For the first time, humanoid robots have carried out surgery inside a real operating theatre, controlled remotely by surgeons from another location. The breakthrough, described as a milestone in robotic medicine, was reported by the BBC’s Tech Life programme, which spoke to an expert involved in the procedure.
Footage from the theatre shows two human-shaped robots standing beside equipment, their articulated arms manipulating instruments with precision while surgeons guided them from a distance. The University of California San Diego, which provided the image, confirmed the event took place in a fully equipped surgical setting.
“Humanoid robots, remotely controlled by surgeons, have performed surgery in an operating theatre for the first time.”
“This is the first time we’ve seen humanoid robots used like this in a live surgery,” the expert told Tech Life presenter Shiona McCallum. “The potential for remote surgery is enormous.”
Until now, most surgical robots have been fixed-arm systems such as the da Vinci, which lack the humanoid form. The use of two independent humanoid bots suggests a step towards more flexible, teleoperated assistants that could one day operate in hazardous or remote environments.
What remains unclear is how quickly the technology can be adopted in hospitals, and whether regulators will approve it for routine use. The expert’s comments hinted at further trials, but gave no timeline. For now, the operation marks a rare convergence of robotics and medicine — one that brings long‑imagined scenarios closer to reality.