French Startup Creates Rice-Grain-Sized Robot for Brain Navigation

Robeauté, a French medical technology startup, is developing a steerable microrobot designed to navigate the brain’s complex pathways to treat neurological conditions with greater precision and less invasiveness than traditional neurosurgery.

The device, which measures 1.8 millimeters in length—approximately the size of a grain of rice—is designed to move through the brain’s extracellular space. This allows the robot to travel between cells without cutting or tearing through delicate brain tissue.

This approach represents a significant departure from conventional neurosurgical methods, which frequently require drilling into the skull or making large incisions to access target areas.

Technical Specifications and Functionality

The microrobot is a modular medical device built around a universal robotic core. It is equipped with interchangeable micro-extensions, providing the flexibility needed for various medical applications.

Each unit features a tiny engine and a navigation system. Surgeons can steer the robot inside the brain using external magnetic fields or by programming it to follow a specific, predefined path.

Unlike rigid surgical tools that are limited to straight-line access from the point of entry, Robeauté’s device can navigate along curved paths, allowing doctors to reach areas of the brain that were previously difficult or impossible to access without damaging healthy tissue.

Clinical Applications and Goals

The microrobot is designed as a multi-functional tool that serves as a probe, a laboratory, and a treatment device. Its primary intended functions include:

• Taking tissue samples for biopsies
• Implanting tiny electrodes to monitor brain activity
• Delivering targeted doses of drugs
• Collecting live data for diagnostics

The platform’s first intended use will be for advanced tumor biopsies. The technology is aimed at treating a variety of neurological maladies and conditions, including:

• Brain tumors and glioblastoma
• Parkinson’s disease
• Epilepsy
• Deep brain infections

By minimizing damage to healthy areas, the device aims to reduce surgical risks and accelerate patient recovery times.

Development and Funding

The company was co-founded by Bertrand Duplat, a robotics engineer with over 30 years of experience in 3D technologies and complex systems for extreme environments, such as undersea and space applications. Duplat, who holds 40 patents, was motivated to develop this technology following his mother’s struggle with an inoperable glioblastoma.

To advance the technology toward clinical reality, Robeauté raised $28 million in a Series A funding round, as reported in January 2025.

Human trials for the microrobots are expected to begin by 2026.