The rehabilitation robot market, which consists of professional service robots with lower technological entry barriers and increased personal health management, is expected to grow continuously with the entry of small and medium-sized enterprises.

The National Rehabilitation Center held a symposium on Rehabilitation Robot and Business on the 19th at the Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel to share information necessary for the commercialization of medical rehabilitation robots and the achievements of the rehabilitation robot distribution project.

At the event, following the first session on "Support Systems for the Commercialization of Medical Rehabilitation Robots," presentations were given in the second session on "Strategies for Domestic and International Expansion of Medical Rehabilitation Robots." In the final third session, themed "Sharing Achievements of Rehabilitation Robot Distribution Projects," achievements in the utilization of rehabilitation robots were introduced.


A rehabilitation robot is a robot used in the process of improving and maintaining a person with a disability to an optimal physical, sensory, intellectual, psychological, and social level.

In addition to rehabilitation robots, medical robots are divided into three fields: treatment and surgical robots, rehabilitation robots, and medical service robots (care, hospital guidance, and remote diagnosis). The current global medical robot market is estimated at approximately $1.7 billion, with surgical robots accounting for 45%, hospital and pharmacy automation 22%, and rehabilitation robots following at around 20%.

Domestic medical market for rehabilitation robots grows to 40%
The rehabilitation robot market, with its low technological barriers, offers high potential for small and medium-sized enterprises to target.

The domestic market is approximately 19.4 billion won based on the production and import unit price in 2014. Compared to the global market, the domestic market is dominated by only two segments: surgical and rehabilitation aids. Surgical aids account for 11.8 billion won (61%), while rehabilitation aids account for 7.6 billion won (39%).

While rehabilitation robots accounted for 10% in 2010, this figure rose to 40% in 2014. In particular, while global conglomerates dominate the market for high-value-added, high-tech surgical robots, it appears that small and medium-sized enterprises are leading the market for rehabilitation robots, which represent a segment of the low-cost market.

In response, Dr. Kim Gye-ri, an engineering Ph.D. at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, explained, “Rehabilitation robots are gaining attention as interest in personal health management increases. Furthermore, from a corporate perspective, surgical robots have high entry barriers and require significant research and development costs and time, making it advantageous for small and medium-sized enterprises to enter the market.”

To overcome boredom from repetitive training
Providing effective treatment through patient ability assessment and various content

During the symposium, robots from the rehabilitation robot distribution project from 2012 to 2015 were also exhibited. Among them, NEOFECT’s Rapael Smart Glove, a robot selected for the 2014 Rehabilitation Robot Distribution Project, is a wearable biofeedback training device for hand rehabilitation that provides visual data of the training process, helping patients perform rehabilitation training without boredom. In particular, it plays an important role in enhancing brain plasticity for patients with central nervous system disorders through goal-oriented repetitive training.

After wearing a lightweight medical device weighing 132g made of elastomer material, the joint range of motion evaluation, measured through three channels of acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field sensors, analyzes the movement of the patient's hands and fingers.


The measured values utilize a 'Learning Schedule Algorithm' to provide customized training with difficulty levels adjusted according to the patient's ability. After training, systematic rehabilitation management is possible through results and reports, enabling efficient rehabilitation treatment.

According to a Neofect official, "We are currently using this product in about 20 hospitals, and above all, hospital staff are seeking it out more because it allows patients to undergo rehabilitation training without getting bored."

During a presentation on medical device business strategy case studies and success models, Lee Jin-soo, Team Leader of the Medical Device Industry Support Team at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, stated, “Strategies for SMEs in the rehabilitation robot sector must involve expanding the market through entry into emerging markets via inter-company technology partnerships and government cooperation. Furthermore, OEM and ODM strategies are necessary to overcome technological disadvantages compared to global companies and to expand distribution networks.”