This Competition Aims to Find the Robot Surgeons of Tomorrow

Medical Innovation

As part of the UK’s first ever Robotics Week, a competition is underway that gathers the world’s pioneering researchers in robotic surgery. Individuals are being invited to put their innovative work in the field of surgical robotics on the spotlight and highlight some of their most promising innovations.

The annual competition is an internationally renowned gathering of the most cutting-edge advancements in robot technology for the industry. The contest is now open for entries, with finals set for June 20 to 27, 2016.

Participating teams will be asked to gather their inventions and head to London, where they will be given three hours to set up and showcase what their innovations can do to an independent judging panel of leading surgeons in the industry.

Winners will be able to bring home a prize of 10,000 GBP (about 15,000 USD).

See the Surgical Robot Challenge 2015 Highlights

 

Robot Challenge

The competition, which began just this year in June, saw 20 teams from around the world presenting how their inventions can potentially change the landscape of the medical surgery. The event not only introduces the world to the impressive capabilities and possibilities of technology for medical science, it also highlights the continued advancement of robotic technology and application across various industries.

Last year’s winning design saw a concentric tube robot that can be used by a popular surgical console, the da Vinci Surgical System.

Other entries include a minimally invasive robot that can help seek out cancer in the body using an ultrasound probe and pressure sensor array, as well as an automatic camera control robot that aids surgeons during procedures by automatically manipulating the camera—thus, allowing the surgeon to focus on high-level tasks at hand.

"The Surgical Robot Challenge 2016 is a unique forum to see the latest innovations in surgical robotics. This prestigious competition offers a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and improve surgical outcomes for everyone," says Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, Director and Co-founder of the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery at Imperial College London and Chair of the EPSRC UK-RAS Network, which is organizing the event.