The Rundown: Humanoids perform their first surgery

Posted on July 9, 2026 by michelleclarke2015
Humanoids perform their first surgery
Image source: University of California San Diego
The Rundown: UC San Diego researchers used teleoperated humanoids to perform live surgery in what they say is a world first, completing two procedures — including a gallbladder removal — on pigs, per a trial published in Nature.
The details:
One robot removed a gallbladder with a human surgeon assisting; a two-robot team handled a second procedure with no human at the table. The 5-foot, 60 lb. robots, nicknamed “Surgie,” gripped standard surgical tools via custom adapters and fit into a normal OR without retrofitting. They cost a fraction of today’s ~1,800 lb. surgical systems — but needed multiple mid-surgery recalibrations and ran far slower than humans.The team sees humanoids first assisting in the OR, then performing teleoperated procedures, as surgeon shortages reportedly stretch wait times.
Why it matters: Surgical robotics belongs to specialized, single-purpose machines — Intuitive’s da Vinci, Medtronic’s Hugo, J&J’s Ottava — that only trained physicians can drive. Humanoids gripping scalpels won’t change that any time soon, but this trial is the first proof that cheaper, general-purpose hardware can survive an OR.
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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