Samsung Medical Center is set to establish a platform to support the development and commercialization of AI-based surgical robots. As the medical AI robot market expands, the hospital aims to accelerate the establishment of a hub that supports everything from clinical validation to product commercialization. Industry observers are keen to see if the combination of the hospital's clinical capabilities and advanced technology can propel the domestic medical robot industry forward.
On May 28, Samsung Medical Center announced that it has been selected as the lead organization for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "AI-Based Surgical Robot Innovation Lab Construction and Utilization Project," which will receive approximately 10 billion won in government funding over the next five years.
The hospital plans to establish the "AI-Based Surgical Robot Innovation Lab" and the "AURORA Lab (AI-Unified Robotics & Operative Research Accelerator Lab)," which will identify unmet needs in surgical settings and enable rapid validation and feedback in real clinical environments.
Additionally, dedicated research facilities and testing environments for surgical robots will be created, and a specialized team will support the entire product development process, including performance verification, safety assessments, and usability evaluations.
The project will involve collaboration with robotics companies such as Rainbow Robotics, E-Rob, and Roen Surgical, as well as institutions like Samsung Convergence Medical Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, Tomorrow Robotics, and Ha Hae-ho. The project will be led by Professor Jeong Yong-ki from the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Samsung Medical Center.
During the first phase of the project, which runs until 2028, the focus will be on establishing specialized research facilities for surgical robots, enhancing AI technology, developing prototypes, and securing patents. In the second phase, from 2029 to 2030, the goal is to elevate the technology readiness level (TRL) to 8. Following this, the plan includes obtaining regulatory approvals from domestic and international agencies and facilitating the introduction of innovative medical technologies into actual healthcare settings.
The medical AI robot market is also in a phase of expansion. According to the U.S. market research firm Grand View Research (GVR), the global medical robot market is estimated to reach $25.56 billion in 2023, with an expected annual growth rate of 16.55% until 2030.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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