Remember the video we had here last March with the surgical robot folding and throwing a paper airplane? That was cool. So is this:
That’s a da Vinci surgical robot peeling a grape. At an event to raise awareness of men’s cancers at Southmead Hospital in England, they let doctors, former patients, and the general public try out their surgical robot, and, man, they really can do some precision work with these things. We live in amazing times.
Am I the only one who’s unnerved by this? Amazing medical breakthroughs notwithstanding, but I can already feel those teensy weensy medical pincers delicately cutting my aorta when the robot uprising eventually happens.
#obligatorynerdjoke
John – three words: Bender Bending Rodruiguez.
@Anna, and to add to Julie’s point: A great application for this is remote surgery. Here in Canada, it is very difficult and expensive to get health care professionals to the far North. For example, a Nunavummiuq patient is often flown to Ottawa and recuperates there before being flown back. It costs a mint. If they had a robot in, say, Iqaluit, a surgeon from anywhere could help remotely, saving the tax payers millions.
Julie – But can the robot offer the same witty banter of a Hawkeye Piere and Trapper John or leave the nurses swooning like a McDreamy or McSteamy? Hmmm?
Julie – But can the robot offer the same witty banter of a Hawkeye Piere and Trapper John or leaving the nurses swooning like a McDreamy or McSteamy? Hmmm?
This clip of fruitporn sponsored by Southmead Hospital, “When your fat, pervy fingers aren’t gentle enough to undress grapes, our robot tentacles can do it for you.”
Anna – there are many reasons to use this kind of machine. My understanding is that a doctor can control it remotely and therefore assist with a procedure in another hospital without having to physically be there. It’s also much easier to sterilize a machine, reducing chances of infection for the patient, but also allowing surgeons to minimize their risk of infection from patients who carry any number of pathogens like Hep C and HIV.
I love medical technology. It’s so very cool to me. I think this is also brilliant -> http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/960393–surgeons-use-xbox-to-keep-hands-sterile-before-surgery
Go nerds!
What is the point? Why have expensive robots do things when there is actually a doctor doing it?
This machine saved my dad life. It remove his cancer with precision the only down side was the surgery was very long.
I wish I had health insurance so they could peel my grapes.
TechMology!! Of course, if DaVinci can peel enough of these things, that hospital can have one HELLUVA haunted house–
(dark room)
-“This bowl of peeled grapes really DOES feel like eyeballs?”
–“Where should be put the bowl of grapes that DaVinci peeled?”
-“Wait… I have the grapes here. I’m touching them.”
–“Ummm… those aren’t the grapes!”
oh hospitals… so much fun
They can.
wake me when they can peel people. lol.