FT Start-Up Stories Series 3: The surgical robot maker 6/10
Nov 7, 2016
Paul Roberts, engineer and co-founder of Cambridge Medical Robotics, discusses the groundbreaking work behind a biomimetic wrist for surgical robots. He highlights gaps in keyhole surgery accessibility and the challenges of recruiting skilled talent for his mission-driven team. With insights on integrating technologies from aviation and mobile phones, Paul reveals the innovative design's potential. He also shares experiences with securing funding and the impact of Brexit on high-tech manufacturing in the UK.
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Large Unmet Need In Keyhole Surgery
- About five million people annually receive open surgery when keyhole surgery would be preferable due to lack of trained surgeons.
- Cambridge Medical Robotics targets a universal system to expand minimally invasive surgery across specialties.
Biomimicry Enables Compact Robotic Wrists
- The company's core innovation is a biomimetic wrist that mimics human wrist function and underpins their first patent.
- They combine technologies from different industries to miniaturise capability into slender robotic arms.
Leverage Commodity Electronics To Shrink Hardware
- Use commoditised technologies like mobile-phone electronics to pack high performance into small form factors.
- Prioritise high power-to-size ratio to keep surgical instruments slender and usable by surgeons.