Humanoid robots have performed laparoscopic surgery gestures (through small incisions) on anesthetized pigs. The experiment, conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego, constitutes a preclinical test of the use of versatile robots in an operating room.
The machines used are Unitree G1 robots, originally designed for general purposes. The researchers equipped them with adapters capable of holding standard surgical instruments. Human surgeons controlled their movements remotely.
The Unitree G1 robot
The team evaluated several tasks related to gallbladder removal. The robots had to especially grasp tissues, manipulate instruments, and maintain a sufficiently stable position. These gestures require precise coordination in a confined space.
One procedure was conducted with a robot and a human surgeon. Another involved two humanoid robots working together. The results show that this architecture can accomplish some of the steps of a minimally invasive operation on an animal model.
The system was not autonomous, however. Medical decisions, supervision, and control of the robots depended on human operators. The experiment therefore demonstrates technical feasibility, but it does not constitute an operation performed solely by artificial intelligence.
These demonstrations also revealed several limitations: the robots must be regularly recalibrated, and transmission delay can disturb movements.
The interest of this approach lies in the versatility of the humanoid robot. It can use tools designed for humans and operate in existing environments. This could reduce necessary adaptations, but its economic benefit remains to be established.
Before any medical application, additional trials will be essential. They will have to address safety, reliability, sterilization, and operator responsibility. Use in humans is therefore not yet on the agenda.