In this episode of Let's Talk MedTech, host Omar Ford sits down with Rogério (Roko) de Bernardis, Global President of Soft Tissue Robotics at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, to discuss the recent FDA De Novo authorization of the Ottava robotic surgical system.

The two dive into Ottava's origin story — from its roots in a Verily Life Sciences partnership to years of acquisitions and internal development — and explore how J&J is positioning the system not just as a single device, but as an expanding ecosystem spanning advanced instrumentation, digital integration through Polyphonic, and future automation and AI capabilities.

De Bernardis also outlines J&J's roadmap for new indications beyond the initial ten approved procedures, including an ongoing inguinal hernia trial and future expansion into urology and gynecology, as well as plans to bring Ottava to markets in Europe and Asia.

The conversation closes with a candid look at the broader robotic-assisted surgery market — still only 9% globally penetrated — and what it will take for J&J to compete with established players like Intuitive Surgical, plus a breakdown of what makes Ottava's compact, table-integrated design and automation-ready architecture stand apart.