Call for Innovators: National University Medical Robotics Competition with Funding Access and Global AI Finals Fast Track
In 1936, The New York Times stated that rockets would never be able to break through the atmosphere; on February 6, 2018, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket launched a Tesla into space.
In 1873, British physician Sir John Eric Erichsen declared that surgery on the heart and brain would never be feasible; in 1884, British surgeon Rickman Godlee successfully performed the first brain surgery; and in 1895, Norwegian surgeon Axel Cappelen carried out the first cardiac surgery.
They were once met with universal skepticism, yet today they have become a reality.
There are always some “madmen” around us who turn their whimsical ideas into reality. We often label such people as crazy because their thoughts seem too unrealistic. Yet, as once claimed that rockets could never break through the atmosphere, or that surgery on the heart and brain was impossible, those former certainties have now become laughable anecdotes, and what once seemed like pure fantasy has now become part of our everyday reality.
Creativity has never been in short supply on the path to realizing dreams. The Medtronic China Fund and BV Baidu Ventures have issued a nationwide call for proposals to university students across China, seeking the innovative forces that will drive the next decade of medical robotics.
The 2019 Medtronic China Fund-BV Baidu Ventures Medical Robotics Competition was hosted by the Medtronic China Fund and BV Baidu Ventures, with strategic support from the Shanghai Minhang District Science and Technology Commission, Shanghai Lingang Pujiang International Science and Technology City, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Medical Robotics, the Medical-Engineering Integration Alliance, Suzhou Collaborative Innovation Institute for Medical Robots, and Beihang University’s Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering. The event was organized by VCBeat.
This competition focuses on medical robots and related fields, targeting universities and research institutions to seek innovative application solutions for medical robots in specific scenarios.
This competition marks the first robotics contest with a primary focus on healthcare, aiming to encourage university students to engage in the innovation and research and development of medical robots, thereby advancing the development of China’s medical robotics industry. Meanwhile, it provides an international platform for exchange to enhance the innovative capabilities of Chinese university students.
By hosting this competition, we aim to foster stronger collaboration among leading universities across China, global medical device giants, prominent investment funds, and other industry-academia-research institutions. This initiative seeks to drive the integrated development of “technology + capital + talent + applications” in the field of medical robotics, providing high-quality projects and innovative ideas with robust opportunities for industrial partnership and financial support.
This competition is open to universities and research institutions across China, with eligibility extended to undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral students.
The goal of this competition is to discover innovative solutions with breakthrough creativity that leverage technologies such as AI, sensors, robotics, and 3D imaging to better address challenges in medical scenarios. The themes cover surgery, rehabilitation, medical assistance, and related intelligent hardware and software.The proposal may consist of mature products, or even innovative designs and concepts backed by a certain level of technical reserves.. The specific description of the competition topic is as follows:
Micro-robots: Centimeter-, micrometer-, and nanometer-scale, used for monitoring, diagnosis, treatment, etc.;
Soft Tissue Surgical Robots: Lung, Prostate, Heart, Stomach, Hepatobiliary System, Eye, Ear, Nose, Throat, and Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular Systems;
Hard Tissue Surgical Robots: Knee, Spine, Craniocerebral, etc.;
Surgical Assistance Technologies and Equipment: Preoperative Planning, Intraoperative Guidance, Intelligent Assistance Devices, etc.;
Rehabilitation Robots/Intelligent Postoperative Rehabilitation: Medical Training, Daily Living Assistance, Surgical Repair, Medication Regimens, etc.;
Medical Assistance Robots: Robotic video medical systems, patient navigation guides, hospital logistics and transport, training, medication dispensing, etc.;
Other Software/Equipment: Feedback systems (mechanical, visual, etc.), in vitro monitoring technologies (wireless sensing, wearable sensing), control and imaging systems, AI analysis systems, AR/VR, intraoperative data collection and analysis technologies, etc.
Specific competition rules and the latest information are available athttps://vcbeat.top/robotThe website also publishes it simultaneously.
The competition is divided into two regions in China: Beijing and Shanghai, and consists of three stages: preliminary round, semi-final, and final. The number of projects/plans advancing to each stage will be determined based on the level of competition.
Registration Deadline: Early April 2019 – June 27, 2019;
Preliminary Round: June 28, announcement of preliminary results;
Semifinals: July 2 (Beijing Division), July 6 (Shanghai Division);
Finals: July 14, Shanghai.
For projects that advance to the semifinals and finals, the organizer provides the following benefits:
1、Direct Access to the Global AI Competition. Projects that reach the finals and secure the top three positions will gain direct entry to the grand finale of the Medical Track at the 2019 Global AI Startup Innovation Competition, where they will compete against global medical robotics solutions and have the opportunity to win substantial cash prizes.
2、Connecting with Financing Opportunities. Finalist projects are poised to receive investment opportunities from BV Baidu Ventures and the Medtronic China Fund; priority incubation opportunities through the Medtronic Medical Innovation Accelerator; and partnership matchmaking opportunities with Medtronic China’s core business units.
3、1M+ Media Impressions Across All Platforms. Projects advancing to the semi-finals are poised to receive exclusive interviews and coverage from VCBeat, ensuring precise outreach to healthcare investment firms, entrepreneurs, and incubation platforms, with dissemination across all major online channels.
4、Invited to Attend the 2019 Medical Robotics Summit, engage with global innovation elites.
The Organizing Committee is responsible for coordination. The official website was officially launched on April 23, 2018, and online registration is now open. For registration methods and related matters, please refer to the competition’s official website.https://vcbeat.top/robot。For any inquiries, please contact the Organizing Committee directly at 18523659972.
The medical robotics industry does not offer immediate, substantial returns. It demands a combination of innovative thinking, cutting-edge technology, and stringent medical safety standards. This is a challenging endeavor that requires overcoming numerous obstacles, as well as sufficient perseverance and patience to await the dawn of success.
Medtronic China Fund Joins Hands with BV Baidu Ventures to Prepare “Dawn” and “East Wind,” Inviting You to Kickstart the Next Decade of Medical Robotics.
Confirmed by the look in your eyes, you are the one we’ve been looking for!