Sony has confirmed its progress in developing a robot capable of performing delicate surgical procedures. The company unveiled this robot specialized in assisting with microscopic surgery at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation, held in Japan this year.
In a press release, Sony stated that the goal of the initial model is to aid doctors and surgeons facing increasing operational challenges due to labor shortages. The initial model was developed to work alongside a microscope and assist in microscopic surgical procedures, with the company believing it can improve accuracy during surgeries on different tissues, such as nerves and blood vessels.
The initial model features several characteristics, including automatic exchange of miniature surgical tools, storage of tools near the robot’s arm, and addressing delays and interruptions caused by traditional surgical assisting robots that require manual tool exchange.
At Sony, a small, sensitive, lightweight control device capturing human finger movements was invented by the research and development team. The device has multiple joints allowing for movements similar to a human wrist. Additionally, Sony introduced 1.3-inch 4K resolution micro OLED screens for semiconductor solutions, displaying high-quality images of specific areas and surgical tool movements.
In February, Sony collaborated with Aichi Medical University to test the initial model. During the experiment, doctors used the initial model without experience to perform anastomosis on animal blood vessels, aiming to enhance the robot and test the technology’s effectiveness through collaboration with the university’s medical departments.
