#AI in healthcare

Surgeons remotely controlled a Unitree G1 humanoid robot to perform two laparoscopic gallbladder removal surgeries on live pigs, marking the first use of a general-purpose humanoid robot for live surgery. The results were published in Nature. This demonstrates a low-cost alternative to specialized surgical robots like the da Vinci system, potentially expanding access to remote and resource-limited settings such as rural areas, battlefields, or space. It could democratize advanced surgical care. The Unitree G1 base model costs $13,500, and with dexterous hands it costs about $67,000, far less than the $500,000+ for dedicated surgical robots. The robot is 1.5m tall and weighs 27kg.