Seoul National University Hospital and Future Robot, a local company developing smart service robot, have developed a telementoring robot that can help doctors treat patients more efficiently.

The telementoring robot uses telepresence technology to capture the scene in precisely the same way as reality and will assist in direct communication between remote patients and medical staff.

The two institutions expect to achieve a real-time point of care beyond the limitation of time and space if they manage to commercialize the telementoring robot.

Until now, although there was cooperation among medical staffs, there were certain limits to sharing information as most of the collaboration was done with video conference in meeting rooms.

However, the new robot employs a variety of technology such as autonomous driving at the destination, human-driven driving, and collision-free monitoring that can help with circulating sites at other global institutions along with local medical staffs. Such a process can give patients the feeling of being directly treated by the collaborating physician.

In addition to making rounds with local doctors, SNUH expects to use the robot to train medical personnel.

Unlike previous educations that gathered groups at an appointed place, the robot allows direct education in the real medical environment.

In the operating room, it can also help the medical staff to communicate efficiently, such as decision-making.

SNUH has already completed the overseas test of the telementoring robot at Hai Phong children Hospital in Vietnam.

“In the past, there were clear limitations in helping medical staff and patients in developing countries,” said Professor Kim Seok-hwa of the department of pediatric surgery at the hospital. “By using the developed telementoring robot, advanced medical technology will be transferred to overseas medical staff, and more patients will benefit from Korean medical treatment.”