Humanoid Robots Perform Live Surgeries, Transforming Surgical Care

Teleoperated humanoid robots have performed live surgeries for the first time, signaling a shift in surgical practice.

Surgeons at UC San Diego successfully conducted live surgical procedures using two humanoid robots, marking a milestone toward integrated operating rooms where humans and robots collaborate. This development addresses structural challenges in surgery by potentially reducing costs, space requirements, and staffing shortages.

The robots, weighing just 27 kilograms and standing 1.5 meters tall, were remotely controlled by surgeons using adapted standard surgical tools. Trials involved procedures such as cholecystectomy on large non-primate mammals, with one operation combining a robot and a human assistant, and another relying solely on two robots. Unlike traditional robotic systems weighing around 800 kilograms, these humanoid units are compact and portable, making them suitable for smaller clinics and field hospitals, according to Dr. Shanglei Liu of UC San Diego. Despite challenges like latency and the need for recalibration mid-procedure, the technology demonstrates promise in addressing surgical team shortages and backlog.

The research team envisions future humanoid robots assisting by fetching instruments, tidying rooms, and working alongside human staff as full team members.

Compact surgical robots might appeal to rural health providers in rural states like Montana, where medical staffing shortages and facility constraints are common. Montana’s vast geography and dispersed population could make remote-operated humanoid assistance a practical innovation for extending surgical care access.

Teleoperated humanoid robots complete first-ever live surgery
By https://newatlas.com/author/omar-kardoudi/, New Atlas