Competition on the medical robotics markets for elderly

Abstract

Population aging becomes one of the most significant 21<sup>st </sup>century social challenges. These challenges strongly reflect on the industry, labor, and financial markets. Population aging increases the demand for medicines, diagnostic equipment, and medical services. Both developed and developing countries have problems resulting from the current shortage of health workers and a limited supply of medical equipment. An alternative for medical staff growth is the robotization of medical services. However, robotics is economically justified when the costs of medical robots are lower than the construction of additional medical clinics and the increase in medical staff. Medical robotics appeared on the market later than the industrial and military ones but has recently found increasing use in high-income countries. Low and middle-income countries could not acquire expensive medical robots in sufficient quantities. The increased competition in the medical robotics market will lead to price reductions and make robotized services available for wide use. The article analyses the competition in segments of the medical robotics markets, connected with population aging.

An overview of emerging trends in robotics and automation

“…This enables robots to undertake jobs that would otherwise be too difficult for them to manage. Within the next several years, it is anticipated that this technology will become even more prevalent, as it is already being utilized in applications such as autonomous vehicles, industrial robots, and drones [1], [3], [10], [18]- [20].…”

“…In situations where standard stiff robots would struggle, these robots, which are frequently constructed from materials that are soft and flexible, perform exceptionally well. There are a variety of applications for surgical robots, including soft grippers used in manufacturing and surgical robots that simulate the dexterity of human hands [18], [27], [30], [32]- [34].…”

“…Robots are currently being utilized in a variety of contexts to carry out surgical procedures, provide assistance with rehabilitation, and provide medical care to  ISSN: 2722-2586 patients. In comparison to human surgeons, medical robots are able to carry out activities with a higher degree of precision and accuracy, and they even have the ability to work for longer periods of time without becoming fatigued [18], [27] Healthcare and surgical procedures are two of the most important areas that are being rapidly transformed by medical robotics as a result of the advancements that it provides. Surgeons are increasing their use of robots to assist them in performing complex procedures, such as minimally invasive surgeries and diagnostics, with the intention of achieving greater precision and better outcomes for patients.…”

“…As a result of the growing interest in social robotics and the goal to develop machines that are capable of interacting in a manner similar to that of humans, this concept is gaining momentum. In addition to their usefulness in the aforementioned industries, they also present significant concerns over the future of communication between humans and robots [18], [42], [43].…”

“…Within the realm of robotics, AR has the potential to offer operators real-time information regarding the surroundings of the robot, hence simplifying the process of controlling and monitoring the robot. In a variety of contexts, including gaming and entertainment, as well as teaching and training, this technology is applicable [13], [18].…”