SMARTsurg · Project

Wearable Controls and Smart Tools That Make Robotic Surgery Faster and Safer

healthTestedTRL 5

Imagine a surgeon operating through tiny holes using a robot arm, but they can't feel what they're touching and the tools are clunky and rigid. SMARTsurg built a wearable glove-like controller that lets the surgeon move robot instruments as naturally as their own fingers, while actually feeling the tissue resistance. They also created clip-on tool tips that swap in seconds — like changing a drill bit — and smart glasses that overlay a 3D map of the patient's organs in real time so the surgeon always knows where the danger zones are.

By the numbers

consortium partners across 5 countries

industry partners in the consortium

SMEs involved in development

55%

industry ratio in the consortium

total project deliverables produced

surgical domains addressed (urology, vascular, orthopaedic)

The business problem

What needed solving

Robotic surgery systems today are limited by rigid instruments, no sense of touch for the surgeon, and clunky controls that don't match natural hand movements. This means many surgical procedures still can't benefit from robotic assistance, and surgeons face a steep learning curve that slows adoption and increases costs for hospitals.

The solution

What was built

The team built a wearable hand exoskeleton that lets surgeons control robotic instruments with natural finger and arm movements while receiving force feedback. They created a clip-on system for rapidly swapping surgical tool tips on commercial robot arms, 3D-printed custom end-effectors, and AR smart glasses that project a real-time 3D map of the surgical field with automatic safety boundaries. All components were integrated into a single demonstrator platform and tested with surgeons on laboratory phantoms.

Audience

Who needs this

Surgical robotics manufacturers looking to add haptic feedback and flexible instruments to their platformsMedical device companies producing minimally invasive surgical tools wanting robotic compatibilityHospital systems evaluating next-generation robotic surgery capabilities for urology and vascular departmentsAR/VR medtech startups building intraoperative visualization and guidance systemsAdditive manufacturing companies serving the medical device sector

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Medical Robotics & Surgical Systems

enterprise

Target: Manufacturers of robotic surgical platforms

If you are a surgical robotics manufacturer struggling with surgeon adoption because your system lacks force feedback and has rigid, hard-to-swap instruments — SMARTsurg developed a wearable hand exoskeleton master controller with haptic feedback, plus a clip-on interchangeability system for rapid instrument changes. The technology was prototyped and tested with surgeons on laboratory phantoms across urology, vascular, and orthopaedic scenarios.

Medical Device Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Companies producing minimally invasive surgical instruments and end-effectors

If you are a surgical instrument company looking to expand into robotic-compatible tools — SMARTsurg used additive manufacturing to rapidly prototype bespoke end-effectors with embedded surgical tools. Their clip-on system works with commercial manipulators, meaning your instruments could plug into existing robotic platforms without redesigning the entire arm.

Augmented Reality in Healthcare

SME

Target: Companies developing AR visualization for operating rooms

If you are an AR/medtech company building intraoperative guidance systems — SMARTsurg developed wearable smart glasses that provide real-time 3D reconstruction of the surgical field with dynamic active constraints. This means the system automatically restricts instruments to safe regions, which is a concrete safety feature hospitals would pay for. The consortium included 6 industry partners who tested this in realistic surgical scenarios.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or integrate this technology?

The project data does not include licensing terms or pricing. Since this was a publicly funded RIA project with 11 partners across 5 countries, IP is likely shared among consortium members. Interested companies should contact the coordinator at the University of the West of England, Bristol to discuss licensing.

Can this scale to industrial production?

The prototypes used additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping of end-effectors and were integrated with commercial robotic manipulators (including Haption Virtuose 6D Desktop). This design-for-commercial-hardware approach suggests a realistic path to production, though the technology was validated on laboratory phantoms, not in clinical settings.

What is the IP situation?

As an EU-funded RIA project, IP is typically owned by the partners who generated it. With 6 industry partners and 4 SMEs in the consortium, there is likely a mix of patents and know-how across the clip-on system, the hand exoskeleton, and the AR guidance components. Contact SciTransfer for help navigating the IP landscape.

Has this been tested with real surgeons?

Yes. Based on the project objective, testing was performed on laboratory phantoms with surgeons to validate acceptance by clinicians. The demonstrators covered real-world surgical scenarios in urology, vascular surgery, and soft tissue orthopaedic surgery.

What regulatory approvals would be needed?

As a Class II or III medical device (depending on the component), any commercial version would need CE marking under the EU Medical Device Regulation and FDA clearance for the US market. The project reached prototype stage, so regulatory filings would still be required before clinical use.

How does this compare to existing surgical robots like da Vinci?

The objective explicitly states that current RAMIS systems suffer from restricted access, lack of force feedback, and rigid tools in confined spaces. SMARTsurg addressed these gaps with haptic wearable controls, flexible anthropomorphic instruments, and AR guidance — features not standard on current commercial platforms.

What is the timeline to market readiness?

The project closed in June 2021 with integrated system prototypes tested on phantoms. Based on available project data, moving to clinical trials and regulatory approval would likely require further development. The 24 deliverables suggest substantial technical documentation is available to accelerate next steps.

Consortium

Who built it

The SMARTsurg consortium is unusually well-balanced for commercialization: 6 out of 11 partners are from industry (55%), and 4 are SMEs — meaning the majority of the team has direct market incentives. The 5-country spread across Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy, and the UK covers key European medtech markets. With 3 universities and 2 research organizations providing the scientific backbone, and industry partners handling prototyping and integration, this consortium was clearly designed to move technology toward the market rather than stay in the lab.

UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOLCoordinator · UK
HIT HYPERTECH INNOVATIONS LTDparticipant · CY
ISTITUTO EUROPEO DI ONCOLOGIA SRLparticipant · IT
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
NORTH BRISTOL NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE TRUSTparticipant · UK
OPTINVENTparticipant · FR
POLITECNICO DI MILANOparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOLparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

University of the West of England, Bristol (UK) — use SciTransfer to get a warm introduction to the project coordinator

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF ENGLAND, BRISTOL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the clip-on instrument system, the wearable surgical controller, or the AR guidance technology? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner for your needs.

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