Humanoid Robots Complete Live Surgery in World First

In a development that could reshape the future of medicine, researchers at the University of California San Diego have successfully used teleoperated humanoid robots to complete two live surgical procedures in a preclinical trial, marking the first time humanoid robots have been used for surgery on non-primate mammals.

A Surgical First

The groundbreaking research, published in the journal Nature, involved two distinct procedures. In the first, a humanoid robot and a human surgeon worked as a team to successfully perform a gallbladder removal. In the second, two humanoid robots operated side-by-side in a robot-robot team configuration. Both surgeries were performed on large non-primate mammals and represent a proof-of-concept milestone for humanoid robotics in medicine.

Ryan Broderick, MD, Interim Director of the Center for the Future of Surgery and Associate Professor of Surgery at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, called the experiment a successful proof of concept and expressed optimism about its future implications.

Why Humanoid Robots?

The choice of humanoid robots over traditional surgical robotic systems is not accidental. Specialized surgical robots, such as the da Vinci system, are impressive but come with significant limitations. They typically weigh around 1,800 pounds, require large teams to set up, and demand a substantial footprint in operating rooms that often need to be retrofitted to accommodate them. These systems are also designed to perform only one specific function.

Humanoid robots, by contrast, are versatile, mobile, and compact. The robots used in this study, nicknamed Surgie, stand just 5 feet tall and weigh a mere 60 pounds. This dramatic reduction in size and weight makes them far easier to deploy in remote and under-resourced areas where building specialized operating rooms would be prohibitively expensive.

Key Advantages of Humanoid Surgical Robots

• Versatility: Can perform a wide range of procedures and general tasks, unlike single-function surgical systems
• Portability: At 60 pounds, Surgie can be transported to remote communities, battlefields, or even space
• Cost efficiency: A fraction of the cost of specialized surgical robotic systems
• Natural integration: Fits seamlessly into existing operating room workflows designed for human surgeons
• Familiar controls: Feels more natural to operate, especially for those not trained on specialized systems

Addressing the Global Surgeon Shortage

The implications of this research extend far beyond technical achievement. There is a growing shortage of surgeons worldwide, paralleled by increasing patient needs. This gap leads to longer wait times, reduced access to care, and widening healthcare disparities. Michael Yip, a faculty member in the UC San Diego Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and one of the paper’s senior authors, emphasized the real-world potential of this technology.

Remotely operated and autonomous humanoid robots could amplify access to critical surgeries that patients would otherwise never receive. This technology has the potential to address healthcare crises not only in the United States but across the globe, particularly in communities where staffing is challenging or where specialized equipment is unavailable.

How the Technology Works

The humanoid robots are teleoperated, meaning a surgeon controls the robot remotely using a console. The surgeon’s hand movements at the controller are translated into precise movements of the robot’s surgical instruments. This approach delivers the precision of cutting-edge robotic surgery without the need for expensive, dedicated surgical robot systems.

According to Senior Author Shanglei Liu, MD, who teleoperated the robot during the study, a procedure performed by a teleoperated humanoid robot is just as precise as one performed with a traditional teleoperated surgical robotic system. The humanoid form factor is not just a gimmick but an actual design requirement, as modern operating rooms and surgical techniques have been carefully designed around human surgeon workflows.

Technical Challenges Remain

Despite the success, several challenges need to be addressed before humanoid robots become commonplace in operating rooms:

• Calibration frequency: The robots required recalibration multiple times during surgery, extending procedure duration
• Latency: Delays between surgeon controller movements and robot responses need to be minimized, especially for long-distance operations
• Reachable space: The smaller scale of humanoid robots compared to adult humans means careful positioning is required before surgery
• Tool adaptation: Custom adapters were needed for Surgie to hold traditional surgical instruments

Liu noted that these challenges mirror the early days of specialized robotic surgery. The first robotic laparoscopic surgery took six hours; today, the same procedure takes just 30 minutes. Similar improvements are expected for humanoid surgical robots as the technology matures.

The Vision: Autonomous Surgical Assistants

Researchers envision a future where humanoid robots do more than just perform surgery under teleoperation. Because Surgie can walk and perform most physical tasks a human can do, it could eventually serve as a fully autonomous surgical assistant, fetching tools for surgeons and cleaning up operating rooms after procedures.

Yip described the ultimate goal as developing the autonomous surgical assistant. Many communities struggle with adequate staffing on surgical teams, which means patients go untreated. The vision is an operating theatre of the future where humanoid robots and humans work side by side as an integrated team to deliver procedures to those in need, both in traditional hospital settings and in non-traditional field medicine scenarios.

Safety First

Liu acknowledged that there will naturally be concerns about safety whenever new technology is introduced to healthcare. He emphasized that safety is the top priority for the engineering and surgical team. The goal is to responsibly and safely develop a technology that can bring life-changing surgical excellence to more people worldwide. It will still be a considerable time, with extensive safety approvals required, before this technology is ready for use in human patients.

The Broader Context

This breakthrough arrives at a time of accelerating momentum in the humanoid robotics sector. Chinese robotics manufacturer Unitree recently reported strong first-half revenue growth driven by accelerating demand for humanoid robots. Molex has launched compact hybrid connectors specifically designed for humanoid robots and industrial automation. And BBC has reported that humanoid robots represent the next stage in farming, signaling that the technology is expanding across multiple industries.

From manufacturing floors to agricultural fields and now operating rooms, humanoid robots are proving that their versatile, human-sized form factor offers unique advantages over specialized systems. The UC San Diego research demonstrates that the humanoid body is not just aesthetically humanlike but functionally suited for environments designed by and for humans.

Looking Ahead

The research published is several months old, and the team has already been working on new updates to expand the robot’s capabilities both physically and computationally. The collaboration between engineers and surgeons at UC San Diego represents a model for how interdisciplinary partnerships can drive medical innovation.

For patients in remote communities, on battlefields, or even in space, the prospect of a 60-pound robot that can walk into an operating room and perform surgery with the precision of a specialized system could be transformative. While significant work remains before clinical deployment, the proof of concept is a powerful signal that the future of surgery may look increasingly humanoid.

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Edited by Palawan @QUE.COM
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