Mike's Newsletter | Humanoid Robots Enter Surgery. Dexterous Hands Hit the Market.
- Mike Vidikan
- Jul 14
- 7 min read
Welcome Orthoprenuers!
Every week, we bring you the latest in practice management, marketing, profitability, and next-level ortho techniques so you can work smarter, grow faster, and build the practice you want.
In this issue:
🚨 News Update🦾 Mike’s Prompt
🗓️ Plan Your 2026 CE Calendar
📢 Juan’s Marketing Tip
🔥Trending in the OrthoPreneurs Facebook Group
🎙️ The Orthopreneurs Podcast
✨ Final Thought
🚨 News Upadte
⚕️Humanoid Robots Perform Surgery for the First Time — Nature Publishes Historic Trial
UC San Diego researchers achieved a historic first by using teleoperated humanoid robots to complete two live surgeries in a preclinical trial, published in Nature on July 8, 2026. In one procedure, a humanoid robot performed a gallbladder removal with a human surgeon assisting. In the second, two humanoid robots worked side-by-side to perform the surgery without a human at the operating table. The robots, controlled entirely by human operators using motion capture technology and foot pedals, coordinated both arms simultaneously to perform delicate tasks like holding tissue with one hand while cutting with the other.
The work was led by Professor Michael Yip in collaboration with surgeons Charles Goldberg and Preetham Suresh from the UC San Diego School of Medicine, with every movement directed by a surgeon in real time — the humanoid robots served as extensions of the surgeon’s hands rather than making decisions autonomously.
Why it matters: This is the proof-of-concept that humanoid robots can handle real surgical workflows in a live operating room using standard surgical tools. Unlike specialized surgical systems that require three or four robotic arms and proprietary software, humanoid robots fit seamlessly into existing OR spaces and workflows, feeling more natural to surgeons not trained on specialized systems. For orthodontists: this signals where embodied AI is heading — from diagnostics to action. Remote procedures, underserved areas, complex tasks in human-designed spaces — these are exactly the problems humanoid robots will solve. The timeline just accelerated by years.
☝️Fed Minutes Show Officials Divided on Rate Hikes — Inflation Still the Sticking Point
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 3.5%-3.75% at its June 16-17 meeting under new Chair Kevin Warsh, but the minutes reveal officials are split on the path ahead. Nine officials expect at least one rate hike by year-end, while eight expect no change and one expects a cut. The Fed raised its inflation projection to 3.6% for 2026, well above the 2% target, and noted that “risks to the inflation outlook were still tilted to the upside.” Market traders are now anticipating a rate hike as early as October 2026.
Why it matters: If the Fed raises rates later this year, practice acquisition loans and equipment financing will get noticeably more expensive. A 0.25% rate hike on a $500K practice loan costs an extra $1,250 annually; a 0.5% hike costs $2,500. More immediately, elevated inflation — projected at 3.6% through 2026 — means your suppliers are still raising prices on materials, equipment, and overhead. This isn’t theoretical: expect lab fees, product costs, and staff wages to climb faster than they have in previous years. It could be time to lock in long-term vendor contracts and to consider refinancing any floating-rate debt before October.
🤖 1X’s NEO Robot Achieves Human-Level Hand Dexterity — Tendon-Drive Breakthrough
1X Technologies just dropped NEO, a home-ready humanoid built around a wild bet — 25 degrees of freedom in each hand, powered by a proprietary tendon-drive system engineered to move like real human muscle. Ditch the rigid gearboxes: instead, high-torque motors tug on flexible polymer tendons, letting NEO cradle a wine glass without turning it into shards, zip along at up to 8 meters per second, and do it all at a whisper-quiet 22 decibels — quieter than your fridge humming in the kitchen. Tipping the scales at just 66 pounds, NEO can still hoist 154 pounds, wrapped in a soft 3D lattice body with pinch-proof joints built specifically so it won't hurt the people living alongside it. Pre-orders are live now, with Early Access units landing late 2026 for $20,000 outright or $499/month.
Why it matters: Robotics spent 70 years dodging the hand problem — most humanoids settled for stiff, clumsy claws instead of real dexterity. NEO flips that script entirely, betting its whole design on the fingertips. That tendon-drive breakthrough cracks a biomechanical puzzle rigid servos never could: safe, compliant movement that won't flinch around a human standing nearby. This is the first genuinely dexterous, home-safe humanoid actually shipping — proof the gripper problem is finally solved. Sterilization, lab work, supply handling — the jobs orthodontic practices have been eyeing for robots just moved a lot closer to reality.
👩💻OpenAI Launches GPT-Live Voice Models with Real-Time Translation
OpenAI released GPT-Live-1 and GPT-Live-1 mini, a new generation of voice models designed to feel like natural conversation. The key features: full-duplex audio (the model can listen and speak simultaneously), live translation across 70+ input languages and 13 output languages, task delegation (the AI can handle background tasks like scheduling or research while you keep talking), and natural acknowledgment phrases like “mhmm” and “got it.” GPT-Live-1 mini is the default for free users; GPT-Live-1 is available to ChatGPT paid subscribers.
The live translation feature translates speech in real time while preserving the speaker’s tone and meaning — no separate transcription step, no pause between input and output. Early testing shows response times around 500ms-1.5 seconds for natural conversation flow.
Why it matters: For orthodontists with multilingual patient populations this is a signal that real-time voice translation is moving from novelty to accessible tool. Patient consultations, team training, and clinical communication across languages can now happen with minimal friction.
🦾 Mike’s Prompt: When You're Stuck, Ask Claude to Help You Ask Claude
Most people hit a wall with AI and give up. But Claude can help you get unstuck.
The move:
Instead of struggling to find the right words, just describe the problem to Claude.
Describe what are you trying to figure out
Explain why you're stuck
Tell it what you've already tried (if anything)
Then ask: "What's the best way to ask you about this to get what I actually need?"
Claude will ask clarifying questions, suggest a better angle, and give you a prompt to copy and use. That’s my secret and it’s pretty satisfying.
Real example:
You're trying to understand why certain patients don't show up for treatment. You could say:
"I have a spreadsheet of 200 patients who started treatment in the last year. Some completed, some dropped off. I want to understand the pattern. What's the best question to ask you about this data so I can actually figure out what's going on?"
Claude will tell you exactly what data to pull, what format works best, and how to phrase the request so you get back something actionable instead of generic advice.
Why this matters:
You don't have to be a prompt engineer. You just have to be honest about being stuck. Claude is good at helping you think through what you actually need — which is often half the battle.
🗓️ Plan Your 2026 CE Calendar
2026 NESO Annual Meeting
Fri, Nov 06 | The Westin Copley Place, Boston
8th Annual MOPC 2026Fri, Nov 06 | Scottsdalet
Asian Pacific Orthodontic Congress (APOC) 2026
Fri, Nov 06 | Singapore
DGAO Congress for Aligner Orthodontics
Fri, Nov 13 | Cologne
Bookmark the calendar, pick your priorities early, and stop letting CE planning become a last-minute scramble.
📢 Juan’s Maktering Tip
Track the Leads You Almost Lose
Most practices look at how many leads came in.
Fewer practices look at how many leads almost disappeared.
That is where a lot of money hides.
Here’s the play:
● Track every lead that does not book on the first contact.
● Label the reason: no answer, price concern, wanted insurance details, needed spouse approval, wanted to compare options, or asked to call back later.
● Create a simple follow-up path for each reason.
● Review these leads weekly with your TC or scheduling team.
● Measure how many “almost lost” leads turn into consults.
The bottom line:
If you only measure booked consults, you miss the story. The best marketing systems do not just generate leads — they recover the ones most practices let slip away.
🔥Trending in the Orthopreneurs Facebook Group🔥
💬 Looking for advice on ortho/pedo partnership
I am currently an associate at an ortho/pedo private practice (love it there) but 30 miles away from where my family lives and kids go to school. Recently, I was approached by the pediatric dentist in our community to see if I’m interested in joining her 3 year old start up to do the ortho. She is highly regarded and the owns the market in our area. I would really love to find a way to make it work since this is where our family lives but have only heard negative stories about these partnerships.
Can anyone share a strategic and successful way to set up a partnership like this? We are both open and wanting to make it work, however, neither of us has a clear vision about the business logistics.
Some other details- she said she refers about 7 patients a month to outside ortho so not many and I wouldn’t need to quit my associate job, but could add a morning/ day on one of my days off. She also mentioned she is in network with many PPOs which is not something I would want to participate in (my current office is FFS).
Any feedback would be so so greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading!🗣️Sharing experiences can help make the right choice for you!
🎙️ On the Podcast: Why Orthodontists Need to Stop Micromanaging Technology l 5MF
What if I told you the biggest threat to your orthodontic practice isn’t aligners, competition, or GPs doing ortho—it’s your inability to let go of the wrong work?
In this Five Minute Friday, I’m talking about one of the most common mistakes I see orthodontists make when adopting new technology: trying to “make it their own” before they let it actually do what it was designed to do. Whether it’s remote monitoring, financial follow-up, aligners, or any other system, too many doctors create stress by micromanaging tools that are supposed to make their lives easier.
I break down why outsourcing isn’t a weakness—it’s one of the keys to operational efficiency. If you want your team focused on the work that truly moves the practice forward, you have to stop burdening them with tasks that can be done better, faster, and more consistently by people trained specifically to do them. The future of orthodontics belongs to doctors who do great ortho, lead well, and build systems that let their team focus on what matters most.
✨ Final Thoughts: AI Is Getting Better. Your Systems Still Matter More.
The tools are moving fast.
Agents are coming.
APIs are expanding.
Every software company is going to tell you they have AI now.
But the practices that win will not be the ones with the most tools.
They will be the ones with the clearest systems.
Start there.
Then let technology make the system faster.
– Mike Vidikan
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