Current:Home > FinanceA tiny robot on the space station will simulate remote-controlled surgery up there -Streamline Finance
A tiny robot on the space station will simulate remote-controlled surgery up there
View
Date:2025-04-16 02:08:46
The robot is small in size but its aspirations are out of this world — literally.
MIRA, which stands for miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant, recently became the first surgical robot at the International Space Station.
The tiny robot, which weighs about 2 pounds, arrived at the space station on Feb. 1. Over the next few weeks, the robotic assistant will practice operating in zero gravity.
Developers plan to use MIRA to conduct a surgical simulation via remote-controlled technology, with a surgeon directing its movements 250 miles away from Nebraska.
"The tasks mimic surgical tissue with tension that allows a dissection to be performed," a University of Nebraska release explained. The robot "will use its left arm to grasp, and its right arm to cut, much like a human surgeon in a hospital operating room."
The robot was developed by Virtual Incision Corporation, based in Lincoln, Neb. It was also made possible through a partnership between NASA and the University of Nebraska.
The space mission can potentially help pave the way for medicine in long-distance space travel, but the inventors of MIRA hope their version of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) will make the greatest difference for health care on Earth, particularly in areas that lack access to a local surgeon.
"When we started this work at the University of Nebraska, we shared a collective vision that miniRAS could make robotic-assisted surgery available to any patient, any time, anywhere," said Shane Farritor, Virtual Incision's co-founder. "Exploring the use of miniRAS in extreme environments helps our teams understand how we can remove barriers for patients."
The goal is for MIRA to be controlled by a surgeon through a console. From there, the surgeon can direct the robot's camera and instruments inside a patient's body. MIRA's inventors say it could be game changing in rural areas and in military battlefields.
The real-world application explains MIRA's size. Virtual Incision said RAS technology tend to be big and clunky, so the company wanted to design a device that would be easy to transport, store and set up.
Farritor and his colleagues have been developing MIRA for nearly two decades. MIRA is scheduled to return to Earth in the spring.
veryGood! (6823)
Related
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Hailee Steinfeld Proves All That Glitters Is Gold With Stunning 2024 Oscars Look
- Biden’s reference to ‘an illegal’ rankles some Democrats who argue he’s still preferable to Trump
- Peek inside the 2024 Oscar rehearsals: America Ferrera, Zendaya, f-bombs and fake speeches
- Average rate on 30
- Josh Hartnett and Wife Tamsin Egerton Have a Rare Star-Studded Date Night at Pre-Oscars Party
- Messi the mega influencer: Brands love his 500 million followers and down-to-earth persona
- Sly Stallone, Megan Fox and 'Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey' score 2024 Razzie Awards
- Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
- Lionel Messi injury: Here’s the latest before Inter Miami vs. Montreal, how to watch Sunday
Ranking
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- Report and letter signed by ‘Opie’ attract auction interest ahead of Oscars
- Gold ring found in Sweden about 500 years after unlucky person likely lost it
- Lionel Messi injury: Here’s the latest before Inter Miami vs. Montreal, how to watch Sunday
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Heidi Klum, Tiffany Haddish and More Stars Stun at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars 2024 Party
- Little League isn't just for boys: How girls and their moms can get involved in baseball
- Descendants of suffragists talk about the importance of women's voices in 2024
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Broncos are sending receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Browns for two draft picks, AP sources say
2024 starting pitcher rankings: Spencer Strider, Gerrit Cole rule the mound
These Barbies partied with Chanel the night before the Oscars
The Super Bowl could end in a 'three
You Need to See Liza Koshy Handle Her Red Carpet Tumble Like a Total Pro
Report and letter signed by ‘Opie’ attract auction interest ahead of Oscars
NBA fines Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert $100,000 for 'inappropriate gesture'