Shanghai launches pioneering flexible medical robotics lab

The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Flexible Medical Robotics was officially inaugurated on April 8 at the Robotics and Smart Healthcare Summit Forum held during the China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF) at the National Exhibition and Convention Center,.

The laboratory is led by Professor Guang-Zhong Yang, fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and established in collaboration with Shanghai Tongren Hospital and the Institute of Medical Robotics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The Shanghai Key Laboratory of Flexible Medical Robotics focuses on complex living organisms as its research entry point, using flexible medical robots as carriers to conduct technological breakthroughs in key areas such as new materials and processing paradigms, flexible actuation, AI and intelligence, imaging and navigation, biophotonics, and biomimetics and biohybrid systems.

Compared to traditional rigid robots, intelligent flexible robots possess characteristics like softness and body compliance, enabling them to better adapt to complex environments and assist humans in multitasking under challenging conditions.

The laboratory will leverage flexible medical robots to address critical health issues such as spinal health, digestive tract health, reproductive and maternal-infant health, and rehabilitation and assistance, developing accessible and intelligent new medical robotic systems.

By leveraging the resources of Tongren Hospital and the Institute of Medical Robotics at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the laboratory will pioneer research on cutting-edge technologies for flexible medical robots and novel paradigms for disease diagnosis and treatment, ensuring broader applicability of its achievements.

Professor Yang, director of the laboratory, explained: T"raditional robots, due to their rigid bodies and limited motion flexibility, cannot meet the demands of performing specialized tasks in complex, delicate, and confined spaces—particularly within the human biological system, where many areas remain unexplored by robotics. This creates significant opportunities for the development of flexible robots with dexterity, transformability, and high adaptability.

The inauguration of the laboratory marks a milestone in the advancement of healthcare in Changning District. It also represents a fusion of engineering and medicine, where technology empowers healthcare and medical innovation contributes to broader health outcomes.