In a statement at the Israeli Conference on Robotics in Herzliya on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he believed that Israel can be a leader in the robotics field.
“As a salient innovative nation, Israel must realize its potential in the various fields of robotics,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by Jpost. “Just as we have become a leader in cyber security, we must also propel forward the robotics and automation industry in order to take a place at the forefront of the sector.”
With business opportunities and technical presentations, the conference drew attendees from around the world, including Europe, Asia, and the United States. Cutting-edge technological advances were featured at the conference, a particular stand-out being Rewalk, a robotic exoskeleton that may be the first step in restoring paralysis victims with the ability to walk.
Peretz Vazan, director general of the Ministry of Science, said the ministry would make robotics the primary focus of its research starting in 2017.
Professor Zvi Shiller, the chairman of the Israel Robotics Assocation, said that the topic of robotics is increasingly important in fields such as manufacturing, medicine, security, building, and agriculture. Shiller said he is “convinced that what we need is to bring about the next revolution, of engineers that can cope with complex systems that integrate hardware, software, and artificial intelligence.”
According to Made in Israel.com, some of Israel’s technological innovations in the field of robotics include border patrol SUVs which can spot infiltrators, pool-cleaning smart gadgets, and even fetal surgery robots that swim through the amniotic sack.