Medical robots to fuel consumer and healthcare advancement

DUBAI – Robotics technology is becoming an increasingly essential part of the healthcare sector, with the global market rising from $1.8 billion in 2013 to an estimated $3.75 billion by 2018 according to a study by Research and Markets.

In the Middle East, healthcare in the UAE alone has seen a rise in demand for procedures involving advanced robotics and is expected to see further growth as public and private healthcare spending and patient awareness increases.

In keeping with this dramatic rise, RTEX (Robot Technology Exhibition), the MENA region’s first robotic and automation exhibition, will feature world renowned experts and live demonstrations illustrating the advancements made in consumer and healthcare including robotic bipeds, neuro-prosthetics and managing pathological tremor with robotic support.

Taking place at The Meydan from 28 – 30 September 2014, RTEX also features a series of seminars to be held alongside the exhibition covering town automation (smart city concept), logistics and unmanned systems and vehicles. Discussions and demonstrations include service robots for surveillance, surface-aerial marsupial robots for riverine environmental monitoring, computational intelligence for aero-space applications and autonomous mobile robots.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the global demand for industrial robots reached an all-time-high of about 168,000 units in 2013. By 2015, the IFR estimates the worldwide robot sales to increase by five percent on an average as a result of the opening up of huge consumer markets in the BRIC, South East Asia and the Middle East region.

Commenting on the inaugural exhibition, Jalal Jassbi, Managing Director of RTEX said, “The UAE has been at the forefront of robotics and automation and in a short span has adopted the technology across a wide sector with tremendous success. We anticipate a substantial increase in the demand for industrial and service sector robots within the next ten years. Our aim is to build on these opportunities and bring together the experts and the decision makers to address demand and challenges through robotics. It’s an exciting time for the robotics sector in the region and through the seminars we hope to raise awareness and highlight the commercial as well as the practical benefits this sector has to offer.”

RTEX is open to businesses, trade visitors and robot enthusiasts.