Hardware Podcasts

Episode Fifty: Elena De Momi

Robot Talk · 26 May 2023 · 17m · Episode 50

What this episode covers

Elena De Momi, an Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan and co-founder of the Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory, discusses surgical robotics and the EU-funded Atlas and Artery projects. She explains how tendon-driven robots perform intraluminal surgeries like colonoscopy and endobascular ablation, using AI for autonomous tissue classification and navigation. De Momi emphasizes that while these systems increase safety through autonomy, they require a 'human in the loop' for oversight and face complex regulatory landscapes under new EU medical device regulations. She also highlights the upcoming ICRA conference in London, focusing on healthcare robotics and hybrid accessibility.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Polytechnic University of Milan
Also
Atlas, Artery, ICRA, IEEE

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Being an Engineer · 31m

    Axel Krieger | Autonomous Robotics in the Medical Device Field

    Axel Krieger, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, discusses the development of the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), which performs autonomous keyhole bowel surgery (anastomosis) with superior consistency to human surgeons. The system uses supervised autonomy, infrared markers, and a custom structured light 3D camera to plan and execute sutures on bowel tissue, demonstrating results in preclinical animal studies. Krieger explains how STAR differs from the teleoperated Da Vinci robot by offering high autonomy for specific tasks, with commercialization handled through licensing to Active Surgical and potential future startups. The conversation covers the technical challenges of tissue deformation, vision systems, and the translational path from academic research to clinical application.

    Robotics & autonomyMedical & health devices
    8 chapters

  • The Next Byte Podcast · 32m

    65. Pizzaiolo Robot & Autonomous Wheelchairs

    Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss two robotics projects: a pizza-making robot from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and UCSD that uses a teacher-student AI framework to learn dough manipulation, and an autonomous wheelchair study by EPFL that highlights safety risks and the need for assisted navigation in crowds. They analyze the engineering challenges of soft robotics, sensor integration, and the legal implications of human-robot interaction.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 05m

    Performance-Guided Surgery: Robots in the operating room

    Dustin Vaughan, VP of R&D for Robotics at Ascensus, discusses the development of the Luna surgical platform and the Senhance system, emphasizing performance-guided surgery and augmented intelligence. He details the integration of AI with Carl Storz, the challenges of regulatory clearance (FDA 510k pathway), and the specific focus on pediatric care with 5mm instruments. The episode also covers Universal Robots' perspective on the new ISO 105018:2025 standards, which shift the focus from 'collaborative robots' to 'collaborative applications' and introduce new safety requirements like 3-position enabling devices.

    Medical & health devicesRobotics & autonomy
    8 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 55m

    Amazon’s security drone, life-size Gundam & robotic-assisted surgery

    Doug Teany, COO of Corindus Vascular Robotics, discusses the company's acquisition by Siemens Medical Solutions for $1.1 billion and their development of remote robotic surgery enabled by 5G. He explains how the Corpath GRX system allows physicians to perform cardiac and neurovascular procedures from a distance, addressing critical gaps in stroke and heart attack care. The episode also covers news regarding Helen Greiner joining Turtle Corporation, a gardening robotics startup, and the privacy concerns surrounding Amazon's Ring Always Home Cam indoor security drone.

    Medical & health devicesWireless & RF
    7 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 01m

    From the barn to the bar: AI powered robots

    Mike Weitzman and Gene Dimitri discuss the launch of Boston Dynamics' all-electric Atlas humanoid robot and the stealth launch of Mentee Robotics, highlighting the accelerating race in humanoid development. They also cover Locust Robotics' milestone of 3 billion picks and California's new legislation allowing municipalities to ban autonomous vehicles. The episode features interviews with Matt Casella of Richtech Robotics about the AI-powered bartending robot Adam, and Chris Padwick of John Deere on training vision models for the See & Spray agricultural system.

    Robotics & autonomyAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Robot Talk. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.