The hexapod is a critical enabling technology that drives life sciences research toward greater microscopic, quantitative, and automated capabilities, while simultaneously advancing assisted surgery toward enhanced precision and minimal invasiveness. Its contribution to the life sciences and medical fields is transformative.

1. Surgical Robotics and Assisted Surgery

This represents one of the most prominent application areas. As the core motion platform of robots, the hexapod provides capabilities that surpass the limits of the human hand.

Precision Positioning and Stabilization: In delicate surgeries such as neurosurgery, spinal surgery, or ophthalmology, the hexapod can move surgical instruments or energy-delivery devices (e.g., lasers) with micron-level accuracy. It also filters out physiological tremor from the surgeon's hand, ensuring absolute precision in the surgical path.

Complex Path Planning: In radiosurgery (e.g., CyberKnife), the hexapod is used to dynamically adjust the position of the patient or the direction of the radiation beam based on the real-time location of the tumor. This ensures high-dose radiation is precisely delivered to the moving target while maximizing protection of the surrounding healthy tissue.

2. Medical Imaging and Diagnostic Equipment

Hexapods play a vital role in enhancing medical image quality and achieving precise patient positioning.

Sample Stage Positioning: In high-end imaging systems such as confocal microscopes and electron microscopes, hexapods enable precise movement of samples (e.g., tissue sections, cell cultures). This facilitates automated 3D scanning over large areas with high resolution, as well as seamless image stitching.

Patient Positioning: In equipment like CT, MRI, and proton therapy systems, hexapods integrated into the treatment couch adjust the patient's position with six degrees of freedom at sub-millimeter accuracy. This ensures perfect alignment between the imaging area or treatment target and the device’s coordinate system.

3. Rehabilitation Medicine and Prosthetics
Hexapods are used to test and develop the next generation of rehabilitation equipment.

Prosthetic and Implant Testing: They simulate human gait and various daily activities in the laboratory, conducting millions of cycles of durability and biomechanical performance tests on artificial joints (knee, hip), prosthetics, and orthopedic implants. This accelerates product development and ensures safety and reliability.

Rehabilitation Training Simulation: As the core of rehabilitation devices, hexapods can simulate different ground reaction forces and movement postures, providing patients with customized and safe rehabilitation training.