Siao Tin Soh gives the low-down on the emerging demand in China for cutting edge, medical robotics, and the up-and-coming Chinese companies looking to compete in the market.

Basic, pressing issues need to be addressed very soon to ensure that robots are developed that promote confidence among providers, patients, consumers, and investors. In this We Robot 2015 panel, titled Regulating healthcare robots, the focus is on patient and user safety, security, and privacy – specifically the effect of medical device regulation and data protection laws on robots in healthcare.

Baymax, the lovable, inflatable robot star of Disney’s recent hit, Big Hero 6, is far from a movie fantasy. With their soft cushiony bodies, robots like Baymax have very real prospects as future care-givers, space-travellers and more. Robohub’s Helmut Hauser spoke to the man who inspired Baymax – Chris Atkeson, Professor of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University – about the hard science behind soft robotics.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) will compile global safety standards for nursing-care robots based on criteria provided by the Japanese government. Nursing care robots are designed to fulfill functions which help patients live independently and reduce the burden on caretakers.