Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Remo Sala is a pioneering figure in the field of telerobotic surgery, whose groundbreaking work helped lay the foundation for modern remote medical interventions. His research centers on the development and clinical application of robotic systems for minimally invasive procedures, with a particular focus on telerobotics, laparoscopy, and robot-assisted biopsies. Sala’s most significant contribution came on July 7, 1993, when he led the first-ever transatlantic telerobotic surgery experiment, connecting the Politecnico di Milano’s Telerobotics Laboratory with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Using satellites and optical fiber networks, a surgeon in California successfully controlled a robot performing laparoscopic surgery on a model in Milan—a landmark achievement that demonstrated the feasibility of remote surgery across continents. This work, documented in his most-cited paper (62 citations), was followed by another historic first in 1995: the execution of the first robot-assisted prostatic biopsy on a human patient (39 citations). Sala’s contributions have been cited over 200 times, and his experiments remain touchstones in the history of telemedicine and surgical robotics, inspiring generations of researchers to push the boundaries of what is possible in remote healthcare.