A seismic shift is underway in robotic surgery. New market entrants are launching the first serious challenges to Intuitive and its da Vinci system in the U.S. in over two decades, ushering in a new era of competition in soft tissue robotics.
Medtronic saw the first U.S. commercial cases performed with its Hugo robot at the start of 2026 and is moving to broaden applications for the system as the rollout continues. Ambulatory surgery centers will be a key battleground for robotics competitors, with upstarts such as CMR Surgical and Distalmotion among those targeting the outpatient facilities.
Robots are also proliferating across medical specialties. Medtronic won clearance this year for its Stealth AXiS platform in spine, cranial, and ear, nose and throat procedures. In orthopedics, Stryker continues to innovate, introducing a handheld version of its popular Mako robot for knee procedures. And Intuitive, not standing still, is establishing cardiac programs with the da Vinci 5.
MedTech Dive is following the biggest developments in surgical robotics. Click below to catch up on the top stories so far this year:
