A story about robots to sink your teeth into

Most people don’t look forward to visiting the dentist’s office. It’s probably one of the least fun things to do. But how would you feel if a robot carried out your procedure? Probably pretty apprehensive, but perhaps a sense of intrigue??

Robots are capable of some incredibly intelligent things, and it looks like dentistry might be the latest one.?

A Boston-based company called Perceptive has developed an autonomous robot that has performed an entire procedure on a human patient for the first time. It’s even done it 8x faster than a human dentist.?

In the recent procedure, the robot prepared the tooth for a dental crown in just 15 minutes, shaving 1 hour 45 off the typical time. Watch the video here.?

According to Karim Zaklama, DDS, a general dentist and member of Perceptive’s clinical advisory board, "The patient experience will be better because of streamlining procedures and enhancing patient comfort. The advanced imaging capabilities, particularly the intraoral scanner, provide unparalleled details, which will enable us to diagnose issues earlier with greater accuracy and allow us to connect with patients more effectively.”

There isn’t exactly a wide margin of error for operating inside the small mouth of a human. But if robots can do this successfully, what else could they do? Getting non-urgent medical attention onboard ships isn’t always easy, but what if small procedures could be done in less than half the time, and with some non-human help? Could this give crew members more timely access to dental care while at sea or during short port calls??

It’d probably take some convincing to encourage patients to visit the AI dentist, but with continuous innovation, in time this may become the norm.

If you’d like to find out more about robotics and AI, check out? Thetius’ research here. All Thetius research is free to Thetius IQ subscribers. If you haven’t signed up yet and would like to learn more about what Thetius IQ offers, request a call back here.

LATEST NEWS

In ship operations news this week, maritime software company Ripple Operations has announced the acquisition of AdonisHR, a Norwegian family-owned provider of crew management and payroll software solutions for the maritime industry.?

Pacific International Lines (PIL) has ordered five new container vessels with 13,000 TEU capacity, equipped with liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel engines. The neo panamax-sized vessels are expected to be delivered progressively from end-2026. Construction of the vessels has been awarded to Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard, a Chinese shipbuilder.

A zero-emission autonomous barge in operation across the Oslo Fjord is to begin a new connectivity trial using Eutelsat OneWeb’s low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service for real-time data transfer, ship-to-shore communication, and remote and autonomous vessel control.

North Star, a UK-based offshore infrastructure support vessel operator and service provider, has invested more than ￡5 million in new business support software systems to drive operational and sustainability efficiencies across its operations, whilst also boosting its seafarers’ wellbeing.?

NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers is timer chartering a methanol dual-fuel bulk carrier after reaching an agreement with Kambara Kisen. The 65,700dwt vessel is currently under construction at Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and is scheduled for delivery in spring 2025. This ship will be the first methanol-fueled bulk carrier operated by the NYK Group.

In the ports and terminals sector, Rotterdam-based Portbase has announced the launch of its new Portbase Marketplace, a central hub providing access to port logistics services. The marketplace will include access to the Portbase services provided in Dutch ports for the past 20 years, as well as a range of new offerings delivered through collaboration between Portbase and its ecosystem of community members.

In chartering and voyage management, Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited (G E Shipping) has successfully implemented StormGeo’s technological solutions across its fleet. This cooperation intends to improve the operational efficiency and environmental performance of G E Shipping’s fleet.?

Accelleron has agreed to acquire True North Marine (TNM). TNM provides weather routing guidance and voyage optimisation, including consulting services from pre-voyage estimates to post-voyage claims, ensuring safe navigation and cost-efficient execution of voyages.

Singapore-based Nexus Ocean AI reports that it has received $400,000 in new funding from venture capital firm Tradeworks.vc. Nexus Ocean AI delivers generative artificial intelligence (genAI) personas for maritime clients, augmented by a Maritime Language Model, that interact with knowledge graphs across the customer’s internal and external data silos – including mailboxes.

If you would like to stay on top of the latest maritime headlines, check out Thetius IQ. It’s a one-stop shop for all maritime news, research and in-depth articles, and features a comprehensive organisation database.

Subscribe to The Brief for your weekly email of essential updates and emerging trends delivered straight to your inbox! ?? click here? https://hubs.li/Q02nkkrD0