Edinburgh-based startup Touchlab, a National Robotarium resident, has launched a 3-month trial at Laakso Hospital, Helsinki, using its Valkky telerobot, which gives doctors the ability to remotely "feel" patients. The nursing team will explore how the robotic system can help deliver healthcare, reduce workload, and prevent the spread of infections and diseases. 

Operated by operators wearing electronic tactile gloves, Valkky is equipped with advanced electronic skin (e-skin) technology to transfer the sense of touch from the robotic arm to the user. 

Valkky is expected to complement the existing workforce by freeing up humans to focus on more complex patient care tasks, while the robot can perform day-to-day clinical duties such as taking vital signs, including heart rate, temperature, and blood oxygen levels. blood. It can also serve food, move assistive devices, and support patient care such as combing hair. 

“Our long-term goal is for Valkky to help with various daily tasks in the wards, providing comprehensive monitoring and patient care,” says Kirsi Ahonen, head nurse and project manager at Laakso Hospital. “While Valkky will initially be deployed on a small scale, it has the potential to assist in a number of more demanding jobs, including lifting patients, which can help avoid potential physical injury to staff and reduce the spread of infection."

"We hope that the anonymous data collected in real time during the project will help prove that semi-autonomous robots can coexist with professionals in various industries such as healthcare and the transition to cleaner energy sources." says Dr. Zaki Hussain, CEO of Touchlab. 

The pilot project is being coordinated by Forum Virium Helsinki, an innovation company from the city of Helsinki, as part of a wider €7 billion project to build the most technologically advanced hospital in Europe, due for completion in 2028. Additional applications of the technology could include the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and the treatment of toxic waste, which will help reduce the number of jobs that are potentially hazardous to human health and well-being.