Researchers at the University of California San Diego have reported what they describe as the first successful use of teleoperated humanoid robots (Figure 1) to complete surgical procedures during a preclinical study, marking an early milestone in the evolution of robotic surgery. The findings were published in the July 8 issue of Nature. Figure 1 . Humanoid robots (Image source: University of California San Diego) The research team demonstrated two separate procedures on large nonprimate animal models.
In one case, a humanoid robot performed a cholecystectomy with assistance from a human surgeon. In another, two humanoid robots worked together to complete the same procedure without direct manual participation from a human at the operating table. The study was designed as a proof of concept rather than a step toward immediate clinical implementation. Investigators believe the technology…
