Robots learn surgical skills from videos, advancing future surgeries

Researchers at Johns Hopkins and Stanford have trained a robotic surgical system to perform complex tasks by learning from surgical videos. This method, called imitation learning, allows the robot to mimic the skills of human surgeons without detailed programming. The robotic system can manipulate tools, lift tissue, and suture with high accuracy. It also demonstrates the ability to correct its own mistakes, enhancing its adaptability in unpredictable surgical situations. This advancement could accelerate the development of fully autonomous surgical robots. The team aims to expand the technology to enable robots to perform complete surgical procedures, potentially improving access to high-quality surgical care worldwide.