Highly competitive in robotic rehabilitation, there are numerous competitor involved in globally and regionally. Depends on difference rehab need, comes widely range of robotic therapy. More value convey in product innovation and extended product line strategically.
Undoubtedly, the highly growth and profitable market in robotic rehabilitation assist and attract more talents and key players. CAGR during 2014 to 2019 is expected to 24.3%(source). I featured 5 representative and potential company with different way of robotic rehabilitation as shown as follow.
1.AlterG
location:Fremont, CA
type:advanced treadmill
the customer segment are athletics training and physiotherapy. the benefit are reduce the injury of rehabilitation, reduce recover time, and increase therapeutic results. It is welknow for its anti-gravity treadmill, immerse in water container and keeping rehab training on treadmill. the knee and hip injury from body weight is expected reduce, without sacrifice necessary training on treadmill. Product is not only well adopted in USA, but also in Asia as well. Including the most pool country in SEA, it can be seen in their top tier General hospital
location: Richmond, CA(map)
type: exoskeleton robot
What Ekso inspires me the most is the dream-paralysis patient stand/ walk from wheel chair. product has been launched on market, which is one of the most awesome milestone in the history of bio-engineer. Disable patient can subjective control their movement by walking, while they need full assist from some other people. This benefit patient suffered from spinal injury, stroke, and some other low limb injury to walk. Though the price is still the challenge extend to end customer market. Regulatory also limit its usage for patient alone. A caregiver is required. which also increase the cost while using.
location: Switzerland
type: exoskeleton with virtual reality
For neurology disorder patient, movement from spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple-sclerosis, brain injury, and Parkinson’s. Programmed gait guide system with exoskeleton on treadmill, patient can undergo therapeutic training.
similar company includes BioNIK, yourehab, RehabRobot, and LongGood
4. Kinova
location:Canada
type:Prosthesis Limb
It is be funded with 25M CAD, investor included Canada governor, and foxcon(Taiwan). As for disable, and prosthesis hand installed on wheel chair to replace manual function for paralysis.
location:Berkeley, CA
type:humanoid robot rehabilitation
Founded in Silicon valley, empowered by robotic lab UC Berkeley, by 2 visiting scholar from Taiwan. For stroke at post acute stage, focused on pROM and resistant training. The humanoid robot enhance physiotherapy’s productivity by assisting labor intensive and repetitive work.
全世界的機器人復健市場高度的競爭，有為數眾多的全球以及區域的競爭者，根據不同的醫療需求提供了廣泛功能的機器人治療。參與這場競賽的公司策略上專注在產品的創新以及提供更多功能的產品線。
毫無疑問的是，全球機器人復健高度成長的市場機會才是天下英雄競相投入的主因。在2014至2019這期間，複合年增成長率來到了24.3%(source)。在此，以下將幫大家選出六家市場上的頂級機器人復健服務公司。
- AlterG
地點:美國費力文(Fremont, CA, USA)(map)
產品線:抗重力跑步機，足部外骨骼。AlterG主要的客群在運動員訓練與物理治療。提供的效益為減少復健過程帶來的傷害，並得以減少回復時間並增進復健成效。產品線在抗重力跑步機最廣為人知，利用水浮力結合跑步機減少身體重力施加於脆弱的腿部髖部膝蓋關節。又同時能進行跑步機上所有的復健。產品除了在歐美各國之外，也廣件於亞洲各國。在東南亞包括緬甸在內的國家醫學中心，都有看到他們的蹤影。 - Ekso Bionics
地點:美國列治文(Richmond, CA, USA)(map)
產品:外骨骼機器人
Ekso的產品最令人激賞的是能讓坐在輪椅的病人可以站起來。產品已經上市，這仍是醫學工程歷史上相當重要的里程碑，讓失能的病人能夠回到自主的生活。並能有步態的訓練。這對於脊髓損傷患者、中風、乃至其他類下肢癱瘓患者能得以走路。在這兩屆的ACRM都有看到他們參展，對於市場的開拓相當專注與認真。不過在價格部分，終端病人的市場，單價美金十萬元還是過高。而法規也限制病人單獨使用，需要有照顧者陪行，也讓潛在的使用成本增加許多。 - Hocoma
地點:瑞士
產品:外骨骼訓練設備
針對神經相關疾病患者，像是脊椎損傷、中風、多發性硬化、腦傷、帕金森氏症等所造成的移動問題。目前在各大醫院使用的是步態訓練系統，藉由預先設定好的步態引導系統，讓患者在外骨骼機器設備協助下，能夠在跑步機上半自主地跟著訓練Program 復健。台灣目前所知，台北醫學大學附設醫院有提供高端自費項目。 - BioNIK
地點:美國麻州
產品:外骨骼訓練設備
為神經復健的患者，提供互動式的機器訓練設備。公司提供的價值在於對神經科患者，提供evidence based，個人化以及認知運動治療。並且，其治療protocol自信病人將能持續的浸潤使用。著名的產品包括了腕部互動訓練等。目前在台灣也將有醫療器材廠商，與遠距復健廠商龍骨王合作，將於2018年atlife輔具展上展出。
外骨骼訓練公司眾多，包括了精簡化的yourehab，Rehab-Robot等 - Kinova
這家魁北克機器人公司於近期(201709)獲得了25M加幣的投資，投資人除了魁北克與加拿大的政策投資之外，也驚見來自台灣的富士康。產品面的使用情境讓機械手臂架在行動不良的患者輪椅上，替代癱瘓患者的手部工作。 - RehaPal
創立於矽谷的RehaPa,出身於柏克萊加州大學的機器人實驗室。由來自台灣的兩位訪問學者創立。主要針對急性後期的中風病患的PROM(被動式關節活動度)以及肌肉萎縮等常見復健訓練問題，以人型機器人協助治療師在復健過程的勞力與重複性工作。