Toumai by Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Group Co., Ltd.: status and timeline

Milestones

No announced next step

Toumai receives CE marking for laparoscopic surgeryMay 2024Complete.
Toumai receives CE marking for pediatric surgical indicationsFeb 2026Complete.
Toumai receives CE certification for telesurgeryJun 2026Complete.

Most important updates

Current obstacles

Latency in long-distance telesurgeryNetwork delays can interfere with real-time control; distances beyond ~1,500 km introduce noticeable lag.
Market acceptance in Western hospitalsAdoption depends on clinical trials, cost comparison with established platforms and regulatory familiarity.

Physics limits

Speed of light sets latency floorElectromagnetic signals travel at ~300,000 km/s; a surgery 18,900 km away incurs ~125 ms round-trip latency, the edge of human perception and surgical tolerance.
Network reliability is mission-criticalUnlike a video call, a single packet loss mid-procedure could interrupt control; failsafes and redundant links are essential but add cost.

How it works

3 parts

Master-slave control

Surgeon controls from console

A surgeon at a master console manipulates controls; the slave robot at the patient replicates these motions with precision, scaled for fine movements.

Video feedback

High-definition magnified view

A 3D camera inside the surgical cavity sends magnified images back to the surgeon's console, enabling precise visualization of the surgical field.

Telesurgery capability

Remote operation over networks

With low-latency communications, the surgeon can operate from a remote location, enabling expertise transfer across geographies.

Spec sheet

Spec	Toumai
CE certification (telesurgery)	Approved June 2026^R (reported)
Approved surgical specialties	Urology, general, thoracic, gynecology^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

2 updates

Jun 2026

Major: Toumai receives EU CE MDR certification for robot-assisted telesurgeryPressRegulatory

Feb 2026

Major: Toumai receives CE marking for pediatric surgical indicationsPressRegulatory

About Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Group Co., Ltd.

The team behind Toumai

Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Group Co., Ltd.

Toumai laparoscopic surgical robot, SkyWalker orthopedic robot

Shanghai MicroPort MedBot Group manufactures surgical robots for minimally invasive surgery. Its flagship Toumai laparoscopic robot received CE marking for telesurgery in June 2026. The company is a subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation, a Shanghai-based medical device firm founded in 1998.

MicroPort MedBot is a subsidiary of MicroPort Scientific Corporation, headquartered in Shanghai.
In June 2026, Toumai received CE certification for robot-assisted telesurgery in urology, general surgery, thoracic surgery and gynecology.
The company also sells SkyWalker for orthopedic surgery and operates R-One for vascular interventional procedures.

microport.com (opens microport.com)Company profile →

Founded: 201412 yrs
Headquarters: China
Status: Public
Valuation: $3Best. market capOct 2026estimate
Works in: RoboticsSurgical & medical
Coverage: 2 programs · 2 updateslatest 1 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Partners: MicroPort Scientific Corporation
People: Zhaohua ChangFounder, Executive Director & Chairman

Spec

Toumai

CE certification (telesurgery)

Approved June 2026^R (reported)

Approved surgical specialties

Urology, general, thoracic, gynecology^R (reported)