A humanoid robot has successfully performed a real surgical procedure, in a qualitative step that is the first of its kind, opening up promising prospects in the field of healthcare and medical robotics.
The remotely operated robot performed the gallbladder removal surgery in collaboration with surgeons from the University of California, San Diego.
World's First Teleoperated Humanoid Robot Surgery
"Researchers from the University of California San Diego demonstrated the world's first teleoperated humanoid robot assisting in surgery using the Unitree G1."
“The 29-DoF humanoid… pic.twitter.com/aIh9fiFmPn
Are you ready for the humanoid surgeon?
UCSD researchers just published a new study in Nature yesterday showing the first in vivo test of humanoid robots in surgery: teleoperated humanoids successfully did laparoscopic cholecystectomy on live pigs.
The experiment did not stop there. Two humanoid robots performed the same operation side by side using endoscopic technology, in experiments conducted on non-human mammals to test the idea and prove its feasibility.
Researchers assert that these robots are characterized by lower production costs, smaller size, and greater flexibility compared to specialized robotic surgical systems currently in use, making them suitable for use in remote areas, on battlefields, and even in space.
The robot was remotely operated by trained surgeons, but the scientific team aspires to develop artificial intelligence systems in the future that will allow these robots to work independently, to help fill the severe shortage of surgical personnel around the world.
Experts describe this technology as a step towards the "operating room of the future," where humans and robots work as an integrated team to provide surgical care to those in need, whether in traditional hospitals or in unusual field conditions.
The results of these experiments were published in a scientific study in the journal Nature under the title: "A feasibility study of using humanoid robots in surgery".
