Robotics in Healthcare: A Survey

Research and innovation in the area of robotics in healthcare has seen significant growth in recent years. Global trends indicate that patients are getting older and sicker, while demands in healthcare workers are increasing their chance of injury. Robotic technology has the potential to enable high levels of patient care, clinical productivity and safety for both patients and healthcare workers. This paper surveys the state-of-the-art in robotics in healthcare and well-being, with particular attention to the key barriers and enablers to the implementation of this technology in real-world settings. Desktop research was used to identify available and emerging robotic technology currently in use (or with potential use) in healthcare settings. Primary sources of information included: academic publications, international organisations, commercial websites and online news agencies. In this paper, applications of robots in healthcare were divided into five main areas: service, assistive, socially-assistive, teleoperated and interventional robots. The maturity and readiness of different products is still an open challenge, with service and interventional robots leading the way. Wide-spread adoption of robots is likely to happen as the cost of the technology reduces, and wide evidence of beneficial long-term impact is available. This manuscript identified the main drivers, challenges, opportunities and considerations for implementing robots in healthcare. We hope this manuscript will raise awareness about robotics in healthcare among a wider audience to maximise availability, quality, and acceptability this technology.