Portable Moxibustion Robot With Intelligent Acupoint Positioning Guided by Visual Sensing

BACKGROUND: To overcome key challenges in traditional moxibustion, such as the shortage of skilled practitioners, time-consuming and labour-intensive procedures, this study developed an intelligent robotic system for automated acupoint positioning and moxibustion execution. METHODS: The system established a standardised acupoint coordinate map utilising DensePose-based body normalisation and statistical modelling from 50 subjects. A hybrid serial-parallel robot design enabled large workspace and high precision for bedside application. Safety was ensured by a Model Predictive Controller utilising real-time thermal feedback for dynamic distance adjustment. RESULTS: mm (lower limbs). The system responded to temperature changes within 0.25 s, limiting overshoot to below 0.8°C. CONCLUSIONS: This integrated robotic system provides a precise and scalable solution for automated moxibustion, particularly valuable for resource-limited clinical environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: It was an investigational clinical study, not a registrational clinical trial.