Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop novel training system for medical skills using robot technology. We have developed Waseda Kyotokagaku Airway No.4 (WKA-4) as a novel training simulator for airway management. This robot reproduces several different patients with actuators. For instance, this robot has a unique mechanism in its temporomandibular joint that consists of a set of warm gears and force sensors, hence reproduces a patient with TMJ disorder. This robot also has the tongue that is able to change its shape using air pressure, hence reproduces the difficulty of airway management. We then asked the medical doctors to evaluate the robot using a questionnaire and confirmed that WKA-4 had enough property to use in the training of anesthesiologists.
