Healthcare Robots to Combat COVID-19

Abstract

Advancement in robotic technology triggered its usability in the next generation healthcare system. Healthcare robots are expected to assist clinicians and healthcare professionals at all settings by monitoring patient’s physiological conditions in real time, facilitating advanced intervention such as robotic surgery, supporting patient care at the hospital and home, dispensing medication, assisting patients with cognition challenges and disabilities, keeping company to geriatric and physically/mentally challenged patients and hospital building management such as disinfecting places. Thus, the robotic agent can enhance healthcare experiences by reducing patient care work and strenuous/repetitive manual tasks. The robotic applications can also be elongated in supporting the healthcare system for the management of pandemics like novel coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and upcoming pandemics. Such applications include collecting the sample from a patient for screening, disinfecting the hospital, supply logistics, and food to the infected patient, collect physiological conditions. This chapter aims to provide an overview of various types of assistive robots employed for healthcare services especially in fighting pandemic and natural disasters.