In a groundbreaking development, researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and Stanford University have successfully trained a robotic surgical system to perform complex tasks with the skill of human doctors.
This achievement marks a significant step toward autonomous robotic surgery, potentially transforming the future of medical procedures.
Robots learn from watching surgical videos
The team utilized a da Vinci Surgical System, a robotic platform typically controlled remotely by surgeons. Using a machine learning technique called imitation learning, they trained the system to perform three critical surgical tasks: manipulating a needle, lifting body tissue and suturing.
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What sets this approach apart is the training method. Instead of painstakingly programming each movement, the robot learned by watching hundreds of videos recorded from wrist-mounted cameras on da Vinci robots during actual surgical procedures. This method allows the robot to learn from the collective experience of numerous skilled surgeons, potentially surpassing …