The Second International Innovation and Technology Exhibition (INOTEX 2015) opened on Tuesday at the International Permanent Fairgrounds in Tehran. Over 110 domestic and international technology firms are participating in the four-day event.
Just under 50 international firms from Russia, India, South Korea, Belgium, France, Germany, England, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and China are present, IRNA reported.
"The number of foreign countries participating in this year's event has more than doubled compared to the last," the executive secretary of the exhibition, Majid Najafian said.
More than 70 local technological firms affiliated to universities, science and technology parks, research centers, and knowledge-based companies are attending.
"The main aim is for the firms to build long-term cooperation in the research, technology and innovation spheres," Najafian said adding "starting business ventures is the second priority."
The firms are presenting their latest innovative achievements in the fields of oil and gas, ICT, biomedical engineering, aerospace and nanobiotechnology. The event was organized in collaboration with the Presidential Office of Science and Technology, the Presidential Center for Innovation and Technology Cooperation and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund.
“Sina” Unveiled
On the sidelines of the event, a remote surgery robot called “Sina” was unveiled, Mehr News Agency reported.
Named after the renowned Iranian polymath Avicenna, the robot is comparable to the American da Vinci Surgical System, a sophisticated robotic platform designed to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and offer state-of-the-art surgery.
"The surgeon stands behind the console where he can operate Sina using two robotic arms," Farzam Farahmand, the lead designer of the robot said. The procedure can be viewed on a monitor and the frame is adjusted using a pedal, he added.
According to the designer, the robot is expected to help optimize the precision of procedures. It will also minimize the risks of complications, injury of healthy tissue, and bleeding. This, consequently, helps reduce post-surgical recovery time.
The robot has been jointly developed by researchers from Sharif University of Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
