Robots may soon replace humans as our go-to friends, just as most of us never leave home without our cellphones. According to recent trials by Japanese researchers who created a hand-held wearable soft robot that can enhance patients’ experiences during potentially painful medical procedures like injections, it appears to be the case.
Public health professionals realized that some people simply fear needles, which contributed to lower vaccination rates during the campaign to promote vaccination against COVID-19. There is still a need to test and put into practice ways to help patients, even though the issues of patient anxiety and pain during medical procedures have been thoroughly explored.
Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have created a wearable soft robot that patients can use during treatments in an effort to lessen their discomfort, according to a study that was just published in Scientific Reports. The study participants who wore the robot felt less discomfort during tests where they were exposed to a moderate heat shock than those who did not. Professor Fumihide Tanaka, the study’s lead author, says, “Our results suggest that the use of wearable soft robots may reduce fear and ease pain during medical treatments, such as vaccines.”
The soft, furry robot, which the researchers called Reliebo, had tiny airbags that could inflate in reaction to the motions of the participant’s hand. It was made to be linked to the participant’s hand. The participant’s hand was clenched as the researchers examined its effectiveness under various scenarios, while the other arm, which wasn’t being used to grip the robot, was subjected to the unpleasant thermal stimuli. From the saliva samples of the patients, the researchers also assessed the concentrations of oxytocin and cortisol, which are indicators of stress. A survey test was also conducted to examine the patients’ fears of injections and their psychological condition before and after the studies, and subjective pain ratings were recorded using an assessment scale.
Regardless of the experimental setup, the researchers discovered that holding the robot helped patients feel better. They hypothesized that the robot may also have triggered the emotions of wellbeing that human touch can produce. According to Professor Tanaka, “it is generally recognized that human contact can lessen feelings of pain and terror, and we think that this effect can be obtained even with non-living soft robots.” This could be helpful in situations where direct human interaction is impractical, such as pandemics. Future versions of the robot could use augmented reality (AR) technology or a controlled gaze to keep patients interested or take their minds off of their pain in different situations.
