Tina Chen

    A REVOLUTION in the healthcare industry was said to be ‘just around the corner’ as medical robots with amazing capabilities were unveiled at the 2010 China Hi-Tech Fair yesterday.

    The Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a range of medical robots for applications including surgery, bone screw placement and rehabilitative training.

    Some of the machines are already in use.

    “Robotic and intelligent systems are key R&D projects that our institute is dedicated to,” said Fan Jianping, head of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology.

    “Instead of making robots to look like human beings, we focused more on the development of functionality such as intelligent decision making, the ability to comprehend images and language, and communication,” Fan said.

    Fan said the final step of the robots’ development would be applications in daily life.

    “We had been pushing the industrialization of medical robots and intelligent medical devices,” he said. “But there is no specific timetable for when robots will become common in daily life.”

    Fan said the inventions were also aimed at providing medical treatment at affordable prices to populations in China’s rural areas.

    The institute has developed a robot-assisted bone surgery system — the first of its kind in China. With its positioning and image navigation capabilities, the robot can place bone screws more accurately than human hands.

    Another of the institute’s robots, used for minimally invasive surgery, marks a technological breakthrough in being able to visualize the organs with its reality sensors and three-dimensional navigation.

    Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital and Shanghai Renji Hospital have already begun cooperating with the institute to use the robot in operations such as the treatment of kidney stones.

    With China’s aging population in mind, developing robots able to provide care services for seniors was a key project for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, according to a report produced by the institute.

    About 70 projects, including housekeeper robots, mobility-assisting robots and health monitoring robots, were exhibited at Hall 5 of Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center.