Robotic surgery has delivered clear clinical benefits, yet adoption has often been limited by cost, space requirements, and rigid operating room workflows. Distalmotion, a Swiss deep-tech company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Lausanne, takes a pragmatic approach to this challenge. Rather than building ever larger and more complex systems, the company focuses on making robotic assistance fit into existing surgical environments. Its ambition is to lower the threshold for robotic surgery by aligning advanced technology with the economic and operational realities of hospitals.

Technology and Product

Instead of anchoring robotic surgery to a single, immovable system, Distalmotion has designed DEXTER® as a modular platform built around flexibility. The system combines a surgeon console with mobile robotic arms that can be arranged around the operating table as needed. This configuration enables surgeons to alternate smoothly between robotic and laparoscopic techniques within the same procedure, without interrupting workflow. Compatibility plays a central role in the architecture. DEXTER integrates with widely used visualization systems, energy devices, and operating room equipment, avoiding lock-in to a proprietary eco-system. The platform delivers wristed instrument dexterity, tremor reduction, and ergonomic advantages while maintaining a relatively small footprint and short setup times.

With no redocking required, surgeons can seamlessly change between laparoscopic and robotic techniques (© Distalmotion)

Industrial Fit and Applications

Where operating rooms must balance throughput, space efficiency, and cost control, compact robotics become particularly relevant. Distalmotion positions DEXTER for general surgery, gynecology, and urology, with a strong focus on hospital outpatient de-partments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgical centres (ASCs)—settings where large robotic installations are often impractical. Regulatory clearances in Europe and the US, including FDA authorisations for procedures such as cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal), inguinal hernia repair, and benign hysterectomy, allow its use within approved indications and in accordance with applicable regulations. The industrial logic centers on flexibility and scalability: robotic assistance can be introduced incrementally, with realized benefits depending on procedure mix, staff training, and integration into existing clinical processes.

DEXTER open architecture enables surgeons to use their preferred visualization and advanced devices. (© Distalmotion)

Founding Team

Founded in 2012, Distalmotion is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a U.S. office in Cleveland, Ohio, and has over 200 employees across Europe and the United States.

Greg Roche, CEO of Distalmotion (© Distalmotion)

Company Info

Distalmotion SA

Address: Route de la Corniche 3B,

1066 Epalinges, Switzerland

E-Mail: info@distalmotion.com

Website: www.distalmotion.com

Title image © Distalmotion