At the 92nd China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF in Guangzhou,robots took a starring role in illustrating China’s rapid advancements in healthcare technology. The fair, one of the most significant in the global medical equipment industry, dedicated an entire zone to medical robotics, underscoring how these systems are evolving from niche applications to core infrastructure in surgery, rehabilitation and smart hospital environments.
A strong trend at CMEF was the surge in Chinese-made surgical robots for orthopedics and minimally invasive procedures. Beijing Natong Intelligent Technology demonstrated orthopedic systems that integrate human–machine collaboration to enhance accuracy and safety in joint replacement. Tuodao Medical Technology showed its range of surgical robots, covering orthopedic, laparoscopic and percutaneous puncture systems. Beijing Surgerii Robotics presented endoscopic surgical robots designed for urology and gynecology, while Shenzhen Abrobo introduced vascular interventional robots capable of manipulating catheters and guidewires with precision. Guangzhou Quick Power Medical Robot displayed an endoscopic system with fully flexible manipulators for trans-natural-cavity procedures. Another highlight was Beijing Baihui Weikang’s neurosurgical robot, the first of its kind to receive approval in China for minimally invasive brain surgery.
Rehabilitation and Assistive Robotics
Robotic innovation at CMEF was not confined to the operating room. Rehabilitation and assistive systems also featured prominently, with companies showcasing exoskeletons, gait training and assessment systems, and lightweight rehabilitation devices designed for home use. Brain–machine interface rehabilitation technologies, which allow patients to control robotic systems through neural signals, demonstrated how robotics is moving toward a closer integration with neuroscience. Fourier Intelligence, already known for its exoskeleton technology, exemplified China’s ambitions to extend rehabilitation robotics into everyday healthcare and even into the emerging field of humanoid robotics.
Rapid Advancements in China
The strong presence of domestic manufacturers is a clear signal that China is moving from being a user of imported robotic technologies to becoming an innovator in its own right. The companies present at CMEF illustrated both breadth and depth: from orthopedic and neurosurgical platforms to vascular and endoscopic systems, and from large hospital-based robots to compact rehabilitation devices for the home. Many systems now incorporate navigation, AI, imaging and precision control, positioning them at or near the global state of the art. Several exhibitors also noted that they are pursuing or have already obtained regulatory clearance, including approvals from China’s NMPA, with ambitions to meet CE and FDA standards for international deployment.
From Niche to Core Strategy
The prominence of robotics at CMEF reflects a broader shift in China’s healthcare strategy. Medical robots are no longer seen as peripheral or experimental, but as a central pillar of innovation. Domestic manufacturers are positioning themselves as competitive players in global markets, while hospitals look to robotics as a way to address rising costs, surgeon shortages and the demand for greater precision.
