Robotics

The Hidden Nervous System of Surgical Robotics: Power, Data & Sensing Behind Precision Performance

Advances in interconnect density, force sensing, and system integration are shaping the future of surgical and assistive robotics.

Quantum Surgical Acquires NeuWave Medical, Inc.

Quantum Surgical, a company specializing in minimally invasive robotic-assisted cancer treatment, has acquired NeuWave Medical, Inc., a medical device company whose products are used by...

Surgical & Assistive Robotics: Redefining Human Capability

Devices paired with adaptive machine learning are helping stroke and spinal cord injury patients regain movement.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on using microfluidic devices for gene therapy; one on resisting antibiotic resistance; one on a humanoid robot surgeon; and more.

Stryker Partners with Siemens Healthineers to Advance Robotic Neurovascular Interventions

Siemens Healthineers and Stryker have entered into a strategic partnership in the field of neurovascular robotics. The collaboration aims to develop a...

Automation, Robotics, and AI Integration in Medical Manufacturing

AI-driven quality control, predictive maintenance, and process optimization are improving efficiency and reducing costs in medical manufacturing.

Autonomous Surgery: Engineering the Next Generation of Surgical Robots

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University recently demonstrated the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), completing eight consecutive gallbladder removal procedures on ex vivo tissue without human intervention. Medical Design Briefs spoke with Axel Krieger, PhD, associate professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins and senior author of the study, about the system’s architecture, safeguards, and future applications.

Six Winners Announced for the 2025 Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards

SAE Media Group announced the winners of its Rising Star Awards: Women in Engineering program today during a live online event attended by participants across the globe.

Microrobots Navigate Complex Biological Environments

Fabricated with a gel side for carrying drugs and a magnetic side for steering, researchers have developed microrobots that can navigate complex biological environments like intestines....

The Evolving Role of Robotics in Healthcare

Listen to these podcasts to learn how the role of robotics in healthcare has evolved and will continue to evolve.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on the “Robot Eyes” project; one on how researchers have found an unusual ally in the quest to make cancer diagnosis faster, more accurate, and more accessible worldwide: the Morpho butterfly; one on advances in AI and biocomputational models aiming to revolutionize the drug development process; and more.

Soft Robot Modules for New Haptic Interactions

EPFL researchers have developed a customizable soft robotic system that uses compressed air to produce shape changes, vibrations, and other haptic, or tactile, feedback in a variety of configurations. The device holds significant promise for applications in virtual reality, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. Read on to learn more.

Robotics in Rehabilitation: Enhancing Recovery and Patient Independence

Robotics in rehabilitation enhance recovery and enable patient independence.

Creating Emotionally Intelligent Healthcare Robots

Advances in autonomous surgical robotic systems.

Socially Assistive AI-Driven Robots for Rehabilitation

Socially assistive robotics are playing an increasingly powerful role in eldercare and patient rehabilitation.

Advances in Autonomous Surgical Robotic Systems

A look at transformative advancement in surgical robotics, where robots can perform with both mechanical precision and human-like adaptability and understanding.

Precision in Motion: The Future of Robotics and Automation in Medical Device Manufacturing

As regulatory demands intensify and product complexity grows, automation and robotics provide medtech engineers with a powerful set of tools. From high-speed motion control to cleanroom-certified cobots and predictive maintenance, the technologies now available can transform the entire device manufacturing life cycle. Read on to learn more.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on 3D printing complex, more durable robots from a variety of high-quality materials in one go; one on a fully digital design-to-manufacturing process that has the potential to revolutionize lower limb socket production; one on commercial and open-source electronic circuit boards that can be embedded into soft robots; and one on scalable methods of developing battery- and solar-powered fibers, making it theoretically possible for electrical energy to be harvested from, and stored in the clothing.

Video Spotlight on Products and Services

See where the video spotlight is this month: on CNC machining; micro linear actuators; a lab tube cutting machine; the 601 series Air Turbine Spindle® mills at 90,000 RPM; MD® multipurpose adhesives; and much more.

Researchers Explore the Future of Wearable Multisensory Haptics

While early haptic devices focused on single-sensory cues like vibration-based notifications, modern advancements have paved the way for multisensory haptic devices that...

A Bionic Hand that Can Grip Like a Human

Johns Hopkins University engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds.

Prosthetic Hand Adjusts Its Grasp

Engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds. Read on to learn more.

Fine-Tuned Brain-Computer Interface Makes Prosthetic Limbs Feel More Real

A team recently published papers in Nature Biomedical Engineering and Science documenting major progress on direct, carefully timed electrical stimulation of the brain that can recreate tactile feedback to give nuanced feeling to prosthetic hands. Read on to learn more.

Minuscule Robots Provides Targeted Drug Delivery

In the future, delivering therapeutic drugs exactly where they are needed within the body could be the task of miniature robots.

Multifunctional Biomedical Robot for Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment

Researchers have successfully developed what they believe is the world’s smallest multifunctional biomedical robots. Capable of imaging, high-precision motion, and multifunctional operations like sampling, drug delivery, and laser ablation, the robot offers competitive imaging performance and a tenfold improvement in obstacle detection. Read on to learn more.

Sensitive Ceramics for Robotics, Prosthetics

Researchers are developing soft sensor materials based on ceramics. Such sensors can feel temperature, strain, pressure, or humidity, for instance, which makes them interesting for use in medicine, but also in the field of soft robotics. Read on to learn more.

A Tabletop Robot May Revolutionize Physical Therapy Delivery

Mohammad Habibur (Habib) Rahman, Director of the BioRobotics Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his team have been developing a portable, assistive robotic arm that therapists can use to assess and treat patients whether or not they are not in the same location.

Toroidal Micro Robot Swims Autonomously

Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in soft robotics. Their study introduces the first toroidal, light-driven microrobot that can move autonomously in viscous liquids, such as mucus. Read on to learn more.