ARTAS Hair Transplant Robot

The system combines a robotic arm carrying a two-step punch, a stereoscopic camera array, image processing software and a patient chair that positions and stabilises the head. A tensioner frame is applied to the donor area so the skin is held flat and still. The cameras build a live map of that patch of scalp, identifying each follicular unit and calculating the angle and direction of the hairs emerging from it, information that is difficult to judge consistently by eye over thousands of repetitions. A separate planning module photographs the head and builds a three-dimensional model on which the surgeon designs the hairline and the distribution of grafts, and the same arm can then make the recipient incisions at the planned density and angle. Everything remains under the surgeon's control, and the system will not proceed without confirmation.

After the donor area is trimmed short and numbed with local anaesthetic, the tensioner frame is placed and the arm is positioned over it. The software identifies candidate follicular units within the frame and applies a distribution algorithm that avoids taking neighbouring units, so the donor area thins uniformly and no visible gaps appear. For each selected unit the punch performs two movements: a sharp outer punch scores the skin, and an inner blunt punch separates the unit from the surrounding tissue at the measured angle and to a set depth, leaving it loose for removal. Assistants extract the loosened grafts with fine forceps and place them in a chilled holding solution. The frame is then moved to the next section of the donor area. For recipient sites, the arm makes small incisions at the angle and density defined in the plan, and the team places each graft into a site by hand under magnification.

The main indication is androgenetic hair loss in men and women who have a stable donor area at the back and sides of the scalp and realistic expectations about density. It is used to rebuild a receding hairline, to fill the crown and to add density to a thinning midscalp. Grafts harvested from the scalp can also be placed by hand for eyebrow and beard restoration and to camouflage scars, including the linear scar of an earlier strip harvest. It suits people who want to avoid a linear scar and prefer to wear their hair short. Suitability depends on hair calibre, colour contrast against the skin and hair characteristics, and the system works most reliably with dark, straight to slightly wavy hair; very light, very curly or fine hair may be better harvested manually. A surgeon assesses donor density and the pattern and rate of loss before recommending it.

The principal benefits are consistency and endurance: the robot repeats the same precise movement thousands of times without the fatigue and drift that affect manual punching over a long session, which supports a low rate of transected, damaged grafts and an evenly harvested donor area. There is no linear scar, only tiny round marks that fade and are hidden by short hair, so recovery is quicker than after a strip harvest. Sessions are performed as a day case under local anaesthetic, with the patient sitting or lying comfortably for several hours. Afterwards the scalp is tender and small crusts form around the new grafts, settling over one to two weeks. Transplanted hairs shed within the first month, which is expected, and new growth starts at about 3 to 4 months, with the result maturing over 12 to 18 months. Medical treatment of the underlying hair loss is usually continued so that untransplanted hair is preserved.