An Intelligent Robotics System for Precision Acupoint Detection and Automated Acupuncture Therapy

Acupuncture is a treatment method that originated in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves inserting very thin, sterile needles into specific points on the body to help relieve discomfort or improve certain health conditions. This research tackles the main problems with traditional manual acupuncture, which suffers from a lack of standardization, relies heavily on the individual practitioner, and often has inconsistent needle placement. These issues have made it difficult for acupuncture to be widely accepted in hospitals and for insurance to cover it. The solution is an innovative robotic system that uses computer vision (pose estimation) and a multi-axis mechanical platform to automatically find acupoints with high precision and insert needles consistently. This advancement creates a standardized and scalable platform that removes human error, thereby improving the therapy's reliability.