Remote Robotics
No longer science fiction
Whilst we have yet to see the true humanoid robot walking our homes or businesses, the practical uses for reliable robotic devices are growing daily.
One of the key attributes of robotic systems is that they can be programmed to work with great precision with extremely small and delicate objects. For repetitive functions such as production line manufacturing, this is a task that, once programmed, the robot can continue with unaided. But for tasks that vary greatly each time they are performed, a system of human control is still needed.
One area where high precision robotics is rapidly becoming mainstream is in surgery.
For a number of years, surgeons have used manually controlled robots to hold laparoscopic instruments to perform keyhole surgery. The robot can hold the instrument very still and map large hand movements of the surgeon into the tiniest of movements within the patient. The surgeon uses video information from small cameras inside the patient to guide the robot instruments to complete the surgery.
This has worked extremely well when the surgeon and the patient are collocated in the operating theatre, as the delay between the human and robotic actions is zero as their systems are ‘hard-wired’.
Over the last few years, dramatic improvements in networking and video compression technology have broken the tie that keeps the surgeon in the operating theatre. Now, with the right equipment, the surgeon could be many miles away from the patient.
Synchronised stereoscopic high definition video, delivered with less than one tenth of a second delay even over thousands of miles, allows the surgeon to get a true ‘feel’ for the patient’s condition with excellent colour and contrast rendition. It also ensures that the surgeon’s use of the laparoscopic instruments is measured and accurate.
This leap in remote robotic technology means that specialist surgeons can operate on patients sooner than otherwise, especially in hostile environments such as battle-zones or after natural disasters.
Surgery is just one example of how high definition low latency video can dramatically enhance the remote use of robotic devices.
Sample Uses
- Remote Surgery
- Inspection and Maintenance in Hazardous Environments (underwater, nuclear power, chemical processing…)
- Bomb Disposal
- Space Exploration
- Surveillance
Relevant Products and Services from The UK Office