Healthcare Robotics Workshop; Boston, MA; March 26-27, 1997

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*** The objective of this workshop is to bring together leading scientists, engineers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs in the robotics and healthcare communities, display state-of-the-art of healthcare robotics, and identify fundamental issues and key technologies which require long term research endeavors. The rapid increase of the aged population and soaring healthcare costs are crucial problems faced by today's society. Traditional labor-intensive services and costly treatments will no longer be affordable, yet demands for quality care continue to increase. New healthcare technologies are emerging from robotics and intelligent systems which would make significant changes in the current practice of healthcare services. Minimally invasive surgery, for example, allows patients to be quickly discharged from the hospital. Remote health monitoring and tele-nursing systems allow patients to stay at home, thus avoiding costly hospital stays. Robotic vehicles and manipulation technologies allow bedridden patients and elderly people to live independently. Miniaturized sensors and actuators, wireless communication, advanced human-machine interface, and their integration technologies are pointing in the future direction of healthcare technology. Furthermore, strategic planning of research, development, and deployment as well as the social and economic impact of the new technologies will be discussed at the workshop. The workshop will be held on March 26 and 27, 1997 in the Boston area. Participants will be invited from various sectors of the healthcare community, e.g., hospitals, home health agencies, nursing homes, insurance companies, as well as the vendors and researchers in robotics, biomedical engineering, communication, and software. The result will be published and disseminated as workshop proceedings as well as by web page and virtual librari es.***