Ever wondered just how surgeons (and grad students) train on da Vinci surgical robots? Apparently, here’s how it works:
It’s worth mentioning, I think, that had a human not been in the loop here, the robot could almost certainly gotten that wishbone out much, much faster. In fact, I personally challenge robots everywhere to perform the fastest flawless game of Operation ever and post it on YouTube. Aaaaand, GO!
Travis over at Hizook found a couple more da Vinci robot vids, too:
If you’re wondering what the point of these videos are, well, besides being funny, the da Vinci systems (and robotic-assisted surgeries in general) are gaining popularity mostly just because they’re cool. Such surgeries aren’t always better for patients; although the incisions are significantly smaller, robot-assisted surgeries can take up to twice as long as conventional surgeries. There’s also the several thousand dollar premium that patients (or their insurance companies) pay. Still, it’s hard to beat the appeal of being operated on by a robot, apparently:
But now, patient after patient was walking away. They did not want [conventional] surgery. They wanted surgery by a robot, controlled by a physician not necessarily even in the operating room, face buried in a console, working the robot’s arms with remote controls.
“Patients interview you,” said Dr. Cadeddu, a urologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. “They say: ‘Do you use the robot? O.K., well, thank you.’ ” And they leave.
But anyway, the point is that surgical robots are now sexy. They bring in business. And after you’ve just spent a couple million on your brand new surgical robot, more business is definitely what you’re looking for, so putting up YouTube videos showcasing your new medical marvel is definitely a good idea.
Evan Ackerman is a senior editor at IEEE Spectrum. Since 2007, he has written over 6,000 articles on robotics and technology. He has a degree in Martian geology and is excellent at playing bagpipes.
