Remote Operations

Telemedicine is a new and fast developing field in healthcare. Even 20 years ago the idea of a surgeon being able to operate a robot from hundreds of miles away in order to perform an operation seemed like science fiction. Today, this is not only possible but engineers, working with scientists and doctors, are now designing robotic systems which will be able to operate on patients with no human intervention at all.

The ‘Remote Operations’ resources explore curriculum areas such as electromagnetism and use the context of telemedicine to look into moral and ethical issues. Students investigate the necessity of developing standards and protocols for communication using a basic electrical circuit.

They also learn how a heart surgeon in London can carry out a procedure on a patient in Italy using remote surgery and discover how engineers, working with scientists and doctors, are designing robotic systems which will be able to operate on patients with no human intervention at all.

The activities are designed to be mixed and matched according to teachers’ needs. The challenges can be used as main lesson activities and provide a quick and easy way for the students to apply their knowledge.