Bill Gates Backs Virtual Reality Surgical Robots
Vicarious Surgical develops tiny robots that let surgeons operate inside the human body using virtual reality headsets. The startup raises $31.8 million from prominent tech investors to bring this sci-fi concept to life.
Vicarious Surgical creates miniature robots that fit through tiny incisions to perform operations entirely inside the abdominal cavity. By combining this technology with virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, the system gives surgeons a true sense of presence inside the patient's body. This approach removes the physical limitations of traditional surgery where tools move around the incision site.
Co-founders Adam Sachs and Sammy Khalifa develop this innovative system after meeting as undergraduates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They spend years refining the technology to make robotics more human-like and intuitive for doctors. The resulting system allows a surgeon in one location to operate on a patient in a completely different part of the country.
The startup attracts significant financial backing from major tech figures, raising a total of $31.8 million. Investors include Bill Gates through his Gates Frontier fund, Khosla Ventures, Eric Schmidt, Yahoo founder Jerry Yang, and Salesforce founder Marc Benioff. Despite having applications in other faster-moving industries, the founders choose to focus on healthcare to create technology that is both fascinating and socially meaningful.