American scientists have carried out keyhole surgery with a Chinese-made robot that takes the place of the main surgeon.
The general-purpose humanoid robot made by Unitree Robotics was remotely controlled by two human surgeons while it successfully removed the gallbladder of a pig at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).
Another robot also played a supporting role during the procedure, controlling the endoscope used to follow the operation and retracting the tissue.
“Autonomous, remotely operated humanoid robots have real potential to expand access to critical surgeries that patients would not otherwise have,” 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 health crises not only in the United States, but around the world,” Yip told the university newspaper UCSD Today.
