Paging Dr Robot
Robots won’t replace doctors any day soon, but they can already help medical professionals do amazing things. This month, Horizon looks at how robots will someday perform remote physical and ultrasound examinations so doctors can make a diagnosis from a distance, and medical avatars for elderly people that help them stay fit and safe. Plus, we see how computer games could make young people lead healthier lifestyles and how to give self-help apps more scientific merit.
By identifying the most influential kids in small social media circles, researchers can create positive peer pressure that persuades young people to live healthier lives.
A robotic doctor that can be controlled hundreds of kilometres away by a human counterpart is gearing up for action.
Everybody needs a helping hand when they get older – but in years to come that helping hand may be attached to a robotic arm.
Half of European adults are either overweight or obese. Many turn to self-help apps as a means to burn excess fat, but despite hundreds of digital tools available very few help maintain a slimmer waistline and few are based on tried and tested science.