Robotic Surgery on the Battlefield

Robotic Surgery has been around for a few years. The surgeries are normally very successful, being more precise and less invasive. However, there are also many other downsides associated with with robots. For one, they usually take up a lot of space, nearly filling a whole operating room. Sterilizing such a large piece of equipment is also extremely time consuming and the cost for the whole system is very high (around $1 million). For this reason, Peter Berkelman, an professor of engineering at the University of Hawaii has been developing a much smaller, lower cost robot capable of performing quick surgery for the last 4 year .

The robot, which can fit into a backpack, would be ideal for battlefields. A medic could easily carry and sterilize the robot on site, allowing for quick and clean removal of shrapnel. Two joysticks control the system with an "advanced" camera that helps the operator see. Three arms are available to the user, allowing one doctor to hold the camera while working with two arms.

Other benefits include the fact that this robot is made from "off-the-shelf parts," which keeps the cost down to $75,000. The device has yet to gain FDA approval, which means that it will be several years before this becomes a real product. While this device will be able to perform quick surgeries, it is unlikely that any big operations (like open heart surgery) could take place. This is a very exciting development that should lead to improved increased surgical precision.

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