A new study published in the journal Nature examines the in vivo feasibility of humanoid robots in surgery.
Noting “recent advances in actuation, control and learning” that have “rapidly pushed humanoid robots from a distant vision towards near-term real-world deployment,” the researchers from UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering and UC San Diego School of Medicine examined the use of these machines as “staffing shortages and increasing care demand are widening the gap between clinical workload and available skilled labor.”
In the study, called a “world first,” two teleoperated humanoid robots were used to complete two surgeries during a preclinical trial. The researchers performed a systematic evaluation of “contemporary humanoid technology for laparoscopic surgical tasks” by developing a “humanoid-based laparoscopic teleoperation framework using general-purpose instruments,” and then assessed the humanoid robot’s abilities through “benchtop characterization and dry-laboratory user studies spanning diverse surgical experience levels and in vivo porcine studies.” The researchers quantified “technical feasibility, task performance and clinical readiness relative to established surgical platforms.”
The researchers found that “humanoid form factors offer unique potential, particularly for assisting with surgical tasks,” while acknowledging that “it remains unclear how close current humanoid systems are to meeting the precision, control and safety requirements of minimally invasive surgery.”
The study “provides an evidence-based assessment of current humanoid abilities and limitations for surgical applications, highlighting both their promise and key technical challenges that must be addressed before clinical deployment.”
Video of the project:
Access the full study here.
The researchers were interviewed for an article on the UCSD website that provides a worthwhile, detailed account of the trial. For even more details, check out the project website.
