Technology is rapidly advancing; our phones today are unrecognizable compared to the models available a decade ago. This advancement has dramatically impacted self-care, medical techniques, and services.
IMAGE: PEXELS
Artificial Limbs
While artificial limbs may not be at the point where they’re fully functioning robotic prosthetics, technology has evolved tremendously. From the early peg legs and hooks, we now have cheaper alternatives that perform with basic engineering made in a 3D printer.
However, the more expensive prosthetic limbs contain a lot of robotics. Costing over a hundred million dollars to develop, the most advanced robotic arm is mind-controlled. The MPL has been in research and development for over ten years and has 26 joints to give it human-like articulation.
We can expect to see limbs such as the MPL available for amputees eventually, but for now, there are still many bugs to fix and improvements to make. The only question we have left to ask is when cybernetic body parts will become superior to our own?
Artificial Intelligence
We covered the hardware, but what about the software? AI is a fantastic new concept created from thousands upon thousands of lines of code. There is no doubt that this technology will improve various areas of our society, including healthcare. It’s important to remember that this software is still being developed. Current forms of artificial intelligence, such as the Google AI, are designed to learn from experience.
It’s expected that AI will be able to diagnose conditions such as strokes, eye diseases, heart diseases, skin cancer, and other ailments. This is due to the experience an AI will gain by repeatedly learning and being able to access an extensive medical database. It’s as if all the doctors in the world shared a common brain, and could learn directly from each other’s experience.
Virtual Healthcare
Gone are the old days of calling a doctor and having them rush to your bedside to diagnose your condition. Contact with your physician will be more done digitally through video calls and mobile applications. Many patients already wear digital monitors that share the data directly with their physicians.
The convenience and ease of use of our mobile phones fuel this technological advancement. It may eventually result in AI-driven health applications for your mobile device. Virtual healthcare also saves money for both the state and yourself. You don’t pay transportation fees, and hospitals have fewer patients to treat, resulting in more time spent on each patient.
Home Devices
There is a massive market for health and fitness devices you can keep in your home or pocket. Once more, your phone is an example of this. It can act as a step counter for your walking and jogging exercise as well as provide other the data they may need.
You can also visit Sonohealth and browse their personal health monitoring products. Items such as the EKGraph lets you monitor your heart with their smart, wireless device, all within 30 seconds.
Wearable Devices
The market is full of tiny smart bracelets and watches you can wear to monitor your health stats or exercise progress. The technology has been developed recently and is generally built into a multi-functional device such as your Apple smartwatch.
Fitness trackers are ideal for anyone looking to improve their workout schedule or lifestyle. These devices can track your daily steps, average heart rate, sleep cycle, and more. With this information, you can make informed decisions to improve your lifestyle and longevity.
Another ingenious ‘wearable’ is designed for safety. This jewelry disguised item can send a pre-programmed text message, recorded voice message, or other alerts that include your location. There are many uses for such a device, though as a tool for the elderly and the otherwise impaired, it can be a life-saver.
Smartwatches are as complicated as phones. You’re able to install applications, send and receive calls, listen to music, and play games. But many of these wearables include health observation tools that will function similarly to a standard fitness tracker.
Mobile Applications
We’ve barely brushed over how the digital world affects healthcare, but there’s more to your phone than just counting steps and calling your physician. Many of us are unmotivated to exercise unless it’s turned into a game.
It’s because of this that developers have created games focused on running or jogging. In Zombies, Run! You play the part of a survivor escaping to one of the last safe havens for humanity. Plugin your earphones and run for your life.
Alternatively, there are the popular AR games such as Pokemon Go, Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, and Minecraft Earth. These games require you to walk around the real world and collect resources, Pokemon characters or encounter other NPC creatures. The games are so fun you don’t even realize how much exercise you’re doing.
What’s Next?
Technology is evolving, but how far can it go? We once believed that we were close to the pinnacle, but now we know there’s so much more. With experiments around creating whole new organs, and performing robotic transplants, it is exciting to imagine what medical technology will be like in the future.
If you are interested in even more technology-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels, then we have a lot to choose from.
COMMENTS