Current state of medical robotics market and its near-term development prospects

Abstract

Brief analysis of current state of medical robotics in the world and in Russia is given. Research data from statistics department of International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and other consulting companies is presented. This data includes quantitative and value distribution of service robots sales by the main application fields and reflects level and prospects of medical robotics development. Also, it contains manufacturing companies' distribution by regions of their location, staff numbers and purposes of robots under development. All that data illustrates preferable regional markets for expansion of domestic manufacturers and optimal organization forms for design and production. Medical robotic devices are examined according to the designated purpose in four groups: assistant robots for surgery and therapy, rehabilitation systems, diagnostic systems and other medical robots. A brief description is given for each group. Main features are highlighted; exam-ples of promising developments are given. The paper draws roundup conclusions; some of them pay attention to strengthening of tendency for imparting research tools of medical purpose by diagnostical function with equipping those tools by AI elements, and also tendency for combination of medical, logistic and social functions in robots, which requires development of robots' capability of social interaction basing on AI technologies as well as on social technologies.