Robotics in medicine

This paper reports the current state-of-the-art in medical robotics. Three general areas of advanced robotics are identified: macro robotics, micro robotics and bio-robotics. Macro robotics include the development of robots, wheelchairs, manipulators for rehabilitation as well as new more powerful tools and techniques for surgery. Micro robotics could contribute to the field of minimally invasive surgery as well as to the development of a new generation of miniaturised mechatronic tools for conventional surgery. Bio-robotics deals with the problems of modelling and simulating biological systems in order to provide a better understanding of human physiology. According to this classification, a review on the most important past and ongoing research projects in the field is reported. Some commercial products already appeared on the marker are also mentioned, and a brief analysis of the economical potentialities of robotics in medicine is presented