If artificial intelligence has transformed drug development, then the next domain to be reshaped by AI is surgery. Experts predict that in-vivo microrobotics is emerging as the next major breakthrough in biomedicine. Moving from what was once “unreachable and unachievable” to “accessible and precise,” microscopic medical robots are gradually stepping out of the laboratory and into the clinical frontier, ushering in a new era of non-invasive medicine.

These magnetically controlled, navigable, and flexible robots can enter the human body through puncture sites or natural orifices to perform tasks beyond the reach of conventional surgery—such as thrombolysis, tissue sampling, localized drug delivery, hemostasis, and even in vivo microscopic imaging.

Recognizing this trend, MEDTEX has designated microscopic medical robots alongside AI drug discovery as the two core themes of this year’s forum. Allen Wu, Managing Director of Everbright Biofund, said he hopes to integrate cutting-edge technologies from international startups with Taiwan’s engineering capabilities and clinical environments to build an “intelligent medical hard-tech platform” that is both exportable and scalable.

As an example, Wu cited Swiss company Nanoflex Robotics, a participant in this year’s forum, which has developed a magnetically controlled, ultra-flexible cardiovascular interventional robot. Using AI to design optimal surgical pathways, the system enables remote-controlled thrombus removal at speeds two to four times faster than existing procedures.

Such microscopic vascular robots, made from ultra-flexible materials, can bend and steer more freely within blood vessels, reducing damage to vessel walls and surrounding tissues. They are applicable to neurological, cardiac, and peripheral vascular interventions. More importantly, they support fully remote or teleoperated procedures; in 2025, the technology successfully completed the world’s first remote animal thrombectomy trial conducted across continents, from the United States to Switzerland.

Wu noted that Taiwan possesses world-leading capabilities in CMOS image sensors, MEMS micro-electromechanical systems, precision manufacturing, and ICT system integration. Coupled with strong hospital clinical capacity and a robust medical device validation ecosystem, Taiwan is well positioned as an ideal base for the in-vivo robotics industry chain. By integrating its supply chain strengths with AI computing and clinical expertise, Taiwan has the opportunity to evolve from a contract manufacturing role into a global co-creator in the medical technology landscape.

Resource: 前瞻全球生醫創新：下個生醫爆發點 微型醫療機器人開啟無創醫學新頁