Entry 08 - Surgical Robots

<Surgical Robots>

Over the history, human has invented robots to help our lives to be more convenient. As science and technology develops, there are so many different kinds of robots that exists in our life in 21st century. Humanoids, which looks like human and are programmed to think like human, Robot vacuums, which brooms and mops our floor by sensing the obstacles and structure of the room, industrial robots, which are used to increase productivity and to cut down human labor force, are all robots that were invented over periods and are currently being used. For medical field, engineers have invented something that is called a surgical robot. Started with needle placement, brain biopsy and trans urethral resection, surgical robots can even assist with a cardiac surgeries. (1)

Using surgical robots is to improve diagnostic abilities, to do more precise and closer interventions with the patience, as well as it can also cut down on surgical time. However, there is a concern where surgeries with surgical robots can be very costly and we cannot completely rely on them. The surgical robots do not operate the surgery by themselves, but there has to be a physician who conducts and watches over the robot the whole time. These physicians are required to get a extensive training time in order to operate the surgical robots.

<Relations to Computer Science>

Since surgical robots are very new idea, it is very hard for human to trust on a robot especially when the surgery is something that can be directly related to patients' life and health. An article suggests that there issues with latency which means that there is a lagging moment in between when robot moves and physician operates it. (1) Additionally, there is a possibility with incorrectly programming the surgical robots. It is impossible that we manipulate the coded program in the middle of the surgery even if it is needed. Likewise, there are more aspects that are need to be complemented in order for surgical robots to be used widely; however, I believe that surgical robots can decline the chance of human errors especially during the course of tedious and tiring surgeries once the robots are checked and approved to say that they are good to go. I'm looking forward to an affordable medical services with a future medical development in a near future with the help of surgical robots.

<References>
1. http://allaboutroboticsurgery.com/surgicalrobots.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot-assisted_surgery