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. 2019 Aug 10;6(3):87.
doi: 10.3390/medicines6030087.

Robot-Controlled Acupuncture-An Innovative Step towards Modernization of the Ancient Traditional Medical Treatment Method

Kun-Chan Lan  1 , Gerhard Litscher  2
Affiliations

Robot-Controlled Acupuncture-An Innovative Step towards Modernization of the Ancient Traditional Medical Treatment Method

Kun-Chan Lan et al. Medicines (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: For several years now, research teams worldwide have been conducting high-tech research on the development of acupuncture robots. In this article, the design of such an acupuncture robot is presented. Methods: Robot-controlled acupuncture (RCA) equipment consists of three components: (a) Acupuncture point localization, (b) acupuncture point stimulation through a robotic arm, and (c) automated detection of a deqi event for the efficacy of acupuncture point stimulation. Results: This system is under development at the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan. Acupuncture point localization and acupuncture point stimulation through a robotic arm works well; however, automated detection of a deqi sensation is still under development. Conclusions: RCA has become a reality and is no longer a distant vision.

Keywords: computer-controlled acupuncture (CCA); high-tech acupuncture; robot-assisted acupuncture (RAA); robot-controlled acupuncture (RCA).

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic presentation of the robot-controlled acupuncture system. Note: Part 3 is still under development.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flow chart of 3D acupuncture point estimation.
Figure 3
Figure 3
3D acupoint annotation. (a) acupoint annotation, (b) isomap texture.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Visualized acupoint during the estimation process. (a) Mean model, (b) Fitted model.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Acupoint visualization. (a) acupuncture model; (b) warped acupoints.
Figure 6
Figure 6
System architecture.
Figure 7
Figure 7
System components for robot arm acupuncture or massage.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Diagram of hand-eye calibration.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Errors caused by different heights.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Diagram of the fine-tuned height.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Diagram of the practical application.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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