Healthcare robots: 5 ways they are getting even better

MIT researchers last year altered a Nao robot and tried it out as a task scheduler in a labor ward at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. [Image courtesy of MIT]

Think robots and healthcare, and surgical robotics often comes to mind. But there are so many other ways that robotics is transforming modern health settings. In addition to revolutionizing surgery, researchers and companies have explored robots for hospital logistics, disinfecting, nursing, exoskeletons for rehabilitation, and prosthetic limbs.

A recent research report by Tractica predicts that the market for healthcare robotics will grow in revenue from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $2.8 billion by 2021. As a result, the research forecasts that healthcare robotics shipments will increase from approximately 3,400 units annually in 2016, to more than 10,500 units per year by 2021, with more than 38,400 cumulative units shipped during the forecasted period. And although surgical robots are currently the largest application in the market for healthcare robotics, Tractica predicts exoskeleton and prosthetics will eclipse the surgical market opportunity by 2021.