Robotic arm to assist in dental procedures

Abstract

This article proposes an analysis of the necessary requirements for the design and development of a robotic arm prototype to support dental procedures, such as oral examinations and tartrectomy. The main objective was to define the technical, ergonomic, and functional specifications that would enable the creation of an efficient, safe, and easy-to-handle system, thereby facilitating the dentist's work through remote control and automated assistance. The theoretical foundation is based on the authors: Quilumbaquin and Reyes (2022), Pérez and Andagoya (2019), and Rebatta (2021). This article was developed through a comprehensive review of scientific articles indexed in databases such as Scopus, Scielo, and RedALyC, among others. To expand the information on similar robotic system models, a chain search was conducted through queries in articles, reports, and public documents describing designs of robotic arms, electronic components, control systems, and development methodologies applied in medical and dental robotics. The search was delimited using the available filters in each database, prioritizing documents that provided up-to-date, relevant, reliable, and high-quality information regarding the technical and methodological requirements for developing similar prototypes. Additionally, different sources of information from scientific journals and academic theses were consulted, applying inclusion criteria that considered keywords such as: “dental robotic arm,” “technical requirements,” “control models,” “mechatronic devices,” and “prototype development.” The purpose was to organize and structure the collected information on the technical specifications, components, and requirements of each analyzed robotic arm model. This facilitated the identification of common aspects and relevant particularities in system design, providing a solid basis for defining the essential requirements in the development of the robotic arm prototype aimed at supporting dental procedures.