Asensus Surgical (Karl Storz)
Mechanical Engineering Intern, Surgical robotics, Durham NC, Summer 2025
ProblemSurgical robotics is capital intensive. For challengers to Intuitive, cost structure is the margin lever.
My roleIntern on a multinational R&D team. Components, fixtures, GD&T, CAD migration, supplier tradeoffs.
Result20%+ machining cost cut. 50% faster tolerance analysis. 99.8% accuracy on a full-system CAD migration.
| Role | Mechanical Engineering Intern |
|---|---|
| Context | Surgical robotics, Durham NC |
| Dates | Summer 2025 |
| Field | Surgical Robotics, MedTech |
| Skills | Cost Optimization, GD&T, DFM/DFA, FDA-Compliant Fixtures, Global Supply Chain, CAD, SolidWorks, Onshape, Tolerance Analysis, Test Planning, Supplier Management |
The problem
Surgical robotics is one of the most capital-intensive segments in medical devices. As competition grows beyond Intuitive Surgical, cost structure and manufacturing efficiency become the primary margin levers for emerging players. Asensus, acquired by Karl Storz in 2024, positioned its systems as a more accessible alternative, so every dollar of machining cost mattered.
In June 2026 Karl Storz announced it would retire the Asensus brand, stop work on the LUNA hardware platform, and fold the team’s software, clinical data, and AI expertise into its wider surgical ecosystem. The work described below is from the summer before that decision.
What I did
Cost and design
- Reduced machining costs by 20%+ through GD&T corrections and DFM/DFA optimization across multiple production systems
- Improved tolerance analysis efficiency by 50% with a new SolidWorks-based method, then trained staff so it stayed in place after I left
- Reached 99.8% accuracy migrating full systems, not just parts and drawings, from Onshape to SolidWorks, 20% better than prior contractors
Product development
- Took components from ideation through injection-molded production: design, prototyping, tech review, safety standards review, and field implementation
- Designed 5 components and 3 FDA-compliant test fixtures for force sensing, electrical systems, and long-term durability validation
Supply chain and operations
- Supported global supplier relationships, weighing cost, lead time, tariffs, regional availability, and vendor certification
- Worked in an agile R&D team spanning the US, Italy, and Israel, with daily scrums and sprint planning in Jira and Kissflow