MIT Robotics Seminar: Brad Nelson (ETH Zurich)

Abstract: Micro and nano robotics have advanced rapidly over the past two decades, driven by breakthroughs in functional materials, processing, and microfabrication, as well as improved modeling, sensing, and control. As a result, microrobots that are clinically relevant, biocompatible, and increasingly biodegradable, are now within reach, opening new possibilities for minimally invasive diagnostics and targeted therapy in anatomically confined and delicate environments. Our group develops magnetic microrobots based on biocompatible composite materials and actuated by externally generated magnetic fields and gradients. Magnetic actuation offers several key advantages for clinical translation, including wireless power delivery, deep tissue penetration, and the ability to generate controlled forces and torques without onboard batteries or tethers. However, realizing robust and safe operation in vivo requires more than microrobot design alone. A central challenge is the development of magnetic navigation systems capable of generating accurate, programmable fields over human-scale workspaces while meeting clinical constraints such as patient access, imaging compatibility, and safety limits. In this talk, I will present recent progress toward a clinically ready, human-scale microrobot platform, spanning microrobot fabrication, magnetic field generation and control, and closed-loop navigation strategies. I will also highlight emerging applications enabled by this platform, including concepts for telestroke medicine, where rapid, remote intervention could expand access to time-critical care. Together, these advances bring the long-standing “Fantastic Voyage” vision closer to practical medical reality.

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Brad Nelson has been the Professor of Robotics and Intelligent Systems at ETH Zürich since 2002, where his research focuses on micro, nano, and medical robotics. He studied mechanical engineering at Illinois and Minnesota, worked in computer vision at Honeywell and software engineering at Motorola, taught mathematics as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, Africa, and then obtained a Ph.D. in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University. At ETH Zürich, Nelson has built an internationally respected research group known for turning fundamental questions into working systems. His laboratory has become a training ground for researchers who value both rigorous science and practical impact, and many of his former students and collaborators now lead their own efforts in academia, industry, and medicine. His work on microrobots has helped move the field from conceptual demonstrations toward clinical relevance.