Leeds secures £1.8m EPSRC award for international surgical robotics collaboration
The University of Leeds has secured major UKRI funding to lead a new international research project developing magnetic robotic technologies for minimally invasive surgery.
The project, titled “Intelligent Magnetic Multi-scalE Robotics for endoluminal Surgical Excellence” (IMMERSE), brings together two of Europe’s leading centres in surgical robotics.
The Leeds team, led by Pietro Valdastri, Professor and Chair in Robotics and Autonomous Systems, has been awarded £1.8 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for a 42-month project in partnership with ETH Zurich, which is contributing a further £1 million.
IMMERSE focuses on using magnetic fields to control surgical robots operating deep inside the human body. Magnetic manipulation enables navigation of complex, delicate anatomical pathways without rigid instruments, creating new possibilities for minimally invasive procedures in areas otherwise difficult or impossible to reach with existing technologies.
The initial clinical focus will be on gastrointestinal tract and pancreas diseases, including conditions such as colorectal and pancreatic cancer, where improved access and precision could significantly affect outcomes.
A central feature of the project is its multi-scale approach. IMMERSE will integrate robots operating at the meso-scale (centimetres), milli-scale (millimetres), and micro-scale (microns), all unified through magnetic control. Larger magnetic robots will travel through the body to deploy smaller devices, which can then deliver, monitor, and activate personalised therapies at precise target sites.
Professor Valdastri and his team have produced magnetic tentacle robots to explore the human body.
Professor Valdastri said: “This is a unique opportunity to partner with the team that pioneered magnetic surgical robotics and to develop new solutions for urgent clinical needs.”
Research activities will focus on intelligent magnetic manipulation across these different scales. The team will investigate new meso- and milli-scale continuum robots, which can provide real-time tracking, imaging and energy delivery; micro-scale magnetic robots have also been designed for targeted therapeutic action.
To support the project’s focus on coordinated control, researchers will develop advanced methods for generating and shaping magnetic fields using combinations of electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets integrated with robotic systems.
IMMERSE establishes a new strategic partnership between the University of Leeds and ETH Zurich, combining complementary expertise in magnetic actuation and surgical robotics. ETH Zurich brings internationally recognised leadership in electromagnetic field generation and micro-robotics, while Leeds contributes cutting-edge work in permanent-magnet actuation, real-time tracking, and clinical translation.
The project is also supported by strong links with the NIHR Leeds HealthTech Research Centre in Accelerated Surgical Care, and the NIHR Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, alongside spinouts from Leeds and ETH-Zurich, including Atlas Endoscopy and MagnebotiX, and Medtronic, a world-leading medical device manufacturer.
Further information
- For media enquiries, please contact Faculty Communications Manager Matt Gardner at M.D.Gardner@leeds.ac.uk.
- Learn more about Robotics at Leeds.
- Visit the Storm Lab UK website.
- Image caption: Professor Pietro Valdastri holding a multi-scale approach with a magnetic tentacle (milli-scale) coming out from a flexible endoscope (meso-scale).
