As the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge in mass vaccination programs, medical engineers from Canada have demonstrated an innovative solution for inoculation. Cobionix, a start-up founded at the University of Waterloo, recently showcased Cobi, a versatile robotics platform that employs a needle-free injection technology to administer intramuscular injections, including vaccines.

        Cobi stores the vaccines, uses sensors to create a model of the individual’s body, employs AI-based software to determine the best location for the shot then carries out the injection. If such technology was used widely, the benefits could be numerous, with robots helping to stem the spread of disease byreduci  reducing person-to-person contact, easing labor shortages and improving access to vaccination.But what do the experts think? Could technology really replace healthcare workers? And would the public accept an injection from a robot?

Dr. Lorenzo Jamone, Senior Lecturer in Robotics at Queen Mary University of London, says the technology exists for a robot simpler than Cobi, but suggests a smart robot might still have some way to go when it comes to human interaction.