Distributed Automated Medical Robotics to Improve Medical Field Operations

Combat casualty and en-route care could be improved through immediate expert medical assessment and treatment. New approaches in the delivery of medical care have the potential to decouple the need for deployment of highly trained medical professionals with each advanced unit and the ability to provide sophisticated medical and surgical expertise on demand. The U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) is currently sponsoring several medical robotic efforts that could augment care provided by the combat medic. This article will provide an overview of key teleoperated and automated robotic technologies being developed by TATRC that could improve combat casualty care.