The 39th Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2024), held at COEX in Seoul from March 14th to 17th, concluded successfully after four days of exhibition.

This year, KIMES took place in a large-scale venue covering 45,000 square meters, including COEX Halls A, B, C, D, E, and the lobby. 1350 manufacturers worldwide participated, exhibiting 35,000 items such as integrated medical devices, hospital facilities, medical information systems, healthcare and rehabilitation equipment, and medical-related supplies.

In addition to the exhibition, seminars, and policy briefings on medical trends, technologies, and smart healthcare were held concurrently, demonstrating a scale that aligns with the reputation of being a platform encompassing the present and future of the medical industry.

While the scope of past KIMES exhibitions was limited to therapeutic materials and medical information, in recent years, it has expanded to include rehabilitation, robotics, and hospital facilities, establishing itself as an exhibition featuring advanced technology. KIMES 2024 showcased the largest exhibition scale ever, receiving praise from general attendees and Korean and international buyers.

Especially about the trends in the medical robot industry, which is expected to continue high growth due to active investment from the private sector, KIMES 2024 provided broad and in-depth insights. Not only were technologies to assist chronic patients and rehabilitation therapies introduced, but surgical robots also supported specialized medical procedures, reflecting the industry's trends.

As the types and functions of medical devices utilizing robotics technology expand rapidly each year, the overall Korean industry has yet to be evaluated as surpassing the embryonic stage compared to leading multinational companies worldwide.

However, at this year's KIMES, active participation and competition from companies with independent technological capabilities have shown potential to reverse previous evaluations. These companies contribute to reducing dependence on foreign products in the Korean market and gradually expanding overseas opportunities, raising expectations among medical professionals in the industry for K-Robots.

Pebble-i, Reducing the Risk of Safety Accidents for the Elderly Population with the Mobile Care Robot 'UPGO Plus' Maximizing Mobility and Convenience!

Since its establishment in 2020, Pebble-i has been steadily growing by developing small-scale immune products for hospitals. Accumulating achievements in Korean and international markets, Pebble-i ventured into expanding its business area last March with the launch of the mobile care robot 'UPGO Plus' for patients and older people.

After about two years of research and development, Pebble-i released the UPGO Plus and continued to enhance the product's completeness by collecting and reflecting feedback from actual users in hospitals and nursing homes. As a result, the product was showcased at KIMES 2024, attracting the attention of attendees.

UPGO Plus is a transfer assistive device that helps users with various movements. It supports actions such as standing and sitting based on the principle of a lever. The two actuators that operate during these movements provide auxiliary power, minimizing the impact on joints and muscles tailored to the user's physical weakness.

The chest cushion supporting the rider is adjustable in three stages, accommodating a wide range of heights from 140cm to 190cm, with a maximum load capacity of 130kg. According to the company, most patients can use it without mobility. Furthermore, the 5-inch large front wheels enable smooth movement on various surfaces, from urethane to carpets.

The product has undergone significant evaluation in Korean hospitals, nursing homes, and special schools for physical disabilities. Additionally, meaningful purchases were made. Furthermore, the Korean distributors established in 2024, consisting of nine companies handling rehabilitation products, have accumulated extensive experience and provide services for the mobile care robot UPGO Plus.

Last September, the product was exhibited at the rehabilitation welfare exhibition 'Rehacare' in Germany, receiving requests for test product purchases from numerous customers and achieving actual sales in France and Hong Kong. Sales of UPGO Plus are also scheduled in countries such as Kazakhstan. Pebble-i plans to provide video and on-site education to exclusive distributors selected in each country to conduct local services and operations.

Moreover, Pebble-i is accelerating the development of the next-generation model, UPGO Premium, aiming to be released in the fourth quarter of this year. According to company officials, this product will include additional features to safely and easily transfer patients and older people.

Pebble-i stated, "In advanced countries, including Korea, the population aged 65 and over is rapidly increasing, leading to societal concerns about preventing falls and safely transferring the elderly." They added, "As an alternative to alleviate the shortage of caregiving personnel in various countries, our company devised the mobile care robot to improve the quality of life for the elderly who have difficulty moving alone, and the resulting product, UPGO Plus, continues to sail smoothly in various countries and markets."

Cosmo Robotics Unveils Wearable Rehabilitation Robots That Span the Entire Lifecycle, from Children's 'Bambini Teens' to Adult's 'EA2 Pro'!

Cosmo Robotics, a subsidiary of Cosmo Group, a secondary battery material company specializing in wearable rehabilitation robots, has visibly demonstrated its motto of 'realizing warm technology' by introducing a product lineup tailored to various patient age groups.

Cosmo Robotics has been developing wearable robots to transition users' daily lives across their lifecycles, improving their quality of life. As a domestic company, it has been increasing its recognition by continuously developing various models, ranging from products that maximize the efficiency of rehabilitation therapy in specialized medical institutions to those that assist in noncontact rehabilitation training and improve musculoskeletal performance at home.

At this exhibition, Cosmo Robotics exhibited the ground-walking wearable rehabilitation robot 'EA2 Pro' and the rehabilitation robot for children 'Bambini Teens.'

EA2 Pro is a robot that assists in rehabilitating patients with walking disabilities due to brain and spinal injuries. It provides ground walking training to support muscle reconstruction and joint mobility recovery. To achieve this, it differentiates itself with advanced technology, such as applying the walking pattern algorithm developed by the company's ex-athlete.

In particular, it supports four types of walking mode settings: One Step Mode (for posture correction), Affected Mode (for improving balance ability), Sustained Mode (continuous and repetitive walking), Active Mode (for improving training efficiency), enabling customized treatment for patient adaptation. Moreover, it can finely adjust specific walking patterns, movements, and joint flexion angles according to the patient's physical characteristics.

In addition, EA2 Pro is equipped with safety features such as handles, buttons, and four sensing motors to assist therapists in balancing and functioning during use, and it immediately stops in case of improper walking or deviation from the normal pattern to prevent safety accidents, as explained by the officials.

Bambini Teens, introduced together, is designed for children with flexible adjustment of the robot's thigh and calf sizes to accommodate children with a height of 110~160cm and weight of less than 65kg. It is also the first ground-walking wearable robot equipped with an ankle motor, allowing users to adjust stride, height, speed, etc., according to their body size.

Angel Robotics, a Strong Player in the Korean Wearable Robot Industry, Targets the Global Market with a Diversified Lineup for Rehabilitation Patients, Everyday Use, and Industry!

With a mission to 'recreate human abilities with technology,' Angel Robotics, led by CEO Gong Kyung-Chul, has been recognized as a key player at KIMES 2024 by proving its unique robot technology that combines medicine and engineering.

Since 2017, Angel Robotics has accumulated distinctive technological prowess and brand value, introducing products for walking rehabilitation therapy (Angel MEDI), daily walking assistance (Angel SUIT), and labor-intensive environments (Angel GEAR), establishing itself as the most well-known wearable robot company in Korea.

At this year's exhibition, Angel Robotics showcased the 'Angel Legs M20,' a flagship product under the Angel MEDI brand. Angel Legs M20 is an exoskeleton walking assist robot that can walk on the ground, obtaining a Class 3 medical device approval for a potential medical insurance application. It is mainly used in specialized institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes to rehabilitate and treat patients with incomplete lower limb paralysis, aiming to reconstruct leg muscles and restore joint mobility.

Angel Legs M20 enhances rehabilitation efficiency by recognizing the patient's intention to walk, calculating appropriate force, and providing customized assistance. Moreover, it boasts easy and fast detachment, offering high convenience in limited rehabilitation sessions. It comes in small and large models, suitable for patients ranging from 115 to 190cm in height. Additionally, it features length adjustment functionality tailored to each patient's body shape.

Furthermore, it collects and analyzes the patient's motion data, providing a walking analysis report. Users can select and execute six training modes through a dedicated tablet PC: standing up, sitting down, and standing.

An Angel Robotics spokesperson stated, "By participating in KIMES 2024, we aimed to expand the sales base of Angel Legs M20, which has already been introduced to more than 70 medical and rehabilitation institutions at home and abroad, and to explore new domestic and international buyers for business diversification." They added, "This year, we plan to enhance further the Angel SUIT brand, which enhances walking comfort in daily life, and release various types of products according to different auxiliary joints." They concluded by saying, "Additionally, we will continue our efforts to expand sales of new products under the existing Angel X brand through the Angel GEAR brand, which is widely used in various industrial sites, and to expand sales of Angel KIT products our robot parts brand."

Curexo Set to Enter the Global Surgical Robot Market with the World-Class 'CUVIS'!

Curexo, led by CEO Lee Jae-joon, was prominent at the exhibition. Following the acclaim received for their second-generation lower limb rehabilitation robot, the 'Morning Walk S200,' unveiled last year, they have now introduced the robotic brand 'CUVIS (큐비스)' for surgeries involving artificial joints and spines, aiming to demonstrate even more specialized corporate capabilities.

Since 2006, when it acquired the relevant business unit of the US company ISS, known for its hip surgery robot ROBODOC, Curexo has expanded its surgical robot portfolio over a long period, growing its CUVIS brand into a globally competitive one.

The company aims to promote the brand globally starting this year and achieve medical robot sales of 50 billion won. Additionally, as the approval process for overseas distribution is finalized, they plan to expand into advanced medical countries such as the United States and Europe starting next year.

As part of these plans, Curexo introduced 'CUVIS-joint,' the flagship product of their CUVIS brand, at KIMES 2024. It is the fourth commercialized artificial joint surgery robot globally, featuring an automated function to remove bones that need to be cut based on CT scan data.

During surgery, the cutting process involves aligning the pelvis, knee, and ankle in a straight line to minimize the amount of bone cut with precision surgery based on data. This significantly reduces the risk of surgical errors, complications after surgery, and the need for reoperation while also shortening the rehabilitation period.

Accompanying the CUVIS joint is the navigation-based spine surgery robot 'CUVIS-Spine,' which guides and supports the precise positioning of spinal screws. Utilizing a combination of high-precision robot arms, one-step surgical tools, real-time location tracking sensors, and dedicated software, it supports faster and more accurate surgery from surgical planning to intraoperative navigation.

A Curexo spokesperson stated, "Last year, our medical robot division's sales grew by approximately 62% compared to the previous year in both domestic and international markets, with exports accounting for 68% of total business sales." They added, "Such remarkable growth figures represent the competitiveness of our technology and products. We plan to continue our research and development efforts and introduce new products to maintain rapid growth this year."

Since its inception in 1980, KIMES has steadily grown as a specialized exhibition for medical equipment and hospital facilities in tandem with the development of the Korean medical industry. Over the years, the Korean medical industry has transformed into a technology-intensive advanced sector, including medical information systems, ultrasound diagnostic equipment, medical imaging devices, medical robotics, AI, and rehabilitative medicine.