Robots to save lives

If you were into Robot Wars as a kid, now’s the chance to relive the action, as Exeter Uni celebrate a prestigious grant for robotic research by allowing the public to try out the technology.

Exeter Uni and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust have formed a partnership to research robotic surgery, and Intuitive Surgical in California have given Dr Sam Vine and Dr Mark Wilson from Sport and Health Sciences funding to explore the use of robotic surgery during surgeon training. The project will help the NHS decide whether it can be used for the next generation of surgeon training, as aspects of the surgery could help surgeons perform better under pressure.

Mr John McGrath, consultant urological surgeon and honorary senior lecturer at University of Exeter Medical School, said: “Because of the robot’s precision and cutting edge technology such as 3-D vision and magnified views, it has been suggested that surgeons can be trained more quickly and will feel less stress during difficult procedures.

“If this is the case, the surgeon may be better equipped to safely deal with stressful situations during complex surgery.”