research projects are described and categorized in this paper. Then, these projects were analyzed using thematic analysis. Our findings are summarized in common themes: most projects have a strong bias towards care robots’ functionalities; robots are often seen as outsiders in care settings; there is an emphasis on robots as commercial products; and there is some limited attention to the design and ethical aspects of care robots, but very little attention to their legal aspects. The paper concludes with key points representing a roadmap for future research addressing robotics for the elderly.

Smart Mechanical Structures and Design for Advanced Adhesives: A Review

Abstract Smart adhesives with engineered mechanical structures have emerged as a transformative technology with broad applications in fields such as wearable healthcare devices, bioengineering, and soft robotics. By integrating advanced mechanical architectures like kirigami, tessellations, and multilayered designs, these adhesives exhibit enhanced surface and mechanical properties that lead to superior interfacial adhesion. Such designs offer critical advantages—improved stretchability, substrate conformability, and increased adhesion strength—over conventional adhesives. This review explores the range of engineered structures used in smart adhesives and demonstrates how these innovations address the limitations of traditional adhesives. Additionally, we discuss their applications in wearable healthcare devices, flexible electronics, and robotics.

Ultrasensitive iontronic pressure sensor based on microstructure ionogel dielectric layer for wearable electronics

Flexible pressure sensors show great promise for applications in such fields as electronic skin, healthcare, and intelligent robotics. Traditional capacitive pressure sensors, however, face the problem of low sensitivity, which limits their wider application. In this paper, a flexible capacitive pressure sensor with microstructured ionization layer is fabricated by a sandwich-type process, with a low-cost and simple process of inverted molding with sandpapers being used to form a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer ionic film with double-sided microstructure as the dielectric layer of the sensor, with silver nanowires as electrodes. The operating mechanism of this iontronic pressure sensor is analyzed using a graphical method, and the sensor is tested on a pressure platform. The test results show that the sensor has ultrahigh pressure sensitivities of 3.744 and 1.689 kPa−1 at low (0–20 kPa) and high (20–800 kPa) pressures, respectively, as well as a rapid response time (100 ms), and it exhibits good stability and repeatability. The sensor can be used for sensitive monitoring of activities such as finger bending, and for facial expression (smile, frown) recognition, as well as speech recognition.

Advancements and challenges in medical and healthcare robotics

Advancements and challenges in medical and healthcare robotics

Robotics in Healthcare

This review explores the integration of robotics in healthcare, focusing on the current state, advancements, and the future potential of robotic systems. These systems, which include surgical robots, rehabilitation robots, and robotic diagnostic systems, have significantly impacted patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency. The review will discuss various data points, benefits, and challenges, as well as ethical concerns surrounding the adoption of healthcare robotics. Emerging technologies like nanobots and AI-integrated robots are poised to further revolutionize the field. This paper provides a critical analysis of these developments, highlighting both opportunities and limitations. The incorporation of robotics into healthcare has brought about a revolutionary change in the way medical services are delivered, significantly improving accuracy, operational efficiency, and patient care outcomes. This paper delves into the advancements, practical applications, obstacles, and prospective developments in the field of healthcare robotics. A structured approach was employed, encompassing a thorough review of recent literature, detailed case study analyses, and assessments of innovative technologies. The study reveals substantial advancements in areas like surgical robotics, rehabilitation devices, and patient support systems, while also identifying persistent challenges such as high costs, ethical issues, and technical constraints. This review highlights the transformative potential of robotics in reshaping modern healthcare and explores strategies to overcome the barriers to its widespread implementation

The perception of facilitators and barriers to the use of e-health solutions in Poland: a qualitative study

BackgroundE-health entails the use of information and communication technologies in support of health and health-related activities. E-health increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The pandemic showed that the e-health environment may be an important element of the response to epidemiological challenges. Polish citizens were provided with an array of e-health tools supporting the provision of health services.MethodsThe main aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, use, and opinions about e-health solutions in Polish society. Fifty participants representing the general population took part in in-depth interviews. The interviews were conducted face-to-face with participants in their homes or via a teleconferencing platform from November 2023 to January 2024. At first, the interviewees were recruited by convenience, and at a later stage, a snowballing approach was applied. A semi-structured guide covered the knowledge about and use of e-health solutions, attitudes toward new technologies, and opinions about artificial intelligence and robots in healthcare. The interviewers interviewed 50 participants, of whom 26 were females. The interview transcriptions were analyzed with MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022 (Release 22.7.0). An approach based on thematic analysis was employed to evaluate the interviews’ content.ResultsThematic analysis of the interviews resulted in the identification of three main themes: (1) knowledge about e-health, (2) barriers, and (3) facilitators of e-health use. Recognition of the term ‘e-health’ was limited among study participants, although they used e-health solutions frequently. The main barriers included limited digital skills and unfavorable attitudes to new technologies. Some of the participants complained about technical difficulties, e.g., poor Internet access. The main facilitators identified based on the interviews include saving time and reducing costs, as well as the ability to access medical records in one repository, as in the case of the Internet Patient Account. Some people believed e-health to be an element of progress. Overall, the study participants supported sharing their medical data for research.ConclusionsImplementing e-health solutions seems to be perceived as an inevitable consequence of technological progress. However, a lack of adequate technical skills remains one of the major obstacles to efficiently utilizing e-health’s potential.

Evaluating Human-Robot Interactions to Support Healthy Aging-in-Place.

Declines in older adults' cognitive and physical health pose challenges to maintaining their independence. Robots can improve independent living and facilitate aging-in-place. Despite recent innovations in healthcare robotics, the use of robots has not advanced significantly among older adults. This review seeks to understand human-robot interactions in older adults, focusing on their experiences and perceptions of robots for independent living. We identified 17 studies that utilized qualitative methods to investigate older adults and/or their caregivers' experiences and perceptions of robots designed to help older adults improve independent living. Drawing on content analysis, we identified eight themes: usefulness, ease of use, safety, reliability, self-efficacy, satisfaction, emotional connection with the robot and reciprocity, and intention to use. The findings provide insights to improve existing robots and guide future research about designing robots with higher acceptance. This review may have implications for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working with robotics to support healthy aging-in-place.

The Application of Social Robots in Healthcare: Enhancing Care Quality and Addressing Ethics Challenges

The Application of Social Robots in Healthcare: Enhancing Care Quality and Addressing Ethics Challenges

Välkky's voyage on to a hospital ward: Expectations, explorations and emergent robocentric nursing care.

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Finland, we report on the trial of a teleoperated care robot named Välkky introduced onto a fully operational hospital neurological ward. Our data revealed a narrative arc where participants' early expectations of the hospital-based trial altered as the project unfolded. Greeted with techno-excitement and experimental enthusiasm about the place of robotics in reshaping roles within clinical care, Välkky became the focus for collaborative in situ learning, adaptation and redesign amongst the roboticists, designers, nurses, patients, and managers. Välkky acted as an 'attractor' provoking thinking about, and a reimagining of, future arrangements of care. Our empirically informed insights seek to pave the way for real-world nuanced thinking that pushes beyond human/non-human and success/failure binaries. Building on debates in STS and feminist posthumanism, we propose a robocentric approach, which encourages us to 'queer' health care robots, and to understand them as fluid, hybrid, distributed and relational figures, rather than purely as inert, mechanical, non-human objects that might replace humans. Nursing care practices by and with robots will generate new meanings and practices of care that will emerge iteratively, as caring relations, relationships and practices develop within the context of operational ward environments. Robots may or may not be able support care, but they will invariably challenge what care is.

Enabling Perspective-Aware Ai with Contextual Scene Graph Generation

This paper advances contextual image understanding within perspective-aware Ai (PAi), an emerging paradigm in human–computer interaction that enables users to perceive and interact through each other’s perspectives. While PAi relies on multimodal data—such as text, audio, and images—challenges in data collection, alignment, and privacy have led us to focus on enabling the contextual understanding of images. To achieve this, we developed perspective-aware scene graph generation with LLM post-processing (PASGG-LM). This framework extends traditional scene graph generation (SGG) by incorporating large language models (LLMs) to enhance contextual understanding. PASGG-LM integrates classical scene graph outputs with LLM post-processing to infer richer contextual information, such as emotions, activities, and social contexts. To test PASGG-LM, we introduce the context-aware scene graph generation task, where the goal is to generate a context-aware situation graph describing the input image. We evaluated PASGG-LM pipelines using state-of-the-art SGG models, including Motifs, Motifs-TDE, and RelTR, and showed that fine-tuning LLMs, particularly GPT-4o-mini and Llama-3.1-8B, improves performance in terms of R@K, mR@K, and mAP. Our method is capable of generating scene graphs that capture complex contextual aspects, advancing human–machine interaction by enhancing the representation of diverse perspectives. Future directions include refining contextual scene graph models and expanding multi-modal data integration for PAi applications in domains such as healthcare, education, and social robotics.

INTELIGÊNCIA ARTIFICIAL E ROBÓTICA: IMPORTÂNCIA, DIFICULDADES E IMPLICAÇÕES NA ASSISTÊNCIA À SAÚDE

Introduction: The use of health technologies is increasingly present in our environment through teaching and research, treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, case discussion and even in robotic surgeries and telesurgeries. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, in addition to revolutionizing medicine, brings reflections on ethical issues and legal implications. Objective: This study aims to discuss the use of AI and robotics in health care, its importance, difficulties and implications. Methodology: This is a literature review. An electronic search was carried out in the following databases: Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Scielo and Google Scholar. Publications that addressed the topic addressed were sought, in Portuguese and English, covering the period from 2017 to 2024. Eleven works related to the topic were obtained, which were discussed here. Results and Discussion: This study allowed us to recognize the importance of AI and robotics in the health area and the complexity of their use, since these are issues of human health, and that AI and robotics are tools that can fail and cause irreparable damage. These are mechanisms that must be used judiciously and in compliance with the bioethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non maleficence and justice. Final Considerations: Technologies play a fundamental role for both professionals and patients. However for their effective use, it is essential to have specialized knowledge, which demands effort and commitment, constituting a challenge in our country, where we still face significant educational deficits. However, with greater government investment, these difficulties can be overcome, promoting better equipped health for all who need it.

Motion Planning and Control with Environmental Uncertainties for Humanoid Robot.

Humanoid robots are typically designed for static environments, but real-world applications demand robust performance under dynamic, uncertain conditions. This paper introduces a perceptive motion planning and control algorithm that enables humanoid robots to navigate and operate effectively in environments with unpredictable kinematic and dynamic disturbances. The proposed algorithm ensures synchronized multi-limb motion while maintaining dynamic balance, utilizing real-time feedback from force, torque, and inertia sensors. Experimental results demonstrate the algorithm's adaptability and robustness in handling complex tasks, including walking on uneven terrain and responding to external disturbances. These findings highlight the potential of perceptive motion planning in enhancing the versatility and resilience of humanoid robots in uncertain environments. The results have potential applications in search-and-rescue missions, healthcare robotics, and industrial automation, where robots operate in unpredictable or dynamic conditions.

The Role of Robotics in Mental Health Interventions: Opportunities and Challenges

The integration of robotics into mental health interventions represents a transformative shift in healthcare, offering innovative solutions to longstanding challenges. Robots equipped with artificial intelligence and sensor technologies are increasingly being designed to support individuals with mental health conditions through therapeutic engagement, monitoring, and companionship. These systems have shown promise in delivering consistent, personalized care, particularly for populations with limited access to mental health professionals, such as the elderly, individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and those in remote areas, the adoption of robotics in this domain also presents significant challenges. Ethical considerations regarding privacy, consent, and the potential dehumanization of care must be addressed. Technical barriers, including the need for intuitive user interfaces, adaptive algorithms, and affordability, remain critical. Additionally, the efficacy of robotic interventions compared to traditional methods requires robust evidence from clinical trials. This paper explores the opportunities and challenges of using robotics in mental health care, focusing on their potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes, improve accessibility, and foster patient engagement. It emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration between engineers, psychologists, and ethicists to ensure that these technologies are both effective and ethically deployed. Robotics in mental health, though still nascent, holds significant promise for reshaping the future of psychological care.

(Invited) Active Matrix Organic/Perovskite Light Emitting Diodes Based on MoS2 Thin Film Transistors

Electronic applications are continuously developing and taking new forms, including foldable, rollable and wearable displays. These wearable displays are applicable in human healthcare monitoring and robotics, and their operation relies on organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The development of semiconducting materials with high mechanical flexibility has remained a challenge and has restricted application to unusual format electronics. This talk presents a wearable full color OLED display using a two-dimensional (2D) material-based backplane transistor.[1,2] The 18x18 thin-film transistor array was fabricated on a thin MoS2 film that was transferred to Al2O3 (30 nm)/polyethylene terephthalate (6 m). Red, green, and blue OLED pixels were deposited on the device surface. This 2D material offered excellent mechanical and electrical properties and proved to be capable of driving circuits for the control of OLED pixels. Furthermore, the uniform deposition of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) and their integration with backplane thin-film transistors (TFTs) remain challenging for large-area display applications. Herein, an active-matrix PeLED display fabricated via the heterogeneous integration of cesium lead bromide (CsPbBr3) LEDs and MoS2-based TFTs is presented.[3] The single-source evaporation method enables the deposition of highly uniform perovskite thin films over large areas. PeLEDs are integrated with MoS2 TFTs to fabricate an active-matrix PeLED display with an 8×8 array, which exhibits excellent brightness control capability and high switching speeds. This study demonstrates the potential of PeLEDs as candidates for next generation displays and presents a novel approach for fabricating optoelectronic devices via the heterogeneous integration of 2D materials and perovskites, thereby paving the way toward the fabrication of practical future optoelectronic systems.

Super-Elastic and Multifunctional Core-Sheath EGaIn Fibers for Wearable Motion Detection and Visual Electrophysiologic Monitoring

Fiber-based wearable electronics, distinguished by their remarkable flexibility and robust performance, have emerged as a focal point in healthcare and soft robotics. While significant strides have been made in advancing fiber-based wearable electronics, pursuing multifunctional integration, particularly in areas such as personal health monitoring continues to present significant challenges. In this work, we report the successful fabrication of ultra-elastic and multifunctional core-sheath EGaIn microfibers tailored for wearable motion detection and visual electrophysiologic monitoring. These highly conductive fibers are characterized by an intriguing core-sheath structure, achieved through the uniform coating of EGaIn liquid metal on wet-spun elastomeric microfibers, which are priorly magnetron sputtered with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for fast alloying with EGaIn. Prepared core-sheath EGaIn microfibers possess numerous micro-wrinkles on the surface via a simple pre-stretching treatment, thus demonstrating an exceptional sensitivity (GF=108.3), a fast response time of 82 ms, and remarkable stability. Their superior electromechanical stability and sensitivity under various strain conditions enable reliable and real-time detection of human motion signals, electrooculography (EOG) signals, and visual evoked potentials (VEP). This research offers a novel approach to the multifunctional integration of high-performance fiber-based electronics.

Compassionate Care with Autonomous AI Humanoid Robots in Future Healthcare Delivery: A Multisensory Simulation of Next-Generation Models.

The integration of AI and robotics in healthcare raises concerns, and additional issues regarding autonomous systems are anticipated. Effective communication is crucial for robots to be seen as "caring", necessitating advanced mechatronic design and natural language processing (NLP). This paper examines the potential of humanoid robots to autonomously replicate compassionate care. The study employs computational simulations using mathematical and agent-based modeling to analyze human-robot interactions (HRIs) surpassing Tetsuya Tanioka's TRETON. It incorporates stochastic elements (through neuromorphic computing) and quantum-inspired concepts (through the lens of Martha Rogers' theory), running simulations over 100 iterations to analyze complex behaviors. Multisensory simulations (visual and audio) demonstrate the significance of "dynamic communication", (relational) "entanglement", and (healthcare system and robot's function) "superpositioning" in HRIs. Quantum and neuromorphic computing may enable humanoid robots to empathetically respond to human emotions, based on Jean Watson's ten caritas processes for creating transpersonal states. Autonomous AI humanoid robots will redefine the norms of "caring". Establishing "pluralistic agreements" through open discussions among stakeholders worldwide is necessary to align innovations with the values of compassionate care within a "posthumanist" framework, where the compassionate care provided by Level 4 robots meets human expectations. Achieving compassionate care with autonomous AI humanoid robots involves translating nursing, communication, computer science, and engineering concepts into robotic care representations while considering ethical discourses through collaborative efforts. Nurses should lead the design and implementation of AI and robots guided by "technological knowing" in Rozzano Locsin's TCCN theory.

AI Robotics in Healthcare Between the EU Medical Device Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Act

AI Robotics in Healthcare Between the EU Medical Device Regulation and the Artificial Intelligence Act

The Integration of Robotics in Proactive Healthcare: Embracing Proactive Medicine for Enhanced Patient Care and Ethical Considerations

The Integration of Robotics in Proactive Healthcare: Embracing Proactive Medicine for Enhanced Patient Care and Ethical Considerations

Ethical Reflections on the Application of Medical Robots in Healthcare

With the development and utilization of medical robots, more and more members of the public have begun to pay attention to the risks of practicing medical robots and have expressed concerns about their application. In order to deeply study the ethical risks of medical robots applied in health care, this study chooses the literature research method to reflect on the moral and ethical issues involved in medical robots. The study found that current medical robots have many application scenarios, such as: surgery, rehabilitation care, assisted work and telemedicine. These application scenarios of medical robots may bring ethical risks such as attribution of medical responsibility, doctor-patient relationship, and data algorithms. Intensively, the study points out that inadequate laws, immature values, and technological deficiencies are the most significant factors leading to the aforementioned risks. Thus, adequate attention should be paid to the medical career, the intelligent technology of robots should be improved, and the relevant laws and regulations should be actively improved. This study realistically reflects the current situation and risks of medical robot application, and through in-depth reflection, provides inspiration for robots to better serve the medical cause.

Special Issue on Robotics and Mechatronics Technology for Sports, Exercise, and Health Care (Part 2)

Robotics, mechatronics, and digital technologies are advancing significantly in sports, exercise, and healthcare, and offer innovative solutions that shape the future of these fields. In Part 2 of this special issue, we examine independent research and cutting-edge developments that address new challenges and provide unique contributions to these domains. Technological advancements in assistive devices and rehabilitation offer new solutions for improving the quality of life of individuals with physical challenges. Researchers of wearable assistive devices and prosthetics continue to devise methods to enhance mobility and support physical functions, thereby benefiting both users and healthcare providers. Sports and motion analysis remains a key focus area, where innovative technologies are employed to analyze and improve athletic performance. By capturing and evaluating detailed movement data, these technologies can help athletes refine their techniques and achieve greater precision in their sports, thus ultimately resulting in enhanced performance and injury prevention. As in Part 1, the studies presented in this issue demonstrate the practical applications of cutting-edge technologies and offer insights into their future potential. We hope that these contributions will inspire researchers and practitioners alike and provide a foundation for continued advancements in these exciting and impactful fields.