On July 8th, the prestigious international journal Nature published online a groundbreaking paper detailing the world’s first feasibility study of employing a humanoid robot in live surgical procedures. The lead and corresponding author of this study is Liang Zekai, a Chinese PhD student born after 2000. His research team introduced the general-purpose humanoid robot Unitree G1 into the operating room and, through remote operation, successfully performed standard laparoscopic cholecystectomies on two live pigs. This achievement marks the first instance globally where a humanoid robot has completed an entire minimally invasive surgical procedure on a living organism.

The study opted for a humanoid robot to overcome the limitations of traditional specialized surgical robots, which are often hindered by high costs, specialized consumables, and difficulties in adapting to various operating room environments. Humanoid robots, in contrast, not only seamlessly integrate with human surgical tools and procedures but also offer the potential for versatile, multi-purpose applications.

However, the use of general-purpose humanoid robots in minimally invasive surgeries presents technical challenges, including significant errors during curved operations, operational delays nearing clinical thresholds, and limited arm reach. During the live surgeries, both procedures were successfully completed without the need to convert to open surgery. The second procedure was faster due to improved operational proficiency, but it also highlighted issues such as the necessity for repeated calibration during surgery, substandard sterility, and inadequate range of motion and strength.

The research team acknowledged that it is common for emerging technologies to exhibit shortcomings in their early stages. They anticipate that the surgical efficiency of humanoid robots will see substantial enhancements in the future.