Led by Matthew Campen, PhD

Autonomous Clinical Robotics, Translational Human Physiology, Precision Sensing, Robotic Intervention, and Human–Machine Medicine

The NSMS National Autonomous Clinical Robotics & Translational Research Center (DrRobots™) is a multidisciplinary translational medicine, clinical research, and robotics center developing intelligent physical systems that connect artificial intelligence with real-world patient sensing, clinical interaction, robotic assistance, and precision intervention.

Led by Matthew Campen, PhD, DrRobots™ integrates autonomous and semi-autonomous robotics, multimodal physiological sensing, medical imaging, computational medicine, digital twins, human-machine interaction, and safety-bounded clinical control systems within a unified translational research environment.

At the center of this ecosystem is the DrRobots Translational Research Clinic—a clinical research environment for studying how intelligent robotic and autonomous healthcare technologies interact safely and effectively with patients, clinicians, caregivers, medical devices, and healthcare infrastructure.

DrRobots™ bridges:

• Autonomous Clinical Robotics

• Translational Medicine

• Human Physiology

• Artificial Intelligence

• Precision Sensing

• Digital Twin Systems

• Medical Imaging

• Robotic Intervention

• Precision Drug Delivery

• Human–Robot Interaction

• Hospital Automation

• Hospital-at-Home Systems

• Robotic Surgery

• Autonomous Healthcare

Mission

To develop and clinically translate intelligent robotic healthcare systems capable of:

Perceiving → Sensing → Understanding → Planning → Assisting → Intervening → Verifying → Learning

within appropriately defined clinical and safety boundaries.

The long-term objective is to create a new physical infrastructure for computational medicine in which AI is connected to the patient through sensors, robotic platforms, imaging systems, medical devices, digital twins, and clinician-supervised intervention systems.

The DrRobots™ Platform

DrRobots™ is designed as a modular clinical robotics ecosystem rather than a single robot.

The platform integrates four fundamental layers:

1. Physical Robotics & Hardware
Robotic mobility, manipulation, imaging, sensing, communication, and therapeutic interfaces.

2. Physiological & Environmental Sensing
Continuous acquisition of patient, clinical, spatial, and environmental information.

3. Computational Intelligence & Software
Perception, multimodal AI, digital twins, clinical decision support, planning, and robotic control.

4. Clinical Control & Safety
Human oversight, permissions, safety guardrails, runtime monitoring, verification, event logging, and fail-safe operation.

Together, these layers establish a physical-digital clinical loop:

Patient → Sensors → AI / Digital Twin → Clinical Decision → Safety Check → Robotic Action → Physiological Response → Verification → Model Update

Core Clinical Programs

Autonomous Clinical Robotics

DrRobots™ develops intelligent robotic systems designed to support clinicians and patients across hospital, ambulatory, rehabilitation, research, and home environments.

Research capabilities include:

• Autonomous and assisted navigation

• Patient localization

• Bedside interaction

• Physiological monitoring

• Contactless sensing

• Robotic imaging

• Specimen and supply transport

• Medication and device logistics

• Rehabilitation assistance

• Telepresence

• Remote clinical examination

• ICU support

• Hospital-at-home support

• Longitudinal patient interaction

These systems function as physically embodied extensions of computational medicine, connecting digital intelligence with real-world clinical environments.

Translational Human Physiology

The DrRobots Translational Research Clinic provides a human-centered environment for studying how robotic technologies interact with continuously changing physiology.

Research programs include:

• Cardiovascular physiology

• Respiratory physiology

• Neurophysiology

• Autonomic physiology

• Environmental physiology

• Exercise physiology

• Sleep physiology

• Physiological resilience

• Continuous wearable analytics

• Multimodal biomarker measurement

• Physiological trajectory prediction

• Longitudinal systems monitoring

These programs provide the physiological evidence required to develop robotic systems that respond to measurable human states rather than isolated commands.

Robotic Diagnostics & Precision Sensing

DrRobots™ develops robotic platforms capable of acquiring standardized clinical measurements through integrated sensor and imaging systems.

Capabilities include:

• Robotic ultrasonography research

• Optical imaging

• Thermal imaging

• Digital auscultation

• Contactless cardiopulmonary sensing

• ECG acquisition interfaces

• PPG and oxygenation monitoring

• Respiratory assessment

• Neurophysiologic sensing

• Wearable integration

• Environmental sensing

• Multimodal sensor fusion

Robotic sensing enables repeated and longitudinal measurements while supporting standardized acquisition protocols.

Intelligent Rehabilitation & Mobility

DrRobots™ investigates robotic systems for assisting recovery, mobility, and physical rehabilitation.

Research areas include:

• Robotic rehabilitation

• Mobility assistance

• Gait assessment

• Movement analysis

• Exercise guidance

• Range-of-motion monitoring

• Adaptive rehabilitation protocols

• Patient engagement

• Remote rehabilitation

• Longitudinal functional assessment

Adaptive systems can modify assistance according to measurable performance and clinician-defined treatment objectives.

Autonomous & Semi-Autonomous Robotic Surgery

DrRobots™ investigates next-generation surgical robotics in which artificial intelligence augments procedural planning, perception, manipulation, and safety.

Research areas include:

• AI-assisted operative planning

• Real-time imaging fusion

• Intraoperative digital twins

• Surgical navigation

• Precision robotic manipulation

• Microsurgical assistance

• Automated camera positioning

• Tissue and instrument tracking

• Physiological monitoring

• Predictive complication modeling

• Runtime safety verification

• Human–robot surgical collaboration

Progressive autonomy is developed according to task complexity, evidence, risk, and regulatory requirements.

Near-term systems emphasize clinician-controlled and supervised robotic assistance, while future research may evaluate increasingly automated procedural subtasks within validated safety boundaries.

DrRobots™ Hardware Architecture

The DrRobots™ hardware ecosystem is modular so that different clinical applications can use different combinations of mobility, sensing, manipulation, imaging, and therapeutic hardware.

Robotic Mobility Platforms

Potential hardware includes:

• Autonomous mobile robotic bases

• Omnidirectional mobility systems

• Indoor localization hardware

• LiDAR

• Depth cameras

• Ultrasonic proximity sensors

• Inertial measurement units

• Collision-detection systems

• Docking and charging stations

• Emergency-stop interfaces

These platforms provide controlled movement through appropriately configured clinical and research environments.

Robotic Manipulation

Research platforms may incorporate:

• Multi-axis robotic arms

• Force-torque sensing

• Precision end effectors

• Compliant actuators

• Tactile sensors

• Haptic interfaces

• Instrument interfaces

• Tool-changing systems

• Soft robotic actuators

• Physical safety barriers and emergency controls

Force, position, and contact monitoring provide feedback for safety-sensitive physical interaction.

Clinical Sensor Array

DrRobots™ integrates multimodal patient sensing through modular sensor interfaces, potentially including:

• ECG

• PPG

• SpO₂

• Respiratory monitoring

• Blood pressure interfaces

• Temperature

• EEG

• EMG

• Digital auscultation

• Motion sensing

• Thermal sensing

• Environmental sensors

• Wearable-device interfaces

Sensor fusion provides a continuously updated representation of the patient and surrounding environment.

Imaging Hardware

Imaging capabilities may include:

• RGB cameras

• Depth cameras

• Thermal cameras

• Robotic ultrasound

• Microscopy interfaces

• Multispectral imaging

• Point-of-care imaging

• Structured-light systems

• Medical imaging interfaces

These systems connect physical examination and robotic perception with computational diagnostic models.

Communication & Human–Machine Interfaces

Hardware interfaces include:

• Clinical displays

• Touchscreens

• Microphone arrays

• Speaker systems

• Telepresence cameras

• Clinician control stations

• Mobile-device interfaces

• Wearable interfaces

• Haptic controllers

• Emergency controls

Human-machine interaction is designed around transparent clinician authority and clearly defined levels of robotic autonomy.

DrRobots™ Software Architecture

The DrRobots™ software stack transforms sensor information into perception, clinical context, robotic planning, and controlled physical action.

Robotic Operating & Control Layer

Core software capabilities include:

• Robot operating middleware

• Device abstraction

• Sensor management

• Motion control

• Localization

• Mapping

• Navigation

• Manipulation control

• Trajectory planning

• Collision avoidance

• Device orchestration

• Real-time telemetry

AI Perception Layer

DrRobots™ develops multimodal perception systems incorporating:

• Computer vision

• Medical imaging AI

• Speech recognition

• Acoustic analysis

• Human pose estimation

• Patient localization

• Activity recognition

• Physiological signal processing

• Environmental perception

• Multimodal sensor fusion

The perception layer establishes an interpretable representation of the patient, clinician, equipment, and physical environment.

Clinical Intelligence Layer

Clinical software integrates:

• Physiological state estimation

• Clinical decision support

• Risk prediction

• Patient-specific models

• Digital twins

• Longitudinal trajectory analysis

• Treatment-response modeling

• Workflow intelligence

• Uncertainty estimation

• Human-in-the-loop decision support

Clinical intelligence informs robotic behavior but remains subject to defined permissions and safety constraints.

Robotic Planning & Task Intelligence

Task-level software supports:

• Goal interpretation

• Workflow planning

• Task decomposition

• Robotic sequencing

• Motion planning

• Resource coordination

• Context-aware behavior

• Human–robot collaboration

• Exception handling

• Recovery planning

This layer translates approved clinical objectives into executable robotic tasks.

DrRobots™ Clinical Safety Architecture

Clinical robotics requires more than accurate AI. Physical actions must operate within explicitly defined safety boundaries.

DrRobots™ develops a multilayer safety architecture incorporating:

• Role-based permissions

• Clinician authorization

• Patient identification

• Task eligibility checks

• Environmental safety checks

• Sensor-quality requirements

• AI confidence thresholds

• Force and motion limits

• Geofencing

• Collision avoidance

• Runtime monitoring

• Treatment limits

• Safe-state transitions

• Automatic task interruption

• Emergency stops

• Manual clinician override

• Event logging

• Traceability

• Cybersecurity controls

The core operating principle is:

No physical clinical action without appropriate authorization, validated conditions, and active safety monitoring.

Hardware–Software–Human Integration

DrRobots™ treats the clinician, patient, hardware, and software as components of one clinical system.

The integrated control loop is:

Patient Physiology
↓
Sensors + Imaging + Wearables
↓
Multimodal Perception
↓
AI + Digital Twin + Clinical Intelligence
↓
Clinician / Human Oversight
↓
Safety & Runtime Verification
↓
Robotic Planning & Control
↓
Physical Assistance / Measurement / Intervention
↓
Patient Response
↓
Continuous Physiological Feedback

This architecture allows robotic systems to remain connected to both human clinical authority and measurable physiological response.

Clinical Technology Platforms

DrRobots™: Integrated autonomous and semi-autonomous clinical robotics platform

DrRobots Mobile™: Autonomous mobile clinical assistance and hospital logistics

DrRobots Bedside™: Patient interaction, monitoring, telepresence, and bedside clinical assistance

DrRobots Imaging™: Robotic ultrasound and multimodal diagnostic imaging

DrRobots Rehab™: Intelligent rehabilitation, mobility, and functional-assessment robotics

DrRobots Surgical™: Clinician-supervised precision surgical robotics and procedural automation research

DrRobots Home™: Robotic monitoring, assistance, and telehealth for distributed and hospital-at-home care

DrRobots Control™: Robotics operating, planning, orchestration, and real-time control software

DrRobots Guard™: Runtime safety, permissions, monitoring, fail-safe control, and human-override architecture

Integrated NSMS Technology Ecosystem

DrRobots™ serves as the physical embodiment and clinical interaction layer of the NSMS autonomous healthcare ecosystem.

aEyes™ → DrRobots™
Multiscale imaging, computer vision, and diagnostic perception

aSensors™ → DrRobots™
Continuous physiological, environmental, and wearable sensing

aArmor™ ↔ DrRobots™
Body-worn sensing, physiological monitoring, and therapeutic-response interfaces

aTwin™ ↔ DrRobots™
Patient-specific digital twins, prediction, simulation, and adaptive personalization

aNeuro™ ↔ DrRobots™
Neurophysiological sensing, neuromodulation expertise, and therapeutic safety

aLab™ ↔ DrRobots™
Autonomous diagnostics, laboratory testing, biomarkers, and translational research

aData™ ↔ DrRobots™
Clinical informatics, interoperability, evidence, data standards, and longitudinal records

aVerify™ ↔ DrRobots™
Architecture, requirements, interfaces, traceability, integration, verification, and validation

aValidate™ → DrRobots™
Human factors, clinical trials, outcomes, and multicenter clinical validation

aLaunch™ ← DrRobots™
Manufacturing, strategic partnerships, regulatory-market transition, and commercialization

Together, these technologies establish a complete physical-digital healthcare architecture:

Sense → Perceive → Understand → Predict → Authorize → Act → Verify → Learn

Translational Research & Clinical Validation

The DrRobots Translational Research Clinic provides the bridge between engineering prototypes and clinically meaningful human evidence.

Research activities include:

• Human factors

• Usability testing

• Workflow studies

• Sensor validation

• Robotic performance evaluation

• Human–robot interaction

• Clinical feasibility studies

• Physiological response studies

• Safety evaluation

• Clinician-supervised autonomy studies

• Home-environment evaluation

• Longitudinal monitoring

• Clinical outcomes research

The translational pathway follows:

Engineering Prototype → Bench Testing → System Integration → Human Factors → Clinical Feasibility → Clinical Validation → Regulatory Pathway → Deployment

Core Engineering & Computational Infrastructure

DrRobots™ research integrates:

• Robotics engineering

• Mechatronics

• Embedded systems

• Edge computing

• Computer vision

• Multimodal AI

• Digital twins

• Medical imaging

• Sensor fusion

• Real-time operating systems

• Motion planning

• Human–robot interaction

• Cybersecurity

• Systems engineering

• Verification & validation

• Clinical research infrastructure

R&D / Clinical Domains

• Autonomous Clinical Robotics

• Translational Medicine

• Translational Human Physiology

• Medical Robotics

• Robotic Surgery

• Precision Sensing

• Medical Imaging

• Human–Robot Interaction

• Intelligent Rehabilitation

• ICU Automation

• Emergency Care Robotics

• Hospital Automation

• Hospital-at-Home

• Telemedicine Robotics

• Continuous Diagnostics

• Digital Twins

• AI Clinical Systems

• Robotic Intervention

• Physiological Closed-Loop Control

• Autonomous Healthcare

Leadership

Matthew Campen, PhD
Director, NSMS National Autonomous Clinical Robotics & Translational Research Center (DrRobots™)

Matthew Campen, PhD, leads NSMS translational physiology and clinical robotics research focused on connecting human physiology with intelligent sensing, computational medicine, digital twins, robotic platforms, and clinically controlled physical intervention.

His work emphasizes the human physiological foundation required for autonomous healthcare: understanding how continuously changing cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, environmental, and systemic states can be measured, interpreted, and translated into safe and clinically meaningful robotic actions.

Under his leadership, DrRobots™ provides the physical and translational research environment connecting patient physiology, sensors, artificial intelligence, digital twins, clinicians, and robotic systems within an integrated healthcare architecture.

The Future of Clinical Robotics

The future of healthcare robotics extends far beyond automated transportation or mechanical assistance.

The next generation of clinical robots will increasingly combine physical intelligence, multimodal perception, computational medicine, patient-specific modeling, continuous physiological feedback, and human clinical oversight.

DrRobots™ is developing the translational foundation for that future—connecting computational intelligence to the physical world of patients and clinicians.

Sense the Patient. Understand the Physiology. Assist the Clinician. Act Safely. Learn from the Response.

DrRobots™ — Bringing Computational Medicine Into the Physical World.