Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Bibiana Kotrikova is a pioneering figure in the field of surgical robotics, with a focused expertise in robot-assisted cranial surgery. Her major contributions center on the development of systems for the accurate and safe execution of craniotomies and complex trajectory milling in the skull. As part of the Special Research Centre 414 (SFB 414) of the German Research Foundation (DFG), she led the creation of RobaCKa (Robot-Assisted Surgery System Karlsruhe), a novel platform designed for precise bone milling and the repositioning of bone flaps. Her most cited work, "Robot-Assisted Craniotomy" (2005, 34 citations), details this system, while her 2003 paper (32 citations) reports on the first patient trial of a surgical robot for complex trajectory milling—a landmark achievement in translating robotic technology from the lab to the operating room. Kotrikova’s research also critically addresses the safety of surgical robots in clinical trials, underscoring her commitment to risk analysis and patient safety. Her work laid essential groundwork for the integration of robotic assistance in neurosurgery, demonstrating that complex, non-linear milling paths could be performed with high accuracy in a clinical setting.