FutureBites with Dr. Bruce McCabe
FutureBites is a podcast exploring promising and exciting pathways to a better future. Hosted by Dr Bruce McCabe, a futurist and keynote speaker who travels the world presenting his unique insights and research on the future to corporations, governments, and audiences in all industries. In each FutureBites episode, Bruce meets with an inspiring leader in science, technology, economics or the social sciences to talk about ideas, game-changers and opportunities to create a better future.
FutureBites with Dr. Bruce McCabe
Fantastic Voyage: Your Medical Micro-Robot Is Ready – With Bradley Nelson
Microscale robots will be conducting medical procedures inside our bodies sooner than you think. That’s the big takeaway from this fascinating conversation with Prof. Bradley Nelson, head of the Multi-Scale Robotics Lab at ETH Zürich, and for those of us who grew up watching Fantastic Voyage, that's a stunning statement!
Brad walks us through the lab’s tiny bio-inspired prototypes and associated innovations in propulsion, power-delivery, external control and biocompatibility. He discusses the special challenges of fabricating and operating robots at micro- and nano-scales, and how all these developments are now converging into tiny robots capable of performing real-world procedures such as thrombectomies and precision drug deliveries to tumors inside the brain.
He also explores targets for first procedures, future aspirations, the regulatory approvals journey and the ‘democratization of surgery’ benefits that will be unlocked by adding telesurgery and more autonomy.
Prof. Brad Nelson has spent more than 40 years researching and building robots and has won numerous awards in robotics, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. He was named to the "Scientific American 50" list for outstanding acts of leadership in science and technology. His lab is undefeated international champion in Robocup's Nanogram Soccer League and he is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the "Most Advanced Mini Robot for Medical Use!
My special thanks to him for hosting me and sharing his insights, and also to Oliver Brinkman, who took time away from his blood vessel navigation experiments(!) to show me around the lab.
It’s an inspiring journey into the near future of medicine. Enjoy!
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As always, additional commentary and takeaways and the full transcript will be on the Future Bites page soon. More on my work as a Futurist Speaker, and why I do what I do, at www.brucemccabe.com
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