Hamlyn Symposium 2025: Innovations and Insights
I had the pleasure of attending and contributing to the 2025 Hamlyn Symposium on Medical Robotics, the annual event organised by the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery at Imperial College London. The symposium, held under the theme “Back to the Future: Telesurgery in 2025,” once again demonstrated its importance as a global forum for cutting-edge discussions in surgical robotics. The event spanned four days, with Monday and Friday dedicated to workshops, and Tuesday and Wednesday reserved for the main conference proceedings. My participation focused primarily on the two workshop days, which proved to be highly informative and engaging.
Advanced Tissue Examination for Diagnostics in Surgical Soft Robotic
On Monday, I co-organised and participated in the half-day workshop titled Advanced Tissue Examination for Diagnostics in Surgical Soft Robotics, held under the auspices of PALPABLE. Alongside co-organisers Abu Bakar Dawood, Katerina Smyrli, and Yves Bayon, we curated a half-day programme centred on the use of palpation techniques and soft robotic tools for the diagnostic assessment of soft tissues.
The workshop featured a series of expert talks that delved into novel methodologies for tissue interaction, haptic feedback mechanisms, and advanced sensor integration for disease diagnosis. The strides made in the connectivity needed to further advance telesurgery were highlighted, along with future developments such as 6G, AR and AI, which are expected to improve both infrastructure and surgical capabilities.
It was stressed that surgical innovation is about solving real problems in the operating room, and that success lies in early alignment between clinical needs, technical feasibility, and business strategy. With PALPABLE, we have embraced this approach by placing surgeons’ needs at the core of tool development and we draw on the extensive technical expertise and industry insight provided by our broad-based consortium.
The workshop was very well attended, with numerous insightful questions from the audience, stimulating rich discussion on the future of tactile sensing in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. The enthusiasm from participants underscored the growing interest in this emerging area of research.
Trustworthy Medical Robots
In the afternoon of the same day, I attended a second workshop entitled Trustworthy Medical Robots. This session tackled one of the most pressing challenges in modern healthcare robotics: the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) while ensuring system trustworthiness and safety. A key concern discussed was the opaque nature of AI algorithms – often described as “black boxes” – which can make it difficult for clinicians to understand how decisions are made. This lack of interpretability is particularly critical in surgical settings, where an AI-driven error can have life-threatening consequences.
The workshop featured perspectives from academia and industry, highlighting the need for rigorous validation protocols, safety standards, and regulatory pathways that can assure both practitioners and patients of the reliability of such systems. Representatives from prominent industry players including NVIDIA and Medtronic contributed to the discussions, offering insights into how academic research can better align with clinical and market needs. Ethical considerations, accountability, and the human-machine interface were also explored in depth, making this a profoundly thought-provoking session.
From Research to Clinical Practice: Bridging the Gap in Robotic Colonoscopy
The second workshop day, held on Friday, offered yet another opportunity to engage with frontier research. I attended and presented at the workshop From Research to Clinical Practice: Bridging the Gap in Robotic Colonoscopy. This session concentrated on the translational aspects of robotic colonoscopy, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and industry stakeholders to discuss how technological advancements can be effectively deployed in clinical settings. I presented recent progress from my European Research Council (ERC) project EndoTheranostics, which is developing novel tip-growing robotic systems for improved diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer. The goal is to create minimally invasive solutions that combine therapeutic and diagnostic capabilities in a single device.
The workshop not only showcased technological innovations but also addressed key hurdles in the commercialisation of medical robotics, such as power efficiency, system robustness, and user training. Representatives from the clinical side, academia, and industry contributed to the discussions – emphasis was placed on collaboration across sectors to ensure that promising technologies can move beyond laboratory prototypes and into widespread clinical use.
Final reflections
Overall, the Hamlyn Symposium 2025 was a highly enriching experience, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state and future directions in medical robotics. The workshops I attended facilitated meaningful exchanges between researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals, each offering unique perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing the field. The symposium continues to be an essential platform for fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and accelerating innovation in surgical technology.
For further details about the event and the full programme, please visit: https://www.hamlynsymposium.org/