Work @ Andromeda Surgical
Helping make Surgery Robots with VPD
Background
Robotic HoLEP Procedures
This modern laser procedure delivers strong patient outcomes, but is technically demanding and has a steep learning curve. Andromeda Surgical aims to bring robotic precision and control to HoLEP, reducing its technical barriers while building toward a broader platform for increasingly autonomous surgery.
Hardware
Building Robots
With the VPD hardware team, I helped assemble the first three new “Beacon” platforms from the baseplate up, including wheel modules, metal enclosures, embedded computers, arm mounts, housings, the KUKA arm, and its force-sensing end effector. I also helped troubleshoot issues, propose design improvements, and select components before conducting testing toward ISO compliance.
Software
Sensing & Calibration
On the software side, I created a camera calibration tool to model the intrinsics of resectoscopes based on their live or recorded video feeds. I also selected and mounted an IMU, integrating its data into ROS to quickly detect motion during procedures.
Ship it!
Results
The systems we built passed inspection and successfully performed cases across the world in Chile, Bulgaria, and New Zealand. I’m grateful to Andromeda, Vinyard Product Development (VPD), Taylor Boyle, Melanie Quan, and all my colleagues for the opportunity to be part of it.
