“We are facing a paradigm shift which will change the way we live and work. The pace of disruptive technological innovation has gone from linear to parabolic in recent years. Penetration of robots and artificial intelligence has hit every industry sector, and has become an integral part of our daily life.”

Brave words indeed but ones in which Thavida Maneewan, a lecturer at the King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi Institute of FIeld roBOtics (Fibo) firmly believes.

Thavida quoted this excerpt from an article published by Merrill Lynch, the wealth management division of Bank of America, to underscore her conviction that robots will soon play a major role in daily life as society responds to a greying population and growing urbanisation.

Such changes, she told a fascinated audience during a talk marking the institute’s 20th anniversary, will inevitably need to a demand for robots to facilitate our special needs, as artificial intelligence that works is much more effective than the human mind. Thailand, of course, is no exception.

//

“Today robots are mainly used in the industrial sector for automobile assembly and the like but the technology is expanding and they will become an integral part of our daily lives,” she says.

While recognising the very human concern that entire careers will be replaced by AI and robots, Thavida is quick to stress that robots will replace humans in a few, mostly traditional areas, but on the positive side will create a new kind of workflow.

She is used to negative reactions having been mildly ridiculed by the press for her own invention, the “Climbing Coconut Tree Robot”, which has yet to appear in its final form. Reporters, she recalls, asked her whether she wanted to bring in a robot to compete with monkeys in climbing coconut trees.

But she is in fact answering a real need. Coconut-based enterprises, it seems, are facing real problems in getting the coconuts down from the trees due to a lack of skilled labourers and well-trained monkeys.

For his part, lecturer Prakarnkiat Youngkong is aiming to create the Thai massage robot. The idea popped into his mind when he discovered that if someone wanted a massage to ease painful muscles or tendons late at night, they were unlikely to find an available trained masseur.

“The massage robot will fill the gap and at the same time it doesn’t replace the human’s job,” says Prakarnkiat who specialises in tools and automation systems for the medical industry.

But while there might be a case for robot engineering creating jobs, most people regard the openings as small compared to other engineering careers. Part of the reason for this is that Thais tend to think of robots either as humanoid or animal-like toys. Robot engineering is actually far more complex, covering such automated systems as robotic arms for use in factories and diagnostic and therapeutic tools for the medical field.

House robots are also becoming more active – think of the vacuum robots that do such a good job in cleaning the house.

Fibo’s anniversary celebrations also included a showcase of the products the institute has come up with over the years, ranging from the industrial robotic arm to medical tools. The latter category includes the sensible tab, which helps stroke victims exercise their arm muscles while simultaneously collecting and evaluating data, the tailgate, a walking analysis for patients, and a dog wheelchair that help dogs to sit and stand.

Prakarnkiat says that robotic engineering can be applied to serve local needs and there is no need to become involved in such high-end machinery as the robotic surgical system Da Vinci.

“If a hospital requires such a high-end robot, then it’s better to import it, as the technology requires a very high investment in research and development. Besides our market is too small to make it profitable,” he says.

His latest product is a medication-dispensing machine for Chulalongkorn Hospital. Imported from Europe and the US, these automated dispensing machines are available in private hospitals here but they are not the answer for public hospitals and clinics.

“The imported machines are expensive and pharmacists need to adapt themselves to the system if it is going to work properly. Our machine is the opposite. Its work is based on what the pharmacists need,” he says.

“Saving time in public hospitals is one of the critical areas in which robotic technology can help. The dispensing machine allows the pharmacists to complete three prescriptions in one minute and that means patients don’t wait too long to receive their medication.”

The machine also solves the problem of drug loss within the system, sometimes through theft, other times through contamination, which is costing the Ministry of Public Health millions of baht every year. The dispenser allows the drugs to go directly to the pharmacists who will give it to patients.

Prakarnkiat is now working on adding more intelligence such as the ability to mix drugs within one prescription.

Thavida adds that there are four simple steps to creating a robot. “You start by making the robot of your dreams and then build a reliable platform to confirm that the robot can work precisely and repeatedly. You then improve the design through field testing and when you are satisfied, you unleash the robot into the real world,” she explains.

“And you should never give up trying despite complains and criticism from others. We have to experiment to see what’s right or wrong and always remember that the first robot will never work as intended.

“If we give up then our robot will never be finished,” she says.

 

This pain is usually difficult to tolerate by those inflicted with the condition because the hip is a major weight-bearing joint in the body, constantly has to work hard, and is related to the functions of movement. In some cases, the hip joint will even hurt while the patient is doing nothing or just moving the hip gently. In addition to the hip pain, patients with this condition will start to hobble and younger people are less likely to tolerate any hindrance in their walking.

In Thailand, there are two common causes of diseases of the hip: osteonecrosis (lack of blood supply to the bone), especially from the use of steroids or pain medications; and degenerative condition, which occurs in old age. Other causes include hip problems from birth and injuries causing hip dislocations or hip fractures, as well as a few other less common causes.

Hip cancer can develop in two ways, metastatic and locally invasive, both of which will cause hip pain at all times in all positions and to a more severe extent than from osteoarthritis. Patients with hip cancer may experience low-grade fever, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Patients with hip infections will also suffer from severe pain and have high-grade fever but without any loss of appetite or weight loss.

Whether or not a hip replacement is needed depends on each individual patient and condition.

It is primarily older patients who benefit from hip replacement. In contrast, hip replacement is not recommended for younger patients because they tend to be more active and the artificial hip joint will be used for an extended period of time.

This can cause the joint to wear out before the end of their lifetime, necessitating the hip joint to be replaced several times. In most cases, one hip replacement surgery is performed in patients over 65 years of age and the artificial hip is expected to last for their entire life. However, the life expectancy of the artificial hip joint varies according to how it is used.

It can last up to 25 years if it is used only for walking, whereas engaging in more activities will shorten its life expectancy. Each patient’s health conditions are also taken into consideration when deciding on hip replacement surgery.

For example, hip replacement surgery should be performed for young patients if they have an underlying life-threatening disease because the artificial hip will help improve their quality of life and reduce their suffering from severe pain, enabling them to lead a normal active life.

There are different types of artificial hip joints, cemented and uncemented prosthesis. In an uncemented hip replacement, the surface of the implant is covered in a coating that enables it to be attached to the bone.

A cemented hip replacement on the other hand uses a special type of cement to secure the implant to the bone. Although the uncemented hip replacement is expensive, it is durable, safe and requires only simple surgery.

The type of surgery used depends on the surgeon’s expertise and patient’s age and lifestyle. Moreover, there is a special technique involving a minimally invasive procedure requiring only a 4.5 cm incision.

Patients who are not very heavy will recover quickly and can walk the next day with minimal tissue damage and pain, thereby requiring less postoperative pain medication. Patients who have this procedure can also return to work faster.

DR PRAKIT TIENBOON is an Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon and director of the Revision Spine Centre at Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital. |Call (02) 378 9000.

One of the results of this lower birth rate is the expectation of parents that the children they do choose to have are healthy, both physically and mentally.

With the advances in medical technologies, a doctor can now diagnose conditions affecting babies while they are still in the womb. And although many birth defects cannot be prevented, proper treatment can be planned for mother and baby.

PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS CAN BE |PERFORMED BY THE FOLLOWING METHODS:

ULTRASOUND

Ultrasound helps an obstetrician to see the baby in the womb and it has now become a widely accepted and safe tool. Ultrasound can be used at any stage of the pregnancy and is able to help detect birth defects, including abnormalities of the baby’s face and neck (such as a cleft lip), heart valve disease, abnormalities of the head and spinal cord (such as hydrocephalus and spina bifida), gastrointestinal abnormalities (such as stenosis of the oesophagus, abdominal wall defects), urinary tract abnormalities (such as renal agenesis and hydronephrosis), and structural abnormalities (such as short arms-legs, or clubfoot). Recently, a modern 4D ultrasound technology has been developed to create motion pictures of the foetus as well.

MATERNAL SERUM SCREENING TEST

Foetal proteins excreted in the mother’s blood can be measured from a blood test taken from the mother between 16-18 weeks of pregnancy. This test can detect foetal chromosome abnormalities such as Down Syndrome in the foetus of pregnant mothers younger than 35 years old. The mother’s blood can be examined for levels of Maternal Serum Alpha – Fetoprotein (MSAFP). A high level of MSAFP means that the baby has spina bifida and there is a sac affecting the spinal column. A low level of MSAFP could indicate Down Syndrome. A Triple Test is used to measure the levels of MSAFP, Human Chorionic Gonodotropin (HCG) and Estriol (E3). This test is used to screen for Down syndrome babies in the womb.

PREIMPLANTATION GENETIC DIAGNOSIS: PGD

PGD is a technique used to identify genetic defects in embryos before pregnancy. It is a process of removing a cell from an in vitro fertilisation embryo for biomolecular analysis prior to transferring screened embryos to the uterine cavity. This technique is used to diagnose chromosomal abnormalities, like Down syndrome, and genetic disorders, like thalassaemia. PGD is used for couples at risk of having a child with a genetic disease.

AMNIOCENTESIS

Amniocentesis is a medical procedure mostly used to detect chromosomal abnormalities in the foetus, like Down syndrome, and genetic disorders, like thalassaemia. The procedure involves drawing amniotic fluid through the mother’s stomach under continuous ultrasound monitoring and control. Approximately 15-20 ml of amniotic fluid is removed for laboratory testing and the results usually take about 3-4 weeks. Amniocentesis is performed when the mother is between 16-18 weeks pregnant. The common indicators for amniocentesis to be performed are:

-Mother who are 35 years or older at delivery

-A previous child with chromosomal abnormalities

-Father/mother or blood relatives with chromosomal abnormalities

-History of recurrent miscarriage

-Abnormal results of mother’s blood test

-Foetal malformations identified from ultrasound

CORDOCENTESIS

With this procedure, a needle is inserted into the umbilical cord to retrieve foetal blood through the mother’s stomach. The procedure is carried out under ultrasound monitoring and control. The blood sample is then sent to a laboratory to check for chromosomal abnormalities, like Down Syndrome, and to diagnose genetic diseases, like thalassaemia, as well as congenital infections, such as Rubella and Toxoplasma, which cause defects or even death for the foetus in the womb. Cordocentesis is performed when the mother is 18 weeks pregnant or more, and has the same diagnostic indications as amniocentesis.

Prenatal Diagnosis is an option for couples at risk of having a child with a disease and enables them to know if the foetus is affected so that treatment can be planned in advance.

DR THEWIN DEJTHEVAPORN is an OB/GYN and Maternal Foetal Medicine Specialist with Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital’s Women’s Health Centre. |Call (02) 711 8555-6.

The homeless at train stations round the globe are often rundown individuals who beg for change or cigarettes, but at the main railway station in Slovakia’s capital Bratislava, the homeless wear smart uniforms with gold buttons.

Instead of asking for money, they offer their help carrying travellers’ luggage for free as porters.

Jozef Simek is one such homeless porter.

“May I help you?” he asks an elderly woman, who is visibly struggling with two heavy bags going up the stairs.