Disability in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

摘要

The Fourth Industrial Revolution began at the turn of this century and builds on the digital revolution.1 However, it is not only about smart and connected machines and systems. The Fourth Industrial Revolution brings together digital, physical, and biological technologies, creating paradigm shifts that redefine our existence.2 Good examples of the breathtaking, transformative technologies arising in this new convergent industrial era are brain–machine interfaces and genetic editing. Artificial intelligence, mobile supercomputing, intelligent robots, internet of things, internet of systems, and nanotechnology are creating profound changes in the way we live and relate to each other. The new 5G network technology is empowering environmentally friendly, self-driving vehicles and allowing robotic remote control with haptic feedback. The combination of haptic, tactile, and augmented reality in this 5G platform will allow a highly reliable internet of skills, in which person–object interactions will occur with minimum effort.3 Technological developments in this new era, such as the integration of ultrasonic sensors with computer vision techniques for those with visual impairment,4 and integration of electroencephalography-based brain-controlled lower-limb exoskeletons for those with paraplegia, bring unprecedented hope for persons with disabilities.5 The collision of technology and life sciences promises an exponential transformation in how we interact with patients, giving healthcare providers better tools to predict and diagnose diseases at earlier stages of life, provide more efficacious and personalized treatments, and monitor response to treatment remotely and in real time. Technology is also empowering patients to actively monitor their health and participate in decision making more effectively. Thus, the Fourth Industrial Revolution demands a change in the way we think, giving opportunity to new problem-solving approaches that require collective creativity and innovation, with the promise to provide systemic solutions. In this new world, in which technology bridges the gaps between performance and participation in more efficient ways, the concept of ‘disability’ will have to be revised. The Fourth Industrial Revolution also challenges the traditional ways of disseminating knowledge. 5G connectivity offers the opportunity to educate anyone, anywhere in the world. Ultra-low latency and multigigabit bandwidth telehaptic robotic systems will allow remote mentorship and guidance of medical professionals performing procedures, wherever they are in the world.3 In his book The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Klaus Schwab calls on world leaders to work together to ‘shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people’.2 We are at the turning point of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, with the potential of improving the quality of life for the world's population and increasing income levels. The disruptive potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution for healthcare is only beginning to unfold. Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Louis Pasteur