Robot operates grape

The following video of a surgical robot peeling the skin off a grape shows what a robotic surgical system is capable of. The small-scale work of the precision instruments is fascinating, but the reactions to such videos often conjure up horror scenarios. When watching them, one wonders whether one really wants to put one's own body in the hands of machines.

According to reports, Rostock University Medical Center is now working with the new 3.16 million "da Vinci®" robotic system. The Schwerin Ministry of Science is funding the technology with 1.5 million euros from the EU's ERDF fund and a further 530,000 euros or so from central funds of the Ministry of Science. It is intended to make minimally invasive operations more precise and gentle.

The robot-assisted surgery system was developed by the company Intuitive Surgical in California. The origins of the da Vinci® system date back to the 1980s, when medical technicians in the U.S. Army were looking for ways to operate remotely. However, the system was never used in the military sector.

Compared to humans, the systems literally perform well and operating with them is getting better and better. Artificial intelligence can, for example, compensate for the trembling of human hands. This is because the system, which is already in its fourth generation, continues to be controlled by a surgeon via a console, while another medical team monitors the use of the robot and ensures that the operation is successful. The advantage of robotic assistance systems is that they can perform precise movements and small-scale work that would be difficult or impossible for human surgeons.

The use of robotics in medicine will lead to greater automation of medical procedures in the future, but it is unlikely that robots will be able to perform complex medical procedures entirely without human assistance in the near future.