Author: Alícia Casals
Affiliation: Technical University of Catalonia
Title: Medical Robotics: An Exciting Field
Keywords: Social impact of technology, Robotics and Society
Issue Date: July 15, 2006

Bibliography: Alícia Casals, "Medical Robotics: An Exciting Field", Journal of the Robotics Society of Japan, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp.594-596, 2006.

Abstract:
Technology, and more concretely robotics, has a strong impact on our life not only considering the availability of products that make our daily life easier and more comfortable, but also providing aids to other sectors. The medical field is a sector that can benefit from technology either through the robotic aids that enable the disabled to increase their autonomy and the robotic machines that can be assimilated to methodic therapists for rehabilitation, or the intelligent robotic tools that constitute an aid for surgeons to improve surgical procedures.
Up to now technology has been more attractive to men, and so a high percentage of students and professionals in technological areas are men, while women have traditionally focused their studies and work towards more social and humanistic areas. The confluence of robotics with medicine, biology or neurology is already a reality that is opening exciting and promising areas of study and research, which hopefully will encourage young female students to avoid fears or overcome social reticence to see women following technical careers.

References:
[1] http://grins.upc.es