Medical Robotics Technicians

The inventor and entrepreneur George Devol invented Unimate, the first digitally operated and programmable robot, in 1954. “Devol’s patent for the first digitally operated programmable robotic arm represents the foundation of the modern robotics industry,” according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. The first Unimate was installed at a General Motors plant in 1961. Technicians could program it to retrieve and stack hot die-cast metal pieces.

The development and use of robots in manufacturing grew quickly after Devol’s invention. Gradually, engineers and technicians began developing robots for use in agriculture, shipping, space exploration, healthcare, and other industries. In 1985, the Programmable Universal Machine for Assembly 200 became the first robot platform used on a human patient. It was first used to perform neurosurgical biopsies and later adapted and utilized for common urologic and prostate procedures. In 1993, the Automated Endoscopic System for Optimal Positioning became the first surgical robot that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. “Robotic-assisted surgery is currently used in all surgical disciplines,” according to “The History of Robotic Surgery and its Evolution: When Illusion Becomes Reality,” an article in the Journal of the Brazilian College of Surgeons. The most-popular robot in robotic-assisted surgery is the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/16908-da-vinci-surgery) by Intuitive Surgical. It’s estimated that there are 9,500 da Vinci systems worldwide. Other examples of medical robotics technology include powered exoskeletons (such as HAL), therapeutic robots (such as QTrobot, which helps children with autism), and bionic prostheses.

Medical robotics technology increasingly incorporates advanced artificial intelligence (AI). “The integration of AI into robotic surgery has further advanced surgical precision, efficiency, and accessibility,” according to “Artificial Intelligence: Revolutionizing Robotic Surgery,” an article in Annals of Medicine and Surgery. “However, challenges such as high development costs, reliance on data quality, and ethical concerns about autonomy and liability hinder widespread adoption. Regulatory hurdles and workflow integration also present obstacles.”