Robots will perform spinal surgery with greater accuracy than humanly possible as part of a ground-breaking research project. A research team has created a system that allows two robotic arms to semi-autonomously drill holes in individual vertebrae.

A novel spinal exoskeleton has undergone a comprehensive evaluation of the newest version. The SPEXOR exoskeleton is designed to prevent low-back pain and support workers with existing low-back pain. The team found the device performed better than existing devices.

A flexible endoscopic surgical robot opens a new chapter for minimally invasive robot-assisted surgery with its precision control of 3.7 mm diameter robotic arms. The two arms, placed at the end of flexible endoscopes, demonstrate precision control and robust mini-joint design technologies. While cruising through the complicated inner body pliably, it carries out procedures on the spot with its robotic arms.

A U.S.-based training program has been launched for Versius, a next-generation surgical robotic system that uses biomimicry to perform like a human arm. CMR Surgical has partnered with the Nicholson Center to train 27 surgical teams, which include more than 100 healthcare professionals.

The medical robotics market is expected to exceed more than US$13.0 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 21.1 percent. These systems are shifting the design of the surgical suite, changing physicians’ surgical strategies and enabling more surgical precision.

Researchers studied eight gait parameters in order to come up with a very sophisticated software program that uses an avatar to predict how much energy people use when they walk depending on their walking style. The software could be used to design exoskeletons or custom prosthetics.

Think of it as mathematics with a bite: Researchers at CU Boulder have uncovered the statistical rules that govern how gigantic colonies of fire ants form bridges, ladders and floating rafts. The findings may also help researchers explore designs for new dynamic networks, including molecular machines that deliver drugs directly to cells.

A robot could become the weapon of choice for detecting and treating the most common cancer in men, improving results and reducing side effects. Scientists and mathematicians are working on a potentially game-changing way of improving the accuracy of both prostate cancer biopsies and of brachytherapy, which is used to treat some prostate cancers.

The constant movement of fish that seems random is actually precisely deployed to provide them at any moment with the best sensory feedback they need any to navigate the world, researchers found. The finding enhances our understanding of active sensing behaviors performed by all animals including humans, such as whisking, touching and sniffing, and demonstrates how robots built with better sensors could interact with their environment smarter and more effectively.

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) has awarded $1.4 million in project funding to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as part of its first round of funding to strengthen U.S. manufacturing. The project focuses on advanced robotics manufacturing and will develop an operator-guided, semi-automatic assembly process using industrial robots integrated with multiple sensors.

The goal of the project is to improve manufacturing productivity by enhancing the operator’s capabilities through advanced robotics, and appropriately applying the technologies that capitalize on the strengths of the robotics (e.g., precise manipulation) and the operator (e.g., decision-making).