Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality in Dentistry: A Narrative Review on the Existing Platforms and Future Challenges

The recent advancements in digital technologies have led to exponential progress in dentistry. This narrative review aims to summarize the applications of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality in dentistry and describes future challenges in digitalization, such as Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality represent effective tools in the educational technology, as they can enhance students’ learning and clinical training. Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality and can also be useful aids during clinical practice. Augmented Reality can be used to add digital data to real life clinical data. Clinicians can apply Virtual Reality for a digital wax-up that provides a pre-visualization of the final post treatment result. In addition, both these technologies may also be employed to eradicate dental phobia in patients and further enhance patient’s education. Similarly, they can be used to enhance communication between the dentist, patient, and technician. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics can also improve clinical practice. Artificial Intelligence is currently developed to improve dental diagnosis and provide more precise prognoses of dental diseases, whereas Robotics may be used to assist in daily practice.

Information Security in Medical Robotics: A Survey on the Level of Training, Awareness and Use of the Physiotherapist

Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly important aspect to investigate for the adoption and use of care robots, in term of both patients’ safety, and the availability, integrity and privacy of their data. This study focuses on opinions about cybersecurity relevance and related skills for physiotherapists involved in rehabilitation and assistance thanks to the aid of robotics. The goal was to investigate the awareness among insiders about some facets of cybersecurity concerning human–robot interactions. We designed an electronic questionnaire and submitted it to a relevant sample of physiotherapists. The questionnaire allowed us to collect data related to: (i) use of robots and its relationship with cybersecurity in the context of physiotherapy; (ii) training in cybersecurity and robotics for the insiders; (iii) insiders’ self-assessment on cybersecurity and robotics in some usage scenarios, and (iv) their experiences of cyber-attacks in this area and proposals for improvement. Besides contributing some specific statistics, the study highlights the importance of both acculturation processes in this field and monitoring initiatives based on surveys. The study exposes direct suggestions for continuation of these types of investigations in the context of scientific societies operating in the rehabilitation and assistance robotics. The study also shows the need to stimulate similar initiatives in other sectors of medical robotics (robotic surgery, care and socially assistive robots, rehabilitation systems, training for health and care workers) involving insiders.

EVALUATION OF ANALGESIC EFFECT OF TAB TRAILOKYA VIJAYA VATI IN POST-OPERATIVE PAIN IN KSHARKARMA PATIENTS: AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Despite the advances in technology and robotics, the basics of surgical management are not changed drastically. The science of life, Ayurveda has extensive knowledge of surgeries, including complicated procedures mentioned in the classical texts. However, with time, the ability of anaesthetics and analgesic agents has been lost. This resulted in the lagging of Ayurvedic Surgical wisdom and the rise of modern analgesics and anaesthetics in the market. These current products have potential side effects, and hence a safer and better alternative to these products can boost Ayurveda Surgery worldwide. Trailokya Vijaya Vati (TVV) is one such Ayurvedic formulation that is explained for its potent analgesic activity. The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TVV in post-operative pain management in patients undergoing anorectal procedures. The observational trial suggested a reduction in time to sleep (p < 0.05), less incidence of insomnia and undisturbed sleep in the treatment group than the control. The formulation was also well tolerated with no or minimal requirement of rescue analgesics. The efficacy observed in the study suggests the formulation can be explored further on a larger population with a diverse activity profile.

Design-Centered HRI Governance for Healthcare Robots

Recent developments have shown that not only are AI and robotics growing more sophisticated, but also these fields are evolving together. The applications that emerge from this trend will break current limitations and ensure that robotic decision making and functionality are more autonomous, connected, and interactive in a way which will support people in their daily lives. However, in areas such as healthcare robotics, legal and ethical concerns will arise as increasingly advanced intelligence functions are incorporated into robotic systems. Using a case study, this paper proposes a unique design-centered approach which tackles the issue of data protection and privacy risk in human-robot interaction.

Spanish and Swedish teachers’ perspective of teaching STEM and robotics in preschool – results from the botSTEM project

This article describes outcomes from the Erasmus + project botSTEM, involving a theoretical framework for Science, Technology, Engineering & Technology (STEM) and robotics and teaching activities for preschool teachers and teachers educating children 4–8 years old. Spanish and Swedish preschool teachers’ self-efficacy and views of teaching STEM and robotics are presented, using a mixed methodology based on a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The 3-year long project has improved the preschool teachers’ self-efficacy in STEM and robotics teaching, as described in a questionnaire answered by the preschool teachers after the project. Possibilities in STEM and robotics teaching experienced by them include an increase in children’s agency, knowledge and interest, and the obstacles are mainly structural or technical. Robotics teaching also supports children with special needs when interacting with peers. The results from the botSTEM project point to the benefit of supported long-term professional development for STEM and robotics teaching in preschools.