The Ebola virus is so deadly and contagious that doctors and nurses put their lives in jeopardy whenever they're treating a patient. But Ken Goldberg, an engineering professor at the University of California at Berkeley, believes that robots can reduce the health risk involved for doctors and nurses treating Ebola-effected patients.

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Goldberg's expertise is in robotics and claims that certain less technical robots can be implemented in the fight against Ebola within the next six months.

Telepresence robots could be the first to have in an impact in the diagnosis phase of the process. Telepresence robots consist of multiple cameras and screens, which essentially allow doctors to communicate and evaluate patients without having to be in the quarantined area.

These robots are already being used in multiple hospitals around the U.S., however, they have yet to be implemented when diagnosing Ebola patients.

Goldberg also believes that robots could handle simple tasks including cleaning up and decontamination. But the biggest problem with that is the fact that little parts within the robot can easily become contaminated.

"We don't know, actually, how to sterilize them. There's too many intricate, moving parts," Goldberg said. "So essentially, you'd have to throw the robot out afterward."

According to Goldberg, robotic capabilities are still very limited and robots won't replace health professionals treating patients any time soon. Engineers need to first improve robots to be able to identify and compute each object in the room. For example, determining the difference between test tubes, beakers and slides can be a problem for robots.

Goldberg is looking beyond the current Ebola outbreak and hopes to be ready for the next crisis. He aims to have less technical robots implemented within the next 6 months, but imagines robots performing routine experiments a couple years down the road.

TagsEbola Virus, Ebola treatment process, Robots, Engineering Professor Ken Goldberg, telepresence robots, Health professionals