Tekniker leads the robotic revolution in the Spanish healthcare sector
24-04-2024
Tekniker
It was in 2023 when the organisation began to coordinate the R&D group in the area of medical and healthcare robotics of the Spanish Hisparob platform sponsored by the country’s Ministry of Science & innovation.
Robotic technologies are offering new possibilities to different sectors and healthcare is not oblivious to this revolution. By generating new knowledge in fields such as quality, control, interactions, handling, navigation, perception and safety it will be possible to provide the indispensable support required by the medical and healthcare ecosystem in areas such as diagnostics, surgery, rehabilitation and support for carers and patients to lead lives that are fully autonomous and independent.
Since 2023, and to allow Spain to play a leading role with regard to developing technologies for the healthcare sector, Tekniker, the Basque technology centre member of the Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), has played the role of coordinator of the Hisparob task force, the Spanish Medical and Healthcare Robotics platform sponsored by the Ministry of Science & Innovation.
The group´s main task is focused on improving quality of life and working conditions for healthcare professionals and carers by implementing human-centred robotic technologies.
To achieve this goal, this ecosystem has pooled knowledge generated by universities, hospitals, companies and other stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem that is associated with on-line robotics, rehabilitation science, personal motion, social issues, ageing and healthcare to produce a unique interdisciplinary R&D environment that is competitive at a European level.
Robotic technologies in the area of medical care
One of the main objectives of the group coordinated by Tekniker is to operate in line with the demands addressed by euRobotics, the European technological robotics platform, and to help set up a robotic ecosystem for Spain’s medical & healthcare sector.
Among many other challenges, some of the goals consist in supporting rehabilitation processes, increasing individual autonomy and independence by optimising health surveillance systems, improving mental health for elderly persons and teenagers, diagnosing diseases, optimising surgery, etc.
In addition to offering its extensive range of mechatronic capabilities and expertise with regard to developing medical devices according to ISO 13485, the technology centre will also address new natural interaction robotic technologies and the recognition of the personal affective-cognitive status.
Eneko Ugalde, the Director of Smart Autonomous Systems at Tekniker underscores that “our multi-disciplinary team can help to establish synergies and collaborative actions between the members of the group and generate research projects focused on R&D&I so that knowledge can be transferred to the fabric of the healthcare sector”.