Smith+Nephew’s CORI XT is one of the most advanced handheld robotics platforms for joint arthroplasty, combining real-time planning, image-agnostic registration, and robotic intra-operative execution. At the heart of this system, the Atracsys fusionTrack™ 500 optical tracking camera serves as a core enabling technology, supporting the performance and workflow requirements of robotic-assisted surgery.
When developing the original CORI platform, Smith+Nephew set out to design a different type of robotic-assisted surgical system, one that could operate within the constraints of modern care settings, including the growing shift toward ambulatory surgery centers. The goal was to deliver robotics that amplifies surgeon skill rather than replacing clinical expertise.
This required a system that was:
- Compact, handheld, and easily transportable
- Capable of maintaining the performance expected from robotic-assisted surgery
- Designed for fast setup and efficient workflows
- Small in footprint, easing integration into operating rooms where space and time are critical
Beyond form factor and workflow, CORI was also designed as a scalable platform, capable of expanding across multiple procedures and joint applications. This introduced an additional requirement: Ensuring consistent performance across a wide range of surgical use cases, rather than optimizing for a single workflow.
Unlike conventional navigation systems, where tracking primarily supports visual guidance to the surgeon, handheld robotics directly integrates tracking data into the control of the surgical instrument. The system continuously evaluates the position and orientation of the tool relative to the patient and adjusts or constrains its behavior in real time. This means tracking performance must remain closely aligned with the surgeon’s actions — without delay or instability — placing strong requirements on:
- Latency
- Timing consistency
- Measurement continuity
The fusionTrack™ 500 was selected to meet these demands, offering:
- High measurement rates (up to 335 Hz)
- Ultra-low latency
- Sub-millimetric accuracy
- Large working volume for orthopaedic applications and diverse surgical setups
An essential component of the CORI system is its robotic handpiece, which shapes bone using a high-speed cutting burr. As the bone-cutting function is continuously updated, precise real-time tracking and control are critical to successful performance. By increasing tracking accuracy and acquisition rate while reducing latency, the Atracsys fusionTrack™ 500 optical tracking camera plays a key role in enabling this capability and significantly improves the system performance over the previous generation.
— Branislav Jaramaz, Ph.D., VP of Research, Technology and Innovation, Smith+Nephew
Beyond the camera itself, Atracsys’ ability to operate as a scalable and reliable industrial partner was a key consideration. For a global MedTech company such as Smith+Nephew, deploying a platform like CORI means supporting a large and growing installed base across multiple geographies, with high and sustained production volumes. Supplier requirements included:
- Manufacturing scalability
- Supply chain robustness
- Consistent product quality
- Quality management aligned with medical device standards (including ISO 13485)
Atracsys brings experience in delivering optical tracking systems for medical applications, supporting OEMs from development through series production while maintaining consistent performance at scale.
Since its integration into Smith+Nephew’s next-generation robotics platform (commercially launched in 2020 and expanded with CORI XT in 2026) fusionTrack™ 500 has enabled:
- Deployment of CORI across a global installed base, surpassing 1,100 systems as of 2025
- Expansion of capabilities from knee procedures to include hip navigation and, more recently, shoulder robotics
- Consistent tracking performance across evolving workflows and new surgical indications
Throughout this evolution, fusionTrack™ 500 has provided a stable and consistent tracking foundation within the broader system architecture, supporting each phase of CORI’s growth and procedure expansion.
For medical device manufacturers, this illustrates an important principle: the value of an optical tracking solution extends beyond initial performance. It lies in its ability to integrate, scale, and remain compatible with the long-term evolution of a surgical platform.
As a main component to the overall CORI system, the fusionTrack 500 camera has performed exceptionally well. The accuracy and speed of the camera perform seamlessly with the overall system and is the main reason we chose to stay with the same camera for the CORI XT.
— Nirav Pandya, R&D Director, Product Support, Robotics R&D, Smith+Nephew