5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections than ever before. 5G networks will help provide the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.  The ability to combine this technology with robotics has the potential to change the treatment paradigm in healthcare, offering patients quick access to skilled specialists across the globe.

While some may be wary of the increasing implementation of robotics in the medical realm, the airline industry offers a great mind-easing comparison. In the early days, pilots were entirely responsible for a plane’s navigation, and rates of crashes and unforeseen travel errors were higher than today. With the eventual incorporation of computers and navigation tools, pilots altered their skill set to incorporate technology, ultimately resulting in safer air travel. Although they have the capabilities, if needed, to maneuver a plane manually, they are currently taught to utilize technology for more efficient travel. While pilots may use their skill set differently now, technology aids them tremendously — individuals can go farther, faster, and smoother, to the credit of these innovations.

The Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards recognize trailblazing companies aiming to tackle immense world issues such as climate change or population health, with past winners including a startup with an electric airplane and the Netflix documentary Chasing Coral. 

Out of a field of over 2,000 entries, Fast Company editors, writers, and outside judges selected Corindus Vascular Robotics as a finalist in the Developing World Technology and Health and Wellness categories. Our “world changing idea” is redefining telemedicine from strictly a diagnostic tool to a means to treat patients remotely via “tele-treatment.” Corindus is paving the way for large-scale, long-distance telerobotic intervention platforms across the globe.