Engineers at Cambridge Medical Robotics have created a robotic arm that is only two meters long and is capable of performing complex surgical operations
British engineers at Cambridge Medical Robotics (CMR) have developed a tiny, snail-shaped automated arm that is capable of performing surgical operations. The robot is called Versius and is the world’s smallest android surgeon.
Versius is capable of performing operations in a minimally invasive manner and is currently being tested in hernia operations, colorectal cancer surgery and prostate surgery. Compared to the robots used to date, Versius is much cheaper and above all is at least three times smaller in size. The surgical robot is small and flexible and can be easily transported from one hospital or department to another. In total it has a length of about two meters, while in terms of production costs should cost exactly half as much as current robots for surgery, only $ 1.3 million.
Inspired by the human arm
To make Versius the engineers of CMR were inspired by a human arm. In fact, the robot faithfully reproduces the movements and joints of a human wrist. During operations, Versius is operated directly by the surgeon, who controls it through a high-resolution 3D display separate from the robotic body. With touch controls, the robotic arm is very easy to use. Martin Frost, CEO of Cambridge Medical Robotics, let it be known that Versius will enter the European market starting in 2018, while CMR’s stated goal is to become the world’s leading surgical robot company within the next five years. Currently, surgical robots represent a $4 billion market, but early estimates suggest the industry will reach $20 billion before 2025.