The Robot Report from CES 2012: Medical Implications

I got access to the Robot Report written by Frank Tobe from the recent Consumer Electronics Show 2012. He featured many innovative and futuristic consumer robots out of which a few, I think, had real medical or health-related implications. You can download the document here. An excerpt:

Consumer robotics represented a very small part of CES but had the same combination of glitz, glamour, marvelous stuff, misrepresentation, uninspiring products and hidden gems, just like the rest of CES. Robotics Trends hosted a Robotics Tech Zone but the action was well beyond their purview because many of the companies wanted to emphasize their consumer orientation instead of highlighting the robotic.

Some examples:

• PerMMA, a personal mobility and manipulation appliance for power wheelchair users.

• Myomo, rehabilitation robotics and interactive gaming systems for stroke victim rehab.

• Mantaro telepresence robot, a mobile Skype platform using your own iPhone or iPad.

• Paro, the therapeutic furry seal-like bot for hospitals and eldercare.