Tactile sensing is required for the dexterous manipulation of objects in robotic applications. In particular, the ability to measure and distinguish in real time normal and shear forces is crucial for slip detection and interaction with fragile objects. Here, we report a biomimetic soft electronic skin (e-skin) that is composed of an array of capacitors and capable of measuring and discriminating in real time both normal and tangential forces. It is enabled by a three-dimensional structure that mimics the interlocked dermis-epidermis interface in human skin. Moreover, pyramid microstructures arranged along nature-inspired phyllotaxis spirals resulted in an e-skin with increased sensitivity, minimal hysteresis, excellent cycling stability, and response time in the millisecond range. The e-skin provided sensing feedback for controlling a robot arm in various tasks, illustrating its potential application in robotics with tactile feedback.

https://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/robotics/3/24/eaau6914.full-text.pdf

A hierarchically patterned, bioinspired e-skin able to detect the direction of applied pressure for robotics.

With the development of information technology, the concept of smart healthcare has gradually come to the fore. Smart healthcare uses a new generation of information technologies, such as the internet of things (loT), big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence, to transform the traditional medical system in an all-round way, making healthcare more efficient, more convenient, and more personalized. With the aim of introducing the concept of smart healthcare, in this review, we first list the key technologies that support smart healthcare and introduce the current status of smart healthcare in several important fields. Then we expound the existing problems with smart healthcare and try to propose solutions to them. Finally, we look ahead and evaluate the future prospects of smart healthcare.

Smart healthcare: making medical care more intelligent

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a rapidly developing computer technology that has begun to be widely used in the medical field to improve the professional level and efficiency of clinical work, in addition to avoiding medical errors. In developing countries, the inequality between urban and rural health services is a serious problem, of which the shortage of qualified healthcare providers is the major cause of the unavailability and low quality of healthcare in rural areas. Some studies have shown that the application of computer-assisted or AI medical techniques could improve healthcare outcomes in rural areas of developing countries. Therefore, the development of suitable medical AI technology for rural areas is worth discussing and probing. Methods: This article reviews and discusses the literature concerning the prospects of medical AI technology, the inequity of healthcare, and the application of computer-assisted or AI medical techniques in rural areas of developing countries. Results: Medical AI technology not only could improve physicians' efficiency and quality of medical services, but other health workers could also be trained to use this technique to compensate for the lack of physicians, thereby improving the availability of healthcare access and medical service quality. This article proposes a multilevel medical AI service network, including a frontline medical AI system (basic level), regional medical AI support centers (middle levels), and a national medical AI development center (top level). Conclusion: The promotion of medical AI technology in rural areas of developing countries might be one means of alleviating the inequality between urban and rural health services. The establishment of a multilevel medical AI service network system may be a solution.

The Application of Medical Artificial Intelligence Technology in Rural Areas of Developing Countries.

Challenges of continuum robots in clinical context: a review

The emerging capability to 3D print a diverse palette of functional inks will enable the mass democratization of patient-specific wearable devices and smart biomedical implants for applications such as health monitoring and regenerative biomedicines. These personalized wearables could be fabricated via ex situ printing, which involves first printing a design on a planar substrate and then deploying it to the target surface. However, this can result in a geometrically and dynamically mismatched interface between printed materials and target surfaces. In situ printing provides a potential remedy by directly printing 3D constructs on the target surfaces. This new manufacturing procedure requires the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to sense, adapt and predict the state of the printing environment, such as a dynamically morphing organ. In this Review, we discuss electronic and biological inks for in situ 3D printing, AI-empowered 3D-printing approaches with open-loop, closed-loop and predictive control, and recent developments in surgical robotics and AI that could be integrated in future 3D-printing approaches. We anticipate that this convergence of AI, 3D printing, functional materials and personalized biomedical devices will lead to a compelling future for smart manufacturing. Artificial intelligence can be used to facilitate the 3D printing of functional materials and devices directly on target surfaces, such as human bodies. This Review surveys ex situ and in situ artificial-intelligence-assisted 3D printing of multifunctional materials and its combination with surgical robots to enable autonomous medical care and smart biomanufacturing.

3D-printed multifunctional materials enabled by artificial-intelligence-assisted fabrication technologies

The use of laparoscopic and robotic procedures has increased in general surgery. Minimally invasive robotic surgery has made tremendous progress in a relatively short period of time, realizing improvements for both the patient and surgeon. This has led to an increase in the use and development of robotic devices and platforms for general surgery. The purpose of this review is to explore current and emerging surgical robotic technologies in a growing and dynamic environment of research and development. This review explores medical and surgical robotic endoscopic surgery and peripheral technologies currently available or in development. The devices discussed here are specific to general surgery, including laparoscopy, colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and thoracoscopy. Benefits and limitations of each technology were identified and applicable future directions were described. A number of FDA-approved devices and platforms for robotic surgery were reviewed, including the da Vinci Surgical System, Sensei X Robotic Catheter System, FreeHand 1.2, invendoscopy E200 system, Flex® Robotic System, Senhance, ARES, the Single-Port Instrument Delivery Extended Research (SPIDER), and the NeoGuide Colonoscope. Additionally, platforms were reviewed which have not yet obtained FDA approval including MiroSurge, ViaCath System, SPORT™ Surgical System, SurgiBot, Versius Robotic System, Master and Slave Transluminal Endoscopic Robot, Verb Surgical, Miniature In Vivo Robot, and the Einstein Surgical Robot. The use and demand for robotic medical and surgical platforms is increasing and new technologies are continually being developed. New technologies are increasingly implemented to improve on the capabilities of previously established systems. Future studies are needed to further evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each robotic surgical device and platform in the operating suite.

Review of emerging surgical robotic technology

Today’s surgeon has access to a growing quiver of robotic technology aimed at both increasingly specialized procedures and broad applications. The availability and array of options for robotic-assisted surgery has seen exponential growth in recent times. Systems incorporate tactile haptic feedback, stereoscopic visualization, high definition three-dimensional display, and multisensory inputs. Existing platforms are comprised of iterations bred from research and development efforts across millennia and seek to improve nearly every facet of the physician-patient interaction.

Brian S. Peters

Papers

Review of emerging surgical robotic technology

Robotic Technologies (Past, Present and Future)

Combining DCT Technology, Effective Mobile Nursing and Connected Devices To Deliver Pediatric Clinical Trials At Home