A new wave of surgical robotics companies, intent on improving patient outcomes and making less-invasive procedures more accessible and affordable, is driving innovation in the sector. 

This next generation of small to midsize companies is advancing platforms that tackle barriers such as hospital infrastructure limitations and surgeon shortages in certain specialties. Some aim to expand use of robotics into more complex areas, including in cardiac surgery and neurosurgery. 

The pace of progress among these pioneering companies has accelerated in the past few years, with new procedures in development and authorizations for an increasing number of systems.

Executives at five companies taking the field of robotic surgery in new directions spoke with MedTech Dive about how the technology is poised to transform patient care. We profiled their efforts in four stories below.