Human-Robot Interaction: Networked, Adaptive Machines in Medicine

The application of robotic and intelligent technologies in healthcare is dramatically increasing. The next generation of lightweight and tactile robots have provided a great opportunity to be used for a wide range of applications from medical examination, diagnosis, therapeutic procedures to rehabilitation and assistive robotics. They can potentially outperform current medical procedures by exploiting the com- plementary strengths of humans and computer-based technologies. In this study, the importance of human- robot interaction is discussed and technological re- quirements and challenges in making human-centered robot platforms for medical applications is addressed.