Companion robots were created to improve social engagement, and for the purposes of creating real or apparent companionship for human beings. They have become something of a boon in the healthcare sector recently providing comfort especially for the elderly. Janet Sawari examines the role of companion robots and their place in modern medical care.

The future of robotic surgery is moving toward more usable, intelligent systems that perform a greater range of procedures, but what about empathy and compassion? Janet Sawari explores the future of robots as permanent fixtures in an operating theater, and the introduction of nanotechnology.

In the healthcare industry, time is money, so it is important to provide an efficient, seamless patient experience to allow hospitals, clinics, and physicians to treat more patients on a daily basis.

In the past it would have been considered radical to even consider the idea of a machine participating in complicated surgical procedures. The reality is that surgical robots simply assist a surgeon to operate with greater precision. The surgeon’s team then closely monitors and assists the robot throughout the entire procedure and at no point will the robot gain full autonomy or control.

What if the doctor is sick too? What if he makes a mistake? And the nurses, are they in a good mood? What if we could get faster treatment; if healthcare was more affordable; if clinicians got better rest and working hours, and if the industry demand is fulfilled? So many questions, what is the answer, robotics in medicine?