Unitree G1 also enters medicine
Imagine arriving at the hospital and being cared for by a humanoid robot capable of performing physical examinations, inserting needles with precision and even assisting in critical emergencies, that future is already looming and promises to relieve exhausted doctors, speed up procedures and even save lives in saturated hospitals.
Researchers at the University of California in San Diego decided to face an urgent problem; current surgical robots are excellent, but very specialized, very expensive and depend on highly trained operators. Their answer was simple, bring a versatile, remote-controlled humanoid robot that mimics human hands and arms to perform a variety of medical tasks.
In the study, the Chinese Unitree G1 robot equipped with Inspire Gen 4 robotic hands was tested in seven procedures, from digital stethoscope auscultations to emergency interventions such as bag ventilation, valve and even intubation.
To operate the G1, the researchers developed a bimanual teleoperation system, a human operator uses VR trackers, pedals and cameras that capture each movement of the hands, those gestures are transformed into articulated movements reproduced in real time by the robotic arms with a virtual spring and damping system that guarantees fluidity and safety.
To avoid errors, predefined hand positions are activated for specific tasks, ensuring consistency and reducing risks, while force control adjusts the ideal pressure for delicate procedures such as ultrasound examinations.
If all this seems far away, just look at the results. G1 managed to perform everything from Leopold maneuvers in pregnancy exams to tracheostomies in record time. It still does not replace the doctor, but it can be a valuable right arm, especially in overloaded hospitals or in regions where there is a lack of specialized personnel.
For precision procedures such as ultrasound-guided injections, the success rate reached 70% even with non-medical operators, a clear sign that with training the technology can evolve rapidly, of course, there are still limitations, lack of strength for more intense procedures, touch sensors that do not yet offer sufficient sensitivity and challenges in the fine coordination of tasks such as complex sutures.
And there is also the ethical debate. To what extent will humans be willing to trust their health, including critical surgeries, to remotely controlled robots? The truth is that the Unitree G1 and similar technologies show that the fusion between robotics and medicine is no longer theory, it is moving from the laboratory to the hospital.
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