As the aging population continues, the labor shortage is also increasing. According to the future population projection data from Statistics Korea, the total population of Korea is expected to decrease from 51.67 million in 2022 to 36.22 million in 2072, and the working-age population between the ages of 15 and 64 is expected to decrease sharply from 36.74 million to 16.58 million during the same period. As the labor shortage problem becomes more visible, interest is focused on robots as a means to replace it.
In fact, as the role of robots expands beyond simple repetitive tasks to various tasks due to the advancement of hardware (HW) and software (SW) technology, the speed of labor replacement is accelerating. Accordingly, robot automation is rapidly spreading as it has proven to reduce labor costs and improve efficiency. In addition, the introduction of robots that can supplement or replace labor into real life is also accelerating.
◆ Autonomous driving robots for daily service sectors, Newbility 'Newbee' and Rhinos 'Wheely'
In everyday service areas such as cleaning and delivery, the advancement of autonomous robots is remarkable. Autonomous robots are overcoming spatial constraints, expanding their scope of activity, and performing tasks by moving through various spaces like actual people, going beyond simple assistance.
Newbility, in collaboration with Samsung C&T, has launched a 'door-to-door' delivery service within apartment complexes. This service, which is currently being piloted at the Raemian Leaders One apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, operates by having self-driving 'Newbies' deliver food ordered by residents from shops or cafes and restaurants within the complex directly to the front door of each unit.
Rhinos has introduced the 'rEMS' (Elevator-based Mobility System) installed on the AI (artificial intelligence) cleaning robot 'Wheely'. This allows Wheely to board the elevator by itself and move between floors to clean like a person.
◆ From rehabilitation treatment to medical surgical robots, introduced by Benot & R and Curexo
The introduction of robots is also expanding in specialized fields such as rehabilitation treatment and surgery. These robots help with precise work, increasing work accuracy and maximizing work efficiency.
Benotie & R is conducting global sales of the wearable robot for rehabilitation therapy, ‘XoMotion-R’, through its Canadian robotics affiliate ‘Human in Motion Robotics’. XoMotion-R is a wearable robot designed for both people with spinal cord injury, stroke, and other lower body paralysis, rehabilitation therapists, and rehabilitation hospitals. It not only maximizes the rehabilitation effect, but also reduces the burden of manpower and labor required for the treatment process.
Recently, Human In Motion Robotics signed a sales agreement with Synaptic Health, a Canadian rehabilitation clinic, for ExoMotion-R, and is in the process of seeking approval for sales of ExoMotion-R from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
Exomotion-R applies the world's best 'self-balancing' technology to help users walk stably and independently without a separate walking assistance device. Existing walking rehabilitation treatment required multiple therapists to directly assist the patient's movements due to the nature of the treatment that required patient safety. Exomotion-R supports the user's independent walking, allowing rehabilitation therapists to focus on the treatment process itself rather than safety management. It also provides a simple control function using a portable joystick, allowing one rehabilitation therapist to supervise the walking training of more patients at the same time.
Benotie & R is also developing the 'XoMotion-P' model, which helps elderly people with limited mobility and paralyzed people to walk on their own outdoors. It aims to begin sales at the end of 2026.
Curexo sells medical surgical robots. Its main product, the artificial joint surgical robot 'Cubis-Joint', cuts the kneecap so that the artificial joint can be inserted accurately during surgery. This robot has high accuracy and safety, and is easy and simple to operate, helping to shorten the preparation time for surgery. In addition, it is possible to change the plan during surgery (Modified Gap Technique), allowing for optimized surgical progress.
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