Robotic surgery training does not necessarily need a robotic surgical system. ROBOTiS, developed by French simulation company InSimo, is a high-fidelity, generic robotic surgery simulator designed to reproduce the ergonomics of a robotic surgical console while remaining compact and portable. The complete setup can be transported in a suitcase and installed on a standard desk.
The system combines articulated instrument controls, clutch and camera control, stereoscopic 3D vision and a virtual surgical environment. Its training programme covers basic robotic skills such as peg transfer and trajectory control, as well as needle driving, knot tying, interrupted and continuous suturing, and even procedural exercises such as anastomosis and vaginal cuff closure. InSimo’s particularly strong focus is the physics-based simulation of sutures and thread behaviour.
This makes ROBOTiS interesting in the context of the growing number of robotic platforms entering the market. A generic simulator can teach fundamental skills without requiring access to a specific manufacturer’s robot, and without occupying an operating room or a dedicated simulation centre.
The portable format may be its most distinctive feature. At around 18 kg, ROBOTiS is designed to travel: training can potentially move from the simulation centre to a teaching course, a hospital, or wherever a suitable desk is available. It is another indication that robotic surgery simulation is moving beyond the traditional idea of reproducing an entire surgical robot.
Train the skill. Not necessarily the robot.
J Granell. Sep 17, 2026