How Robotics Can Become a Superpower and a Force for Good in People

“This text has to be really powerful”, is the thought I start with. Not only because power is literally a part of the name of the company we are going to tell you about – Power Robotics – but also because the main topic is another kind of power, even a superpower: human kindness.

For this unique Bulgarian startup, technology is neither an end in itself nor just a business. The team does not associate the word “Power” solely with powerful motors, high-durability drives, or stable mechanics, even though they do work on exactly such systems for industry.

For Ivaylo Todorov, CEO and chief designer of the company, and his colleagues, real power lies in restoring movement and hope even to just one child, giving them confidence, freedom, and a better future.

Our first encounter with the company was at Industrial Tech Forum 2023

We first met Power Robotics back in 2023, when the company participated in the inaugural edition of Industrial Tech Forum at Inter Expo Center and showcased its original prototypes of robotic exoskeletons.Although the portable system called “The Joker”, developed to assist workers in manufacturing and industrial environments, and the video of the giant “Titan”, which was too large and heavy to be even brought into the event hall, generated significant interest among visitors, the true star of the show was “Mirai”.

The small red robot, with a pair of children’s shoes on it, and Ivaylo’s explanation that its purpose was to help children with mobility issues stand on their feet, deeply moved everyone present.

Moving forward – to the real value of technology

Fast-forward to today, to see what has changed for the company over these few years. “Since 2023, Power Robotics has come a long way – from an engineering lab with a few bold prototypes to a company with clearly structured divisions, priorities, and a vision for sustainable development. Back then, we showed what could be done with robotics. Today, we demonstrate what should be done and why.

The most valuable lesson for us was that technology alone is not enough. Real value comes when it solves a real problem – more safely, more efficiently, or more humanely. This changed the way we approach every project, from the first sketch to the last bolt,” shares Ivaylo Todorov.

The cause that transforms the team

At the end of September 2025, Power Robotics gave us the privilege to announce from the stage of the third Industrial Tech Forum a truly noble initiative. Ivaylo Todorov and his colleagues Valeriya Stankova and Simeon Michev revealed that the company is developing and will donate a high-tech exoskeleton to a young girl from the Bulgarian town Madan, which will help her walk.

Exclusively for the Robotics-Bulgaria.com audience, Ivaylo shares more about how the team met the 16-year-old Yanislava, who has had mobility issues since birth and has never been able to walk, and the inspiration that drove the team to help her:

“The exoskeleton for Yanislava is a cause that has changed us. Meeting her was unplanned. It was one of those moments that make you stop thinking like an engineer and start thinking like a human.

When we learned her story and her desire to walk, the question was not whether we could help her, but how we could do it best. We decided that this project would not just be a prototype but a real, practical help.”

Innovation and challenges

The system Power Robotics has built – version 2.0 of “Mirai” – is a mechanical exoskeleton based on human biomechanics. The team is constructing it from lightweight but extremely durable materials, with a fully passive structure without electronics at its core. This makes it reliable, accessible, and easily adaptable to the physique of a growing child.

The complex development process has its difficulties. “The biggest challenge is customization because each human body is different. We solve this problem with a modular design, along with constant feedback from medical specialists and the family,” adds the designer.

Assistance where human capabilities fall short

Every meeting with Power Robotics proves that the company has a distinctive style and approach. What drives this and how it all began for the team – Ivaylo explains:

“We look for the intersection between technology and human kindness. For us, robotics has never been just a business. It is a tool. And the question is always whose hands it is in. Power Robotics started with the desire to help where human capabilities are insufficient – whether in industrial environments or human lives.

Our first exoskeletons were not products but responses to a need. From there, our philosophy was born: innovation can be a superpower when it serves people.”

Solutions for impossible environments?

It’s impossible not to address the company’s other focus – industrial robotic systems. The team’s motivation to focus on what Ivaylo calls “impossible” environments is particularly interesting.

“Alongside our medical developments, we also develop industrial robotic systems for hard-to-reach, dangerous, hostile – in short, impossible – environments. Our systems are modular and resilient. They are adapted to specific problems rather than being mass products.

We work on unconventional applications – where traditional machines cannot enter or human intervention is too risky. We chose these challenges because this is where robotics makes the most sense in industry,” the inventor emphasizes.

Where Power Robotics stands today and what’s next

Power Robotics today has working prototypes, a broad portfolio of solutions, and a number of technologies ready for their initial deployment. With all this in mind, 2026 is a year for new partnerships and pilot projects for the company, and potentially entering international markets.

“We are looking for partners who understand that innovation is a process, not a moment. Within the first five minutes of any conversation with a potential investor or client, we strive to make one thing clear – we don’t sell machines, we solve problems.

In 10 or 20 years, I see Power Robotics as a company with an international presence, remaining highly specialized while offering scalable solutions. Our focus will be hybrid – combining medical and industrial robotics,” shares Ivaylo Todorov.

Will the social and human element remain an inseparable part of the team’s DNA? “This will not be an addition in the future but the foundation of everything we do. Because we believe that the future of robotics is not in machines, but in the people they are created for,” the specialist concludes.

Video of Power Robotics’ participation in Industrial Tech Forum 2025 can be viewed here.

Source: TLL Media; Photos: Industrial Tech Forum 2025

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