Automation is reaching deeper into healthcare, with the unveiling of a robot named RIBA (Robot for Interactive Body Assistance, pictured above) – the first robot that can lift up or set down a patient from or to a bed or a wheelchair, in the same way a healthcare assistant would. RIBA has strong, human-like arms and tactile guidance methods thanks to its high-accuracy tactile sensors.
French walking stick makers Fayet has created a next-generation walking stick that monitors its users as they move and alerts caretakers if they have a fall. It is also fitted with software that over time learns its owners’ walking habits and can send a message to relatives and healthcare professionals if they change dramatically.
Hospitals are excited by the development of technology that uses visible light to continuously disinfect the environment and bolster infection-prevention efforts. The light reflects off walls and surfaces and penetrates harmful microorganisms.
New technologies are emerging that will provide longer-lasting batteries that are quick to charge, transforming the efficiency of medical devices from wearables to pacemakers. Aluminium-ion batteries, micro supercapacitors, foam batteries and even skin power (which harvests the current caused by friction on skin and clothes) are all set to become mainstream.
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