Intelligent robots emerging as 'health guardians' for humans

Robots, once seen mainly as symbols of industrial strength and efficiency, are showcasing their potential and capability as "health guardians" for humans, as demonstrated at the ongoing 2025 World Robot Conference in Beijing.

In the bustling exhibition area, visitors are seen confidently navigating the space with their eyes shut, guided by a six-legged robotic "dog" and holding a white cane connected to its back.

"We developed this hexapod robot to help visually impaired people walk safely and comfortably," said Fang Ling, CEO of Shanghai Jizhi Robotics.

He explained that this 1-meter-long robot, weighing 20 kilograms, maintains stability by keeping three legs on the ground as it moves. It can effectively avoid obstacles and navigate steps, sidewalks and other complex terrains, operating for up to three hours on a single charge.

"Our robotic 'dog' is not only strong, but also smart," Fang said, noting that by using lidar, it navigates autonomously and recognizes traffic lights, while sensors equipped with AI models detect users' walking status and intentions through force and voice, enabling gentle guidance and stopping. He added that these robots are already in use at airports in Beijing and Shanghai.

During the opening ceremony of the conference on Friday, themed "Making Robots Smarter, Making Embodied Agents More Intelligent", Qiao Hong, president of the World Robot Cooperation Organization, highlighted cognition, decision-making and safety as key future development trends for embodied intelligent robots.

In the medical field, this vision is progressing alongside the application of AI-embodied robots in surgery and rehabilitation.

For instance, in May, a 66-year-old patient with destructive right knee osteoarthritis and deformity underwent joint replacement surgery in about 30 minutes with the assistance of a robotic orthopedic precision assistant, or ROPA. The patient was able to walk the same day and has recovered well.

"Before a surgery, an AI-embodied ROPA calculates parameters and forms a personalized plan by constructing a 3D model of a patient's bones from X-rays and CT scans," said Zhang Yiling, founder of Longwood Valley MedTech, developer of the robot. He added that during a surgery, sub-millimeter-level precise optical positioning and a stable robotic arm ensured accurate execution of the preoperative plan.

Chen Guoqiang from Beijing Shijitan Hospital, who performed the surgery on the patient, said operations assisted by smart robots can reduce repetitive bone-cutting tasks, shorten surgical time and minimize blood loss.

"For doctors, learning to use surgical robots is a trend," he said.

Currently, AI-driven innovative medical products made by Longwood Valley MedTech have been deployed in over 1,000 top-tier hospitals across more than 30 provincial-level regions in China, serving over 100,000 patients.

In 2024, the surgical robot market size in China exceeded 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion), with domestic equipment accounting for 48.9 percent, an increase of 30 percentage points compared with 2020, according to a report by Zhongyan Puhua Industry Research Institute.

In the field of rehabilitation, Shenzhen DeyeeMed Technology Co has integrated AI into its physiotherapy robots, which feature real-time body scanning, acupoint recognition and personalized therapy plan generation. Their mechanical arms also simulate traditional Chinese massage techniques such as pushing, grasping and kneading.

Beijing AI-robotics Technology Co, an exoskeleton robot producer and therapy service provider, uses AI to offer rehabilitation training for people with lower-limb motor impairments. The company's exoskeleton robots mimic a bionic gait while adjusting pace through a self-adaptation system.

Xu Guanghua, a professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University, said that while robots are making progress in surgery and rehabilitation, their overall application in the medical field remains nascent.

"Robots are poised to play a bigger role in medical visits and family healthcare, with an enormous market ahead," Xu said.

Xinhua