Description

Soft robotic systems are emerging as a transformative technology for minimally invasive and endoluminal intervention (MIE). Their compliance, adaptability, and ability to interact gently with biological tissue enable navigation, sensing, and manipulation within the human body in ways that rigid robotic systems cannot. While reaching difficult anatomical regions is essential, the ability to sense and interpret tissue properties is equally important for guiding surgical decision-making and improving patient outcomes. However, translating promising laboratory prototypes into clinically adopted tools remains a major challenge. This full-day workshop focuses on the development, integration, and clinical translation of soft robotic systems across the two core functions that define interventional utility: therapy and diagnostics.

Therapy: Soft continuum robots are opening new possibilities for accessing anatomically complex regions. Eversion robots, also known as vine robots, advance from their tip without friction along their body, enabling navigation through tortuous lumens such as the colon, bronchi, and urinary tract, with strong potential for endoluminal procedures where rigid tools struggle. Magnetically actuated soft robots represent another rapidly advancing direction, using external magnetic fields to steer through complex anatomical pathways while enabling shape control and force regulation without on-board actuation. Modular and reconfigurable soft architectures further expand the surgical toolkit by allowing robots to adapt their morphology to tasks such as tissue manipulation or targeted drug delivery.

Diagnostics: Soft robotic systems are enabling new approaches for intraoperative tissue characterisation. Tactile sensors and robotic palpation can detect mechanical anomalies such as tumours or fibrotic tissue that may remain undetected by conventional imaging, providing localised information during MIE procedures. Integrating sensing within compliant structures introduces engineering challenges, including nonlinear signal coupling and interactions between actuation and sensing, often requiring advanced data processing and artificial intelligence.

Poster Competition

We are accepting poster submissions for this workshop.

Submission Deadline Extended: 19 June 2026
Notification of Acceptance: 22 June 2026

Soft Robotic Systems
Name
Name
First Name
Last Name

Maximum file size: 78.64MB

Programme

08:30Registration & Coffee
09:00Introduction – Overview of the EndoTheranostics and Palpable projectsKaspar Althoefer, Queen Mary University of London
09:30Therapy Session – Soft robotic systems for accessing anatomically complex regionsJee-Hwan Ryu, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Gastone Ciuti, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna
10:30Coffee Break
11:00Therapy Session – Soft robotic systems for accessing anatomically complex regionsQuentin Boehler, ETH Zürich
Ferdinando Rodriguez Y Baena (supported by Dr Jialei Shi), Imperial College London
Diagnostics Session – Soft robotic systems for intraoperative tissue characterisationShan Luo, King's College London
12:30Lunch Break & Poster Session
13:30Diagnostics Session – Soft robotic systems for intraoperative tissue characterisationLukas Lindenroth, King's College London and
Thilina Dulantha Lalitharatne, Queen Mary University of London
Therapy Session – Soft robotic systems for accessing anatomically complex regionsPietro Valdastri, University of Leeds
Tania Morimoto, University of California San Diego
15:00Coffee Break
15:30Industry SessionYves Bayon, Medtronic
Enrique Morales Orcajo, Ambu
16:00Round Table DiscussionInteractive session with all workshop speakers and: Dr Mohamed Thaha, Queen Mary University of London
16:45Poster Awards
17:00Workshop End

Learning Outcomes

This full day workshop brings together researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to examine the translational challenges of soft robotic technologies, with case studies from the European projects PALPABLE and EndoTheranostics, alongside invited talks, panel discussions, and a poster competition for early-career researchers.

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

  1. Understand emerging soft robotic technologies for minimally invasive and endoluminal interventions.
  2. Gain insight into navigation strategies for accessing difficult anatomical regions.
  3. Learn about sensing technologies for tissue characterisation, such as robotic palpation.
  4. Appreciate the challenges of integrating sensing and actuation in soft robotic systems.
  5. Understand translational challenges including clinical validation and industrial deployment.
  6. Identify future research directions in robotic diagnostics and therapy.

Through technical talks, industry perspectives, and interactive discussions, participants will leave better equipped to advance soft robotic systems from research concept to clinical reality.

Sponsor This Workshop – Soft Robotic Systems for Diagnostics and Therapy in Minimally Invasive and Endoluminal Interventions

Suggested Price: £500.00

Sponsor This Workshop for £500

As an official Workshop Sponsor, sponsors will receive:

• Prominent logo placement on the workshop webpage
• Acknowledgement in workshop-related social media posts (LinkedIn, X, and Instagram)/and cross-posting from organiser accounts
• Recognition on prize certificates presented to participants

Sponsorship contributions will support essential workshop operational costs, including speaker travel and accommodation, poster prizes, and participant registration fees.

 

Please note that workshop sponsorship is separate from the symposium sponsorship packages and does not include exhibition or live demonstration opportunities.

You may also enter your own price below. Suggested amount: £500

Category:

 

Tickets

The numbers below include tickets for this event already in your cart. Clicking "Get Tickets" will allow you to edit any existing attendee information as well as change ticket quantities.
Tickets are no longer available

Full Day Workshop (09:00 – 17:00)

Organisers


This workshop is accredited for 6 CPD points.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Workshops