Samuel belongs to the first cohort of CUHK's mechanical and automation engineering graduates. From boyhood he was besotted with robots. "As a child, I watched endless robot cartoons. By secondary school, I was hooked on any machine that could move. That passion led me to choose mechanical engineering at university, hoping to work on all kinds of robotic projects," he recalls. He threw himself into hands-on research, both as an undergraduate and postgraduate. However, his true calling to medical robotics came after graduation, during his doctoral studies at MIT. There, he joined a prosthetics project under Professor Hugh Herr. "That was when robotics ceased to be just a hobby for me. I realised robots could bring real value to patients and society. The feeling was completely different."
Samuel notes that engineers and medical professionals speak very different languages. While doctors focus on biology, anatomy and clinical technique, engineers work in mathematics, equations and code. Bridging this gap is challenging. At MIT, he devoted years to learning the fundamentals of medicine. Later, working at Intuitive Surgical in Silicon Valley, he learnt that actively listening to doctors, not just book-learning, was critical for understanding clinical needs. "In 2008, few companies were dedicated to medical robotics. Intuitive Surgical was one of the best, so I applied and was fortunate to join as a Systems Analyst. My job was to integrate research from mechanical, electrical and software engineers, so that robots could be deployed in clinical settings. We started from scratch and developed products that are now widely used in hospitals."
Samuel's research career in the US yielded countless projects, the most notable being the da Vinci ION surgical system—a milestone in minimally invasive surgery. In 2016, he decided to return to Hong Kong. By chance he met Professor Joseph Sung, then CUHK Vice-Chancellor, and Professor Philip Chiu of CUHK's Faculty of Medicine. Samuel recalls, "they were both passionate about advancing medical robotics in Hong Kong and Asia. As I have said, the key to a 'medicine–engineering partnership' is finding kindred collaborators, and Professor Chiu was just the right person. So, I made up my mind and returned to Hong Kong. My goal was simple: to develop high-quality medical technologies in Hong Kong and China, and use them to serve more patients."
When Samuel returned, few in the city or mainland China were working on medical robotics. "So our first mission was to nurture talents and build a team. We recruited passionate young talents, and engaged with local doctors, hoping they would become partners and adopt our technology in clinical practice. By 2019, Cornerstone Robotics was founded. Some offered to buy us out, but the truth is, no one knew better than we did how to make robots safe for patients. That is why we struck out on our own," Samuel shares.
Even the name Cornerstone carries meaning: "Two thousand years ago, in Roman times, buildings lacked concrete foundations. They rested on massive stones, hauled into place, upon which everything else was built. The taller the building, the bigger the stone needed. That stone was known as the cornerstone. Our mission is to become the cornerstone of surgical robotics in China." Samuel emphasises that a company's trajectory is often determined at its founding. "If you rely on off-the-shelf parts, your limitations are set from the start. But if you design every component in-house, you control your own ceiling. That is Cornerstone's biggest advantage."
From a handful of staff, Cornerstone has grown to nearly 400 employees, half of them engineers. Years of dedicated work culminated in the creation of the Sentire robot, now installed at Prince of Wales Hospital and CUHK Medical Centre, where it has already assisted in more than 300 operations. Featuring over 13,000 in-house designed components, including motors, gearboxes, sensors, operating system, cameras, etc., Sentire ensures the best performance and safety. "Based on feedback from doctors, Sentire runs more smoothly and has sharper imaging," Samuel reports. "We have also reduced the size of surgical tools from eight centimetres to five, opening new possibilities for less invasive procedures. By controlling costs, we make our robots more price-competitive."
Still, widespread adoption remains in the distant future. "Globally, about 45 million minimally invasive surgeries are performed each year, yet only 5% involve robots. In China, it is just 1%. The potential is enormous. Robotic surgery is already common for the prostate, kidney, stomach, colon, liver and bile ducts, but costs remain a major hurdle. If we can match quality with affordability, far more patients will benefit from our technology," Samuel says.
When asked about the toughest part of entrepreneurship, Samuel is candid, "Any setback can put the company at risk. The pressure is constant—every day brings new challenges that must be solved. As a founder, you are on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. That is simply the norm."
To students aspiring to enter the field, he offers advice: "Medical technology is an industry with long cycles. You need time to master the basics and a strong sense of mission. There will be plenty of challenges and uncertainties, and it is easy to get discouraged. The only thing that keeps you going is making patient care your ultimate goal. Without that, it is hard to keep going."
"CU Alumni Magazine" Video Interview: https://youtu.be/tCEIwvxXwEg (Chinese only)
Published on CU Alumni Magazine Issue 123 by Alumni Affairs Office 2025
Read online: CU Alumni Magazine Issue 123 (Chinese Version Only)
PDF: http://www.alumni.cuhk.edu.hk/magazine/202509/pdf/CUAM_202509.pdf
ISSUU: http://www.alumni.cuhk.edu.hk/magazine/issuu/