The Robots Are Coming! Assistive Robot Market Set for Growth

The global healthcare assistive robot market is expected to surpass $1.2 billion by 2024, up 19.4 percent over the market’s current $359.1 million value, according to a report by Global Market Insights. The anticipated increase means people with disabilities will one day have advanced options for robotic assistive technology.

The report covers a range of robotic assistive technologies, from surveillance and security robots that can provide data collection and monitoring services in the absence of human staff to rehabilitation robots, which may be used in therapeutic settings to help patients recover from events such as car accidents and strokes or at home to assist disabled individuals with daily tasks. Humanoid and socially assistive robots are also included in the report.

One such device is the ASIBOT, a portable device that can help disabled and elderly people gain more freedom by assisting with eating, drinking, shaving, makeup application and toothbrushing. It’s currently being tested at the National Hospital of Paraplegics in Toledo, Spain. The Shirley Ryan Abilitylab is developing smart wheelchairs that assist with driving, similar to the parking assistant features found on modern vehicles.

Though it may be some time before such technologies are commercially available, the fact that many organizations are working on applying robotics to assistive technology combined with projected market growth offers a glimpse of the future for people with disabilities seeking to live an independent lifestyle and family members who seek peace-of-mind.