Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed a mobile robotic-controlled un-crewed ground vehicle (UGV) that could be used to provide medical treatment in hazardous environments such as radiation zones or war zones. The first-of-its-kind system was developed using medical telexistence (MediTel) technology and boasts virtual reality (VR) capability, enabling medics and operators to assess critical casualties in hazardous environments while ensuring their safety.

The robot features two robotic arms which can be remotely operated to perform a critical initial assessment of a casualty within 20 minutes. The arms can check a patient's temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and even administer pain relief through an auto-injector. The robot streams real-time data to a remote operator, allowing them to perform a remote triage.

The researchers say the robot's potential applications are limitless and it could be used by multiple emergency response services. The MediTel project was one of three novel telexistence technologies funded by a £2.3 million innovation competition through the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

The Sheffield team hopes to build on the project's success and explore the development of a large-scale medical emergency platform capable of rapid deployment to humanitarian disasters. The robot could be a game-changer in the field of emergency medicine and could save countless lives in high-risk emergency environments.