Progress in robotics for combating infectious diseases

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Infectious Disease Management
• Pandemic Preparedness

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted global unpreparedness and the need for innovative solutions.
• Robots are traditionally used for hazardous, repetitive, or undesirable tasks in unsuitable environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential role of robotics in combating future pandemics.
• To review the essential requirements for utilizing robots in infectious disease management.
• To identify applications and challenges for advanced robotics in public health crises.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of robotic applications in infectious disease management.
• Analysis of fundamental requirements for robotics in pandemic scenarios.
• Discussion of challenges and ethical considerations for robot deployment.

Main Results:

• Robotic technologies can be applied across various pandemic response phases: prevention, monitoring, clinical care, laboratory automation, logistics, and maintaining socioeconomic activities.
• Key challenges include developing application-oriented, reliable, safe, and rapidly deployable robots.
• Ethical considerations are crucial for the responsible integration of robots.

Conclusions:

• Robots offer significant potential to enhance infectious disease management and mitigate pandemic impacts.
• Sustained global efforts are necessary to develop and prepare advanced robotic systems for future outbreaks.
• Integrating robotics requires addressing technical, safety, and ethical challenges for effective deployment.