In the DIGITAL SCRUBS project, a multidisciplinary consortium is researching, developing and evaluating an interpersonal and multimodal attention assistance system for context-sensitive, neuroergonomic human-machine interaction in networked operating theatres for the first time. Through a generic interface, it provides the user with a familiar human-machine interface for a variety of networked operating room systems. Depending on the respective task/activity and the individual cognitive and emotional state, relevant information for optimising the surgical intervention is provided independently and context-sensitively via systems worn on the body for multi- and cross-modal information transfer. DIGITAL SCRUBS will thus focus on the question of how such assistance systems affect the work of medical professionals. The introduction of interpersonal AI assistance will lead to a changed dynamic within the operating theatre team. DIGITAL SCRUBS is accompanied by social science, participatory technology research in order to take this aspect into account and optimise it during development. This ensures that the technologies developed are compatible. In addition, the legal framework conditions with regard to data protection are taken into account, thus establishing user confidence in the technology. Finally, explanatory approaches are tested in order to increase the comprehensibility of the technology. Above all, ethical issues relating to human-machine interaction must not be neglected. In this project, the nexus Institute is primarily responsible for analysing the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI), thereby reducing the negative effects of the technologies developed and ensuring that they are used in a legally compliant and socially responsible manner.

Duration: 08/2022 – 07/2025
Donor: Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF)
Team: Dr. Daniel Guagnin (Project manager), Claudio Altenhain, Dr. Carina Brumme, Maria Jacob, Diellza Shala
Project partner: Universität des Saarlandes: Systems Neuroscience Neurotechnology Unit und Institut für Klinisch-Experimentelle Chirurgie, abat+ GmbH, paragon semvox GmbH, Zentrum für Mechatronik und Automatisierungstechnik gem. GmbH Bild: Sasint / Pixabay