Rice-Sized Robots Could Be the Key to Precision Neurosurgery

A French start-up, Robeauté, has raised €27 million ($29 million) to advance the development of its neurosurgical microrobot. This rice-sized device is designed to navigate the brain while avoiding high-risk areas. Its first clinical trial is planned for 2026, focusing on performing microbiopsies on brain tumors.
“The microrobot minimizes trauma and enhances precision during neurosurgery,” Arthur André, MD, neurosurgeon at the Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP, in Paris, France, who participated in the preclinical animal trials, told Medscape’s French edition.

While the robot’s primary evaluation will focus on cerebral oncology, specifically for performing biopsies, it is also being considered for other applications, such as administering targeted therapies locally and improving the placement of deep brain stimulation electrodes in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.