Ceramic bearings allow high speeds , low noise and non-magnetic properties in medical devices
CONTROL & AUTOMATION MEDICAL ROBOTS
SMB BEARINGS
Ceramic bearings allow high speeds , low noise and non-magnetic properties in medical devices
Robots are on the rise in medical environments , and are being increasingly relied-upon to carry out more complex procedures . Although martensitic stainless steels have been favoured for bearings in robot applications , their performance is falling short against rising standards to prevent contamination in medical environments . Here , Chris Johnson , managing director at specialist ceramic bearings supplier SMB Bearings , explains why ceramic highprecision bearings hold the answer .
Analyst GlobalData predicts the medical robotics market will rise from $ 4.7 billion in 2020 to $ 14.5 billion in 2030 , and those robots will “ be cast more as companions providing emotional support , rather than seen as tools .” The quote refers to artificial intelligence ( AI ) becoming more advanced , allowing robots to offer increasingly therapeutic support to patients in ways we can ’ t imagine today , and counter staff shortages .
From surgical assistance robots that help perform minimally invasive surgeries , to AI-equipped therapeutic robots used in rehabilitation for injuries and paralysis , medical robots have come a long way since simple robotic arm technologies were first introduced in the 1980s . Although surgical robots are becoming cheaper , modern medical applications are also demanding higher precision and speed capabilities from these robots .
It ’ s predicted that future medical robots will be cast more as companions providing emotional support , rather than seen as tools .
56 PECM Issue 65