Robotics, Automation & Control

Biodegradable Millirobot Releases Targeted Drugs

A nanofiber-based biodegradable millirobot, called Fibot, can move in the intestines and degrade in response to the pH of its environment, thus releasing different drugs in different...

Wearable Robotic Sleeve Treats Lymphedema

A soft robotic sleeve controlled with a microfluidic chip reduces treatment cost, weight, and power consumption. The prototype is more portable than previous devices, and the underlying...

Implant Allows Amputees to Use Mind to Control Robotic Arm

A more accurate, less-invasive technology allows amputees to move a robotic arm using their brain signals instead of their muscles. Researchers have created a small, implantable...

Battle of the Brick Bots at MD&M West

Put your brick-building skills to the test at MD&M West as you design and construct robots with movable parts to battle it out in the arena. The last bot standing wins. Hosted by master builder...

MD&M Sessions: From 3D Printing, Biomaterials to Robotics, Digital Health

The medtech field is undergoing another year of volatility as challenges born during the pandemic persist. Yet, the industry is seeing an infusion of innovation,...

Self-Sensing Soft Robots Use Electrochemically Driven Pumps

A fluid pump driven by electrochemical reactions is simple, lightweight, and silent, and it enables self-sensing actuation, with potential applications in wearable technology....

Self-Healing Materials Could Be Used to Develop Artificial Hands, Soft Robotics

Low-cost jelly-like materials can sense strain, temperature, and humidity. And unlike earlier self-healing robots, they can also partially repair themselves...

Project Awarded $3M for Assistive Robotics and Wearable Tech Research

Harvard and Boston University have been awarded a grant of $3 million from the State House to support the development of next-generation robotics and wearable...

3D Printed Origami Sensors Enable Robots to Take Blood Pressure

Researchers have replaced the traditional blood pressure procedure by replicating the folding mechanisms of the leech in their design of 3-D printable origami sensors. The...

VR System Can Teleoperate Robots

An innovative human-machine interface (HMI) system, which consists of flexible, multi-layered electronic skin, provides both visual and haptic feedback to users. The system can teleoperate the robot to...

Researchers Develop Soft, Stretchable Thermometer

The self-powered sensor can be integrated into soft robots or smart clothing.

3D Robotic Spine ‘Twin’ Offers New Way to Preview Surgical Procedures

The twins enable comparison of the effects of different surgical interventions in a patient-specific manner.

New Products and Services: February 2022 Medical Design Briefs

Metal additive manufacturing, high-performance grease, filters, and more.

Robotic Hand Has Gecko-Inspired Grip

A new robotic hand grasps a wide variety of items, including raw eggs.

Shape-Shifting Materials Offer Infinite Possibilities

Totimorphic structural materials can achieve any shape.

Stretchable Pressure Sensor Could Lead to Better Robotics, Prosthetics

The sensor can be stretched up to 50 percent with almost the same sensing performance.

Vote for Medical Design Briefs Product of the Year 2021

Winners will be announced in Medical Design Briefs and here on MedicalDesignBriefs.com.

From the Editor — Report: 2021 an ‘Average Year’ for Medtech with Strong M&A and an Active FDA

A new report from research firm Evaluate gives the medtech industry a fair grade for its performance in 2021.

Technology Responds Swiftly to Worldwide Pandemics

The products that help stop the spread of communicable diseases range from simple to sophisticated.

The Advancement of Minimally Invasive Device Design

Despite the growth in MIS advancements over the last two decades, these techniques are still in their adolescence. There is much room for growth.

Stepping Up Emergency Medical Production with Robotics

Infiplast, a plastics company for medical devices, was asked to design, prototype, test, and manufacture a critical component for ventilators.

Robotic Neck Brace Can Help Analyze the Impact of Cancer Treatment

The device could help guide recovery after treatment for head and neck cancer.

First Steerable Catheter Developed for Brain Surgery

The device was inspired by nature, specifically insect legs and flagella.

Soft Microrobots Demonstrate Potential for Targeted Drug Delivery

Tiny tumbling soft robots that can be controlled with rotating magnetic fields can climb slopes, tumble upstream against fluid flow, and deposit substances at precise...

Actuator Discovery Could Improve Biomedical Robotics

Researchers are reporting a breakthrough in the field of materials science and engineering with the development of an electrochemical actuator that uses specialized organic...

Robotics-Driven ‘White Cane’ Guides Users to Desired Location

Equipped with a color 3D camera, an inertial measurement sensor, and its own on-board computer, a newly improved robotic cane could offer blind and visually impaired users...

Inflatable, Shape-Changing Spinal Implants Could Help Treat Severe Pain

The device uses soft robotics, ultra-thin electronics, and microfluidics.