How robotics is transforming healthcare, inside and outside the operating room - The Robot Report

The article discusses how robotics is increasingly transforming healthcare both inside operating rooms and throughout hospital environments, addressing critical challenges such as workforce shortages and budget constraints. By 2030, a global shortage of at least 10 million healthcare workers is expected, with the U.S. facing a significant physician deficit by 2036. Hospitals, especially in rural areas, are also grappling with tighter budgets due to federal funding cuts. Robotics, including automated guided vehicles for logistics and advanced surgical robots, offers a way to alleviate these pressures by automating repetitive tasks and enhancing surgical capabilities. Surgical robotics is becoming more accessible as competition grows and costs decrease, with companies like SS Innovations, Medtronic, and others developing new systems that integrate AI and machine learning. Advances in telesurgery allow expert surgeons to remotely guide or take over procedures, expanding patient access to specialized care and enabling remote training through tele-proctoring. Beyond the operating room, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of logistics robots to reduce staff exposure