Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Mark Runciman is a pioneering robotics engineer whose research sits at the intersection of soft robotics, surgical systems, and human-machine interaction. He is best known for his highly influential 2019 review "Soft Robotics in Minimally Invasive Surgery," which has garnered over 519 citations and remains a landmark reference for researchers navigating the complex interdisciplinary challenges of deploying soft robotic systems in clinical environments. His work consistently addresses a fundamental tension in modern surgery: enabling effective, capable intervention while minimizing patient trauma and surgical invasiveness. Runciman's portfolio spans cable-driven parallel robots, variable stiffness mechanisms, and deployable continuum systems, with applications ranging from endoscopic submucosal dissection to transoral laser phonosurgery — reflected in notable systems like the LaryngoTORS platform. Beyond surgical robotics, he has extended soft robotic principles to assistive living technologies, designing cost-effective origami-backbone arms for elderly and physically impaired users. His more recent contributions address critical enabling technologies, including hydraulic folded pouch actuators, tension sensor arrays, electrical impedance-based tactile sensing, and vision-based pose estimation for autonomous robot control. Collectively, his body of work — accumulating nearly 700 citations — charts a rigorous and clinically motivated path toward safer, smarter, and more adaptable robotic surgical systems.