Gear- or Actuator-Driven, These Bots Are Cutting-Edge

GEAR- OR ACTUATOR-DRIVEN,These Bots are Cutting-EdgeJack McGuinn, Senior EditorA surgeon at the controls of an Intuitive da Vinci surgical system. The surgeon—via the 3Dviewfinder/moni-tor and with the help of a surgical assistant—directs the robot’s four available arms to where they need to be in order to perform a surgical procedure. (Source: Intuitive Surgical.) 0032 powertransmissionengineering october 2008 www .powertransmission.comRobots are everywhere these days— thoracoscopic (chest) surgery for cardiac surgery has been fairly static for 20–30 bots in the factory, bots in space, bots at procedures performed with adjunctive years in terms of implant design and the airport, bots in the movies and much, incisions, and urologic and gynecologic implementation—nothing really earth-much more. But robots in the operating procedures.” shattering going on there; same carpen-room? Today, according to Distefano, Intui- try-like tools—so bringing in a tactilely And why not? Th ey may not have tive’s robots are “practicing” in most U.S. guided robotics platform really captures the sex appeal of a George Clooney metropolitan centers and in more than their imagination. So we’re getting a lot back in his ER days, but they’ll cer- 25 countries around the world. of like-minded thought leaders because tainly have a much longer run. In truth, Once one gets past the Brave New of this technology platform. When they surgical robotics has been around since ...