By Miriam Humbe
Scientists in the United States have carried out keyhole surgery with a Chinese-made robot taking the place of the lead surgeon.
Nicknamed Surgie, the robot was remotely controlled by human surgeons as it carried out the procedure on a pig.
The general-purpose humanoid robot made by Unitree Robotics was remotely controlled by two human surgeons as it successfully removed a pig’s gallbladder at the University of California San Diego (UCSD).
A report by the Southern China Morning Post said that another robot also played a support role during the procedure, controlling the endoscope used to monitor the operation and retracting tissue.
“Remotely operated and autonomous humanoid robots have real potential for expanding access to critical surgeries that patients might otherwise go without,” said Michael Yip, a professor in UCSD’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and senior author of a paper on the surgery.
“This could help address healthcare crises not only in the US, but worldwide,” Yip told university newspaper UCSD Today.
