Study: Humanoid robots perform minimally invasive surgery on pigs

A paper published in Nature describes how teleoperated humanoid robots successfully performed minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery in live animals.

Global

Emerging Technologies

By Jessica Hagen,Executive Editor| July 13, 2026 | 2:53 PM

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A study published in Nature demonstrates how researchers at theUniversity of California San Diego (UC San Diego) performed the first successful minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery on live animals using teleoperated humanoid robots and standard surgical instruments. "We initially assess system performance through benchtop experiments and dry-laboratory studies, and further validate the framework in the first humanoid-based in vivo porcine study in which the teleoperated humanoid completes two cholecystectomies," the researchers wrote.

The robots successfully completed laparoscopic gallbladder removal in pigs, including one procedure performed using two teleoperated humanoid robots working together.

Ultimately, the study found that humanoid robots could perform complex, minimally invasive surgical tasks, demonstrating that general-purpose humanoid robots can be adapted for laparoscopic procedures. By []( Bender | July 10, 2026

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