The future of robotic surgery

Guest Renee Zhao works at the cutting-edge of robotic surgery - literally. Emboldened by advances in 3D-printing and miniaturization, she builds “millibots,” magnet-controlled, millimeter-scale soft robots that navigate the bloodstream to remove blood clots and treat brain aneurysms. While the millibot’s promise is clear, much work remains before the devices are commonplace. Revolutionizing health care with surgical robots will require a delicate balance of design, buildability, and functionality, Zhao tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast.