[extropy-chat] Surgical robots

[BillK]

On 4/20/07, Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
>
> If you check out the links, most of them describe either telepresence robots
> controlled by a surgeon or else very specialised, stereotypic surgical
> procedures.

Agreed.
Initially autonomous surgical robots will be for specific surgical procedures.
That is happening already.


> The difference between an autonomous robot surgeon and a human
> surgeon today is like the difference between an apple-peeling machine and a
> robot with general dexterity that can drive to the supermarket, find and buy
> the apples, drive home, find the appropriate knife in the kitchen, and start
> peeling them. In a sense, it would be like passing the Turing test for motor
> skills. It will probably happen, but I don't think it's just around the
> corner.
>


I don't think anybody expects anytime soon a general purpose robot
surgeon to wander into the surgery saying 'What's scheduled for
today?'.  :)


BillK