Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Snake-like Robots For Throat Surgery Doc Ock-Style
Snake-like robots are under development at Johns Hopkins University for use in throat surgery. The tiny robotic "snakes" have tools at the ends and are fabricated from non-magnetic materials.
(Snakelike robots for throat surgery)
During surgical procedures, a physician would sit at a workstation showing a three-dimensional view of the site of the operation. Software would control the movement of the robot, following the direction of the doctor.
This is not an autonomous robot; it is a tool for use by surgeons, not a replacement for surgeons. One of the developers, Russell H. Taylor, a professor of computer science, states:
"We want to work in partnership with surgeons to help them do their work more effectively. Human hands are remarkable, but they have limitations. There are times when it would be useful to have a 'third hand,' and we can provide that. Sometimes a surgeon's fingers are too large to work in a small confined space within the body. We can help by building tools that act like unhumanly small and highly dexterous hands."
The snakelike robots are highly maneuverable - they can form tight S-curves and have six degrees of freedom. They will help surgeons make incisions and even tie sutures with greater precision. They will require another five years of development and experimentation before use with human patients.
I couldn't resist a reference to Doc Ock - Doctor Otto Octavius, the genius who became an archvillain in Spider Man. Doc Ock also used his robotic tentacles for scientific experimentation.
(Doc Ock from Spiderman)
It's interesting that an optimal solution for moving around in tight spaces has already been found by nature; for the large size version of this same problem, see Snake-Arm Robots From OCRobotics Reach Out and Snake-Arm Robot In A Plane. For an historical perspective, see the encyclopedic Snake Robot Roundup!. Story via Johns Hopkins snake robot press release.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 12/24/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 2 )
Related News Stories - (" Medical ")
Prototype 3D Printer Could Print Arteries In Seconds
'... in the tank the new body and the new mind and memory and life has taken almost instant form.' - Clifford Simak, 1963.
NextSense Earbuds Spy On Your Brain
'Your cephalochromoscope that cost you nine hundred dollars... colors and ceph patterns...' - Philip K. Dick, 1977.
Do Contagious Vaccines Work Better?
'...suppose we do plant an epidemic of Nine-Day Fever in Zone Red.' - Robert Heinlein, 1952.
Artificial, Implantable Kidney Prototype
'George Walt's corporate existence proved the workability of wholly mechanical organs...' - Philip K. Dick, 1964.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Lightyear 0 World's First Production-Ready Solar Car
'It could maintain a steady six miles per hour...'
AI Robots Excel At Trash Sorting And Recycling
'Then they press one of these here thirteen buttons...'
Could Increased Space Rocketry Damage The Ozone Layer?
'...without burning a single hydrocarbon molecule to injure the diseased atmosphere any further.'
Dyson's Secret Household Robots
'...work a human being does around a house.'
Festo BionicSwift Bird Robots Described In 1930
'Bird-like robots now descended from the ceiling of the theatre...'
Robotics Jobs In The Food Industry
'The efficient robot waiter of the Sky Club had cleared away the remnants of an epicurean meal.'
Prototype 3D Printer Could Print Arteries In Seconds
'...in the tank the new body and the new mind and memory and life has taken almost instant form.'
China Wants 'Hard Kill' Capability To Counter Starlink Satellites
'pirate three-vee satellites sanded out of orbit...'
Low-Cost Gel Pulls Water From Atmosphere Like Star Wars Vaporator
'The atmosphere yielded its moisture with reluctance. It had to be coaxed down...'
Pixy Flying Selfie Drone From Snap
'It hovered behind him like a large tame bee.'
Smallest Remote-Controlled Walking Robot Crabs
A robot 'as big as a dust grain.'
Pleasure Model Replicants Now Available
'Want a life-companion... sir, I can get you up any style you want.'
Robot Covered In Living Human Skin
'Hey buddy, you got a dead cat in there or what?'
Dall-E 2 Creates Art To Order
'Something different,' she said. 'Maybe a combined Miro and Goya.'
SpaceX Rocket Quick Reaction Force
'... the ship went into free flight, arching in a high parabola.'
Do AIs Create Their Own Language?
'the Mentanicals have begun to acquire a faculty not primarily given them by their inventors — the faculty of speech...'
