Investors are always looking for that next big thing to put their money into. The medical field is rife with such opportunities, thanks to ongoing advancements that are making it possible for us to treat all sorts of things that were previously out of reach. If you are an orthopedist, aesthetic practitioner or GP, you might want to consider your own local investment in the emerging area of stem cell therapy.
Take 'local investment' to mean investing in your own practice. Put the time and effort into PRP and stem cell training by attending courses that will teach you how PRP and stem cell therapies work and the procedures necessary to implement them. Apex Biologix, a company located in Murray, Utah, is one example of a competent trading provider you could work with. They have already assisted more than 200 clinics in establishing regenerative medicine services.
Worldwide Market Expected to Boom
There would certainly be nothing wrong with investing in a company directly involved in the manufacture and sale of regenerative medicine products. In fact, such investments would be rather wise. Recent numbers suggest the global market for regenerative medicine will reach nearly $39 billion by 2021. The expected rate of growth should be just under 24%.
Those numbers are pretty impressive by any standard. But here's what you need to know as a doctor: a significant portion of that $39 billion will not be realized through investments in the industry's corporate players. Rather, it will be spent by patients looking for regenerative medicine for wound care, orthopedic treatments, and aesthetic medicine. You can get your share of the action by undergoing training and then adding regenerative medicine to your own practice.
Investing in the Future of Medicine
An analysis of the regenerative medicine market suggests that investment is being driven by an expectation that the future of things such as PRP and stem cell therapy looks good. When investors spot something in which they see a lot of potential, they are not afraid to put their money behind it. And wherever the markets go, reality often follows.
With that said, the strong investment in regenerative medicine suggests that anticipated growth will become a reality. Institutional investors will put money into the companies producing products and therapies, companies like Apex Biologix will invest their resources in training doctors and supplying them with equipment, and patients will invest in the actual procedures that will help them live healthier lives.
How to Get Trained
Doctors looking to invest in regenerative medicine can take a series of training courses depending on the kinds of services they want to offer. Continuing with Apex Biologix as the example, they offer training courses for both PRP and stem cell therapy. Their courses cover aesthetic medicine, orthopedics, and marketing regenerative medicine services to clients.
Their longest training course is a two-day affair held at various locations around the country. That two-day course centers around stem cell therapy for orthopedic applications. Apex Biologix also offers a one-day training course in PRP therapy for aesthetic medicine. Both courses include additional training for marketing regenerative medicine procedures.
Conclusion
As much as we don't like to talk about it, medicine is a business that requires a certain level of revenue to keep the lights on and the doors open. It is clear that institutional investors are rather optimistic about the future of regenerative medicine, so much so that they are willing to put their money behind it. Doctors can invest in their own practices by receiving training and then adding regenerative medicine to what they currently offer patients.
Machine Learning can be considered as an important subfield of Artificial Intelligence. During the last decade, Machine Learning is widely used in a variety of areas, including the complex healthcare industry.
The healthcare landscape can be divided into three main categories. These include:
1. Large Institutions
These could be private hospitals and universities as well as research centers specializing in medical care.
2.Solo Physicians
Physicians who are engaged with private practice belong to this category. They are working hard to resist the trend that focuses on consolidation.
3.Healthcare Professionals
This category includes administrators, physical therapists and nurses who play a major role behind successful practice.
All these practitioners have their own goals and strategies or principles which guide their practice. These goals can further be distinguished into two main categories:
(a) To assist the patients in order to live a healthier life.
(b) To do their work in an efficient way to keep the patients satisfied with treatments.
Challenges for the Healthcare Industry
Regardless of the background and category of the healthcare industry to which someone belongs, there has been an increasing interest in taking advantage of the potential of Artificial Intelligence such as Machine Learning for medical purposes, like for example medical diagnosis.
It is not by random that scientists and researchers invest in Machine Learning in this particular area. There are variant reasons which lead to this decision. The effectiveness of this sort of technology holds a prominent place among the reasons for deciding to take advantage of this vast field for medicine.
Working in contemporary societies means healthcare professionals constantly have to deal with different challenges under stressful environments. Although there is an obvious inbalance between the number of staff available and patients waiting in line to be served, it is not possible to reduce the quality of treatment just because of the high volume of work. In other words, these professionals need to offer the optimum treatment to each and every patient, even under pressure. Physicians who belong to larger groups face perpetual pressure as well because they need to see more patients within the shortest possible time while maximizing their performance. Therefore, time is of essence, as well as accuracy in diagnosis.
On the other hand, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) which were gradually introduced in most modern healthcare facilities, are constantly being upgraded and changed. As a result, the physicians spend too much time to get the required training in order to effectively use the technology. It is imperative that they follow up any upgrades in order to be able to document all their encounters in electronic medical records.
Cost reduction is another challenge that physicians nowadays are faced with on a daily basis. Both solo practices and large academic institutions have to deal with this challenge. The efficiency of treatments is extremely important on a societal level as well. That’s mainly because it can lead to resource utilization and preventative care.
Investing in Machine Learning
Machine Learning has the potential to provide a convenient solution for all these challenges. Stemming from the proliferation of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning has gone through a significant development throughout the last two decades. At the moment, it is powerful enough to make near perfect diagnoses. As a result, practitioners utilizing this technology will be in a position to figure out the best possible treatment for their patients. Additionally, they have the potential to figure out which patients are at a higher risk for poor outcomes and predict re-admissions.
In general, it can be claimed that Machine Learning can enhance the health and well-being of patients while keeping the costs low. The improvements in Machine Learning related to medical diagnosis are taking place at a rapid pace. However, it is still under development and a lot of resources need to be invested to enhance the efficiency of this revolutionary technology.
Machine Learning for medical diagnosis is not something new to the world. It has been there from the early stages of healthcare informatics. During this time, the term “healthcare informatics” was not even used. The Machine Learning algorithms were initially introduced at this time and they were supported by vector machines and Artificial Neural Networks. This area was highly researched at that time and that’s the main reason why you can see it in a large number of publications. Research is still being conducted in this area and it has created plenty of investment opportunities which are now renewing the interest in advancing the field.
Such an example can be found in terms of the accuracy of a diagnosis. It is true that experienced physicians can diagnose the health conditions of patients by having a look at them. However, this method is not 100% effective. That’s where Machine Learning comes into play. The chances of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence delivering incorrect results are extremely low. However, it is important to keep in mind that Machine Learning is not advanced enough yet to deliver 100% effective results to healthcare professionals and further research is needed. That’s the main reason why millions of dollars are being invested in this technology.
Research and Practice at a Global Scale
Findings from a recent empirical research paper indicate that Artificial Neural Networks can be used to detect prostate cancer among individuals in an effective manner. The study has a strong interdisciplinary interest in particular among computer scientists and physicians. This is just one study that was conducted in this specific and challenging field of interest; there are several more applications of Artificial Neural Networks which diagnose medical conditions.
Still, despite the different applications of Machine Learning for medical diagnosis, these are not as popular in every corner of the world. The technology is still improving and it appears that a lot of eastern countries invest their money in this technology. However, some of the physicians in Asian countries have not even heard about the concept of Machine Learning. Nevertheless, it is expected that once Machine Learning becomes more widely known there will be high demand because of its real-world applications and practicability.
Conclusions
It becomes obvious that the future of Machine Learning in medical diagnosis looks promising. Healthcare professionals and researchers specialized in different areas of medicine such as cardiovascular diseases and neurological symptoms look to incorporate Machine Learning in their work in order to cope with the aforementioned challenges as well as increase their performance and save more lives. However, it is not possible to advance their science without substantial funding. Therefore, it would be a wise idea for institutions and authorities at large to invest significant proportions of money in Machine Learning since there are numerous benefits as already mentioned in this article.
Overall, it is apparent that professionals and practitioners employing Machine Learning are particularly excited about the meaningful implementation of Artificial Intelligence in the healthcare industry. The most aspiring uses of the technology suggest it has the potential to transform the healthcare industry to a better one which can truly nurture for the longevity of humans.
The Machine Learning algorithms are constantly being updated in order to achieve better results. Therefore, investing in this technology for medical diagnosis can be considered as an excellent idea for governments and research institutions. This sort of investment decision is a step towards a more fruitful future in terms of healthcare.
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Cancer treatment is considered as one of the highly discussed topics in the medical industry. In light of the above, it is extremely important to figure out the treatment options available for cancer in order to provide the best possible treatment accordingly.
Finding the best possible cancer treatment is essential as it can help healthcare professionals to treat tumors while causing the least damage to the body. In other words, proper cancer treatment can minimize the changes of cancer cell redevelopment within the body as well as side-effects.
Understanding the Treatment Options Available for Cancer
The treatments available for cancerous infections are severe and need to be handled with extreme attention and with reference to the patient's medical background. As a result, they should be done in the appropriate manner according to individual needs and not be identical for all patients. Taking unreliable or unsuitable treatments for cancer can be risky and has the potential to cause irreversible damages to your body tissues and cells. Healthcare professionals have paid special attention towards this fact in the recent past.
As a result, they offer the treatments based on growth and character of malignant tumors. It has been empirically found that cancer cells can be treated effectively when they are detected at an early stage. However, it should be noted that the chances of curing cancer cells reduce with age.
The increasing intensity of cancerous infections has contributed a lot towards the aforementioned fact. Therefore, an appropriate diagnosis of cancer is extremely important to plan out the proper treatment option available. Treatment options are available for almost all types of cancers and it is possible to reverse it and recover from the illness when detected at an early stage and the person is relatively young.
Cancer treatment rotates around the efforts taken to diagnose cancers as well as the treatment method used to cure abnormal cells. One of the primary objectives of cancer treatment is to restrict the spread of cancer cells. Some harsh medical techniques are being used to restrict it, based on the condition. If the cancer cells are not treated properly, they invade the healthy body tissues and cells as well. Lack of vital resources such as blood and oxygen contribute a lot towards this abnormal behavior. This can cause a tremendous damage to the vital parts of your body in the long run.
The most convenient option available for patients to stay away from this damage is to control the growth of cancer cells in time. The latest updates on cancer treatment have given more attention towards cancer detection as a result of it. In the meantime, necessary steps are being taken in order to strengthen your immune system. This can help the victim to create a body that is more resistible to future attacks. It will also help to gain maximum benefits out of prescribed medications.
The Dimensions of Modern World Cancer Treatment
It is extremely important for the patient to take an appropriate treatment as such action can restrict the abnormal growth of cancerous cells. In this regard, more attention is paid towards the origin of cancer cells during the treatment process. Not all types of cancers metastasize at the same speed. Some forms of cancer, such as the ones that develop in your breast, lymph nodes, abdomen, lungs, bloodstream, neck, head and bones develop at a faster rate when compared to those that develop in other parts of your body. A closer look into stats, indicates that the above types of cancers have given rise to cancer deaths that are registered yearly around the world. Therefore, it is considered best that people who suffer from cancers in those areas need to get an aggressive treatment done.
The treatment options available for cancer depend a lot on the type of tumor and location and size. The tumors are either cancerous or benign. The benign tumors are defined as pre-cancerous or non-cancerous because of their harmless nature to the human body. In other words, they do not have the ability to invade or kill the ordinary cells of your body. The pre-cancerous cells can easily be controlled because they do not have the ability to metastasize. Regular medication or minor surgeries are in a position to control such tumors. They have very little chance of redeveloping as well.
On the other hand, cancerous tumors are responsible for the development of cancers within your body. They can damage the live tissues and cells in your body. Those cells would get abnormal along with time and accumulate to create a tumor or lump. They are associated with a high chance of reoccurrence as well. Therefore, you will need to opt for a drastic treatment in order to restrict their growth.
Latest Updates on Cancer Treatments
Different types of cancer can affect human beings and the type of treatment should be based upon it. Surgery can be considered as the most common treatment that is offered to the modern world for cancer patients. It has the potential to treat the cancerous tumors that belong to an initial stage in an effective manner.
The surgical methods for cancer treatments have gone through some significant developments throughout the past couple of years and they can even be used to treat tumors that are in their second or third stages. However, it would be better to accompany a surgery with other treatment methods such as radiation therapy or chemical therapy in order to receive the best possible results.
Chemotherapy is another cancer invasive and toxic treatment, which has received a lot of attention in the recent past. People who suffer from cancers that have reached an advance stage are encouraged to go for this treatment. Chemotherapy is also prescribed to patients who have second and third stage cancer.
Radiotherapy is thought of as the most advanced cancer treatment method available at the moment. In fact, it is known as the last resort of treatment for malignant tumors. Radiotherapy focuses on killing the cancer cells while destroying infected areas. This can cause severe damage to the adjacent tissues however it does attack healthy body cells as well. There have been medical case reported where permanent damage can impact the overall functioning of the body.
As time passes by, the proliferation of technology leads to significant advances in research and practice around cancer treatment. In this sense, people should not hesitate to visit a healthcare professional if they suspect the existence of tumor or in order to get a treatment done once they are diagnosed. There are less invasive forms of treatment including alternative medicine which has become a growing trend. This type of approach focuses on the use of specific diet and a healthy lifestyle among others as a way to treat cancer. Nevertheless, it has not been extensively proven that such treatment can be more effective in comparison to traditional medicine.
Summary
Overall, depending on the type and stage of cancer, different treatments are available to eradicate the tumor or slow its development. This could include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or hormone therapy. It is important that above all, appropriate supportive care is available for the patient and the family as they go through this difficult stage in their lives.
There are three known forms of sleep apnea: central (CSA), obstructive (OSA), and complex or mixed sleep apnea that is a combination of both central and obstructive and these constitute 1%, 84% and 15% of cases respectively. In CSA, breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort. With OSA, a physical block to airflow, despite respiratory effort, interrupts the breathing and snoring is common. Overall 99% of all cases are OSA based.
If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) - also known as sleep apnea, and by far the most common type, you'll know that this form of sleep-disordered breathing can seriously affect your quality of life and impact your health if left untreated. It is estimated that sleep apnoea affects between 2% to 4% of the adult population in the UK, yet this debilitating condition often goes undiagnosed so we are far from sure.
At 4% there would be approximately 2.5 million sufferers in the UK but very few people are actually being treated currently for the problem.
OSA is a worldwide phenomenon. Studies suggest that in Western European countries from 3-7% of middle-aged men and 2-5% of middle-aged women suffer from OSA, but figures vary widely due to low diagnosis levels.
Living with a sleep apnoea sufferer
Despite the increasing recognition that obstructive sleep apnoea is a relatively common condition, population data used to estimate disease prevalence in the United States and abroad did not exist accurately until about 15 years ago. Since the 1990s much has happened to quantify the levels of obstructive sleep apnea in various populations. A number of studies using large samples representative of the general population are now available and provide prevalence estimates for obstructive sleep apnea in countries such as the United States, Australia, Spain, China, Korea, and India.
According to figures issued by the World Health Organization approximately only 100 million people worldwide have OSA. In the USA, OSA is estimated to affect 1 in 4 men and 1 in 9 women; and affects a total of 23 million working adults. Untreated moderate or severe OSA is associated with a six-fold increased risk of death from all causes, independent of any other illnesses.
Other published figures state much a higher total figure based on detailed analysis of registered sufferers and some of these figures are shown below. If one accepts that the addition of the undiagnosed sufferers would at least double these numbers then the figures are quite alarming.
Country% with OSAActual Number
United Kingdom4,0% 2.5 million
United States4.1% 18.5 million
Australia3.1% 0.8 million
India7.5% 85 million
China 4.2% 57 million
Korea4.5% 2.3 million
There is evidence that regular snoring and OSA are both independently associated with alterations in glucose metabolism and OSA might be a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of OSA is also found more often in those patients with cardiac or metabolic disorders than it is in the general population.
The prevalence of sleep apnoea is higher in different population subgroups, including overweight or obese people, those of some ethnic groups such as African-American, and in older individuals. The fact that prevalence estimates of obstructive sleep apnea from North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia are not too substantially different suggests that this disease is very common not only in developed but also in developing countries. Moreover, given the widespread under-recognition of this disorder by the medical and lay communities, the public and personal health care costs globally are likely to be absolutely enormous.
Source: World Health Organisation
It is estimated in the USA that although there is a known figure of 18.5 million residents* with sleep apnoea, there are over twice that many with some form of major sleep disorder – 40 million in total. If these figures are to be believed, the difference is mostly attributed to undiagnosed OSA, and the problem is even more enormous than we believe and constantly worsening.
Sources for US Statistics: 27.02.2012 - National Sleep Foundation and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is important for us to recognise that obstructive sleep apnoea often goes undiagnosed. Doctors usually can't detect the condition during routine surgery visits and no blood test can help diagnose the condition. Most people who have sleep apnoea don't know they have it because it only occurs during sleep so a family member or bed partner might be the first to notice the distinctive signs of sleep apnoea.
Untreated sleep apnoea can:
•Increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity, diabetes and cancer
•Increase the risk of, or worsen heart failure
•Make arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, much more likely
•Increase the chance of having work-related or driving accidents
Sleep apnea is a chronic condition that requires long-term management. Lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery, and breathing devices can successfully treat sleep apnoea in many people, and it is critical to get professional help and support if you suspect that you are suffering from the condition described.
Engineering is one of those areas that most people take for granted and don’t give much thought to.
The valuable work that these engineers undertake is all around us, in all areas of our lives. Engineering makes our lives better, helps us to enjoy life, saves lives and keeps us safe from harm.
So just how does engineering help society?
Once a person has trained as an engineer, their skills can then be used in many different ways. For instance, medical innovations need engineers to develop the necessary equipment and components in order to save lives. However, the medical world is not the only way that engineers benefit our society.
Engineers work in so many areas, they help to build roads, construct bridges and bypasses, they develop ways of producing more environmentally friendly power or ways in which we can recycle more. Electrical engineers develop safety devices and engineers help develop our cars to protect us from crash and injuries.
Put quite simply, engineers are involved in every stage of a process from the design, through the manufacture, development and implementation. There are so many different fields in which an engineer might work, but here we will just explore the role of an Energy Engineer.
Energy Engineering
Energy engineering covers a broad spectrum of areas which deal with energy efficiency, services, facility management, alternative energy and environmental compliance. Due to the Government legislation and carbon reduction targets, energy minimisation is a growing industry. To reduce our energy consumption, consideration must be given to lighting, refrigeration and eco-friendly ways of generating power such as solar panels and wind turbines.
Energy technology is a term used which refers to the skills, knowledge and equipment required for the production, distribution and use of energy. By the end of this decade, 15% of all energy consumed within the UK will have to come from renewable sources and for this reason there is a growing demand for Renewable Energy Engineers.
What does a Renewable Energy Engineer Do?
A renewable energy engineer is responsible for the design, development and implementation of renewable energy sources. These include wind, marine, biomass and solar technologies and an energy engineer’s job is to solve existing problems and develop creative solutions to capture, convert, store and manage renewable energy.
There are many areas to the job and becoming an energy engineer is a very rewarding career. A renewable energy engineer will be responsible for evaluating current sources of energy before designing and developing alternative solutions. The engineer may also wish to specialise in a certain area such as heating, lighting, air conditioning or energy procurement.
Renewable Energy Engineering as a Career
Due to Government targets, unique opportunities are being created in renewable energy. As an energy engineer you will be involved in the research, development and production of energy through renewable sources. You will be responsible for solving problems and developing ways to extract usable energy from sustainable sources such as bio fuels, hydro power, wind turbines and solar power.
For more information and careers advice you will find all you need to know on the web or speak to your careers advisor for further details.
The healthcare industry is poised to go through a tremendous amount of growth in the next decade due to a number of different factors.
Although the healthcare industry is definitely expanding, some professions in the healthcare industry are more in demand than others. Here are five of the hottest jobs in the healthcare industry.
1. Registered Nurse
The job of registered nurse is one of the hottest in the industry right now and for the foreseeable future. There is a major shortage of registered nurses available and many nurses in the industry are overworked. One of the problems that the industry is facing is finding qualified individuals who can get into nursing school and complete it to become eligible to work. If you enjoy helping people, this is a medical profession that you can get into relatively quickly.
2. Home Health Aide
The home health aide is another profession that is growing by leaps and bounds. As the baby boomer generation gets older, more and more people are going to need help in their homes. They need help taking care of themselves, administering prescriptions, and taking care of other necessary processes. Some sources estimate that there will be over 380,000 new jobs in this field alone in the next four years.
3. Medical Assistant
The medical assistant is another person who is in high demand in the healthcare industry. Medical assistants provide a number of administrative and basic health tasks. They typically work in doctor's offices, clinics, and hospitals and help doctors and nurses on a regular basis.
4. Pharmacy Technician
The pharmacy technician is also in high demand in the healthcare field. Baby boomers are consuming a record amount of prescription drugs and someone is needed to get all of these prescriptions ready. Working as a pharmacy technician makes it possible for you to interact with the general public on a daily basis, and help them get the medicines that they need. It's not as involved as becoming a pharmacist, although you will do much of the same type of work as they do. This is one of the fastest fields to get into, as there aren't any specific requirements about going to college or getting certified. Some pharmacy companies even provide on-the-job training so that you can learn while you're working.
5. Medical Secretaries and Transcriptionist
Another career that is definitely in demand is the medical secretary or transcriptionist. In the healthcare industry, there is an unbelievable amount of paperwork and clerical duties that must be completed on a daily basis. Medical secretaries are needed in clinics, doctors offices, hospitals, and other medical facilities. If you work as a transcriptionist, you will need to know all of the various medical codes that apply to your facility. This is important when it comes to billing health insurance companies and making sure that bills are correct for customers. Keeping the paperwork straight in a medical facility can be a daunting task, and medical secretaries are critical to this part of the process.
If you are looking for job stability and an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds, the healthcare industry is one option to consider. Any of these five careers or any other medical career would be good to pursue if you are interested in job security.
Since mobile tablet devices were introduced, they have grown in popularity and been used as an innovative tool in businesses, school settings and even law enforcement and government agencies. Tablets are becoming mainstream in the healthcare field as well, as it gives doctors and nurses a gateway to efficiency and portability.
Tablet devices are changing the medical industry in several ways. Fierce Mobile Healthcare released a report in 2012 stating that more than 60 percent of doctors now use tablet devices while performing their everyday duties.
Improved Patient Interaction
A tablet device can improve the way doctors and nurses interact with their patients, whether it's demonstrating a procedure to them or showing them an interactive diagram. Doctors can use tablets to show graphs, illustrations, animations and more on a screen to explain a diagnosis or give the patient a look at an x-ray. Videos, animations and other interactive graphics are on the rise with advances in technology, creating a visually appealing supplement to consultations and exams with patients. Discussing symptoms and logging them onto their wireless tablet while in the presence of their patient can make it easier to find a difficult diagnosis.
Nurses can use the tablets to record information, such as vitals, allergies to certain medications or certain symptoms before the patient is seen by a doctor. They can also refill prescriptions on the spot while in the presence of their patient to ensure they're choosing the correct pharmacy. If they need to schedule a follow-up appointment or update which prescription medications they're taking, they can do it in the presence of the patient to prevent any miscommunication or confusion.
Prescription Medications
Doctors can use the tablets to research medications on the go. By nurses recording patients' allergies to specific medications electronically, the doctor will be able to access information about the most effective and affordable drugs to patients. If they're in the middle of diagnosing a patient and prescribing medication to them, but need to check if it's covered by insurance or explain its side effects to the patients, they don't have to leave the room to do their research on a computer in their office. They can simply look it up on their tablet, or verify their insurance coverage with the patient nearby so each examination or consultation is more interactive and personal, which leaves the patients feeling more comfortable and satisfied with their experience.
Financials
Finally, tablet devices are contributing to healthcare clinics and offices by helping them update internal information easier. Tablets offer better battery life than most laptops and are easier to carry around because they're so lightweight. Doctors can update inventory information, or a list describing the services rendered to a specific patient on a tablet that the receptionists or nurses can access wirelessly. They'll be able to bill insurance providers, order medications, tools and other inventory low in stock and do much more with the improved communication within their clinic. Budget reports, monthly financial expenses and more can be sent to employees or financial partners in an easier way. The ability to send emails and communicate easier reduces the amount of phone calls doctors need to make on a daily basis as well.
Employees working in the healthcare field are constantly on the go, moving from different patient exam rooms to offices and waiting rooms. Having a lightweight tablet device that they can carry around with them and turn on with the press of a button improves the daily functions of a medical facility in several ways, allowing them to work more efficiently and deliver better quality care to their patients and clients.
As the Internet grows day by day (by trillions of addresses) even more uses are made of it. Seriously, that's not a typo.
Here we look at two futuristic applications that are with us today; an Interplanetary Internet (known as InterPlaNet) and robots that are controlled by our own thoughts.
1. The Interplanetary Internet
No, it is not science fiction. There really is an interplanetary internet, and its primary node is inside the International Space Station. In fact it has been operational since 2009, but it is now expected to take on an entirely new role as rumors emerge that NASA is working on new plans to develop a hovering moon base.
This base (called EML-2) would be situated 60,000 kilometres away from the dark side of the moon at what is called a Lagrange Point. There are a number of such points close to the earth’s orbit where all the gravitational pulls even out, creating gravity neutral regions where space craft can effectively be parked without the need of any fuel to keep them there.
Astronauts aboard EML-2 would be able to control robotic vehicles on the surface of the moon in real time rather than the three second delay when controlling them from earth. The concept has now been tested by controlling a prototype moon rover on earth via the interplanetary internet.
2. Your mind in a machine
VGo is a robot. It attends school and goes from lesson to lesson using a camera. It is surrogate of a young boy who, because of allergies, cannot attend school himself. He controls the robot over the internet and takes part in school lessons and communicates with his friends through it. He is not unique. Such virtual travellers are becoming common place; they save lives in operating theatres and take them in wars; they even carry out nine to five jobs.
Currently they are controlled by mice and keyboards, but the next generation will be controlled by thought alone. As well as sight and sound they will send back to the user senses of touch and smell. Effectively we will be able to become completely immersed in an alternative location; effectively we will be the mind in a remote robotic body.
You can buy basic ones now for under £10,000. To control it remotely over the internet you just need access to a computer and web camera and people are using them for such purposes as touring museums and visiting family. They are being trialled in hospitals for remotely checking on patients.
A prototype has been built that is controlled remotely over the internet by a person wearing a body suit and controlling one just by thought has been demonstrated using a MRI brain scanner.
Final Words
As broadband continues to develop, ever more uses will be made of it that extend far further than downloading movies and social networking. Perhaps future broadband deals will include the option to add a robot that we can send off to work while we put our feet up.
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