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Following the first episode on the solar sheep in Qinghai province, we take you to Xinjiang this time, where a ‘man-made ocean’ has successfully bred high-quality salmon, reaching Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe within 24 hours.
SD Advocates
** 博客文章文責自負,不代表本公司立場 **
A research team at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) has published a groundbreaking study in the leading international journal Nature. The study details the first-ever use of two Chinese-made Unitree G1 humanoid robots to perform two live-animal gallbladder removal surgeries via remote control. It marks the world's first experiment of this kind.
The report's first author and corresponding author is UCSD PhD student Zekai Liang. The findings have drawn attention from the international tech and medical communities.
The research team noted that the G1 used in this study is a general-purpose humanoid robot. It stands about 1.5 meters tall and weighs roughly 27 kilograms. Unlike traditional dedicated surgical robots, its design is closer to human form, and it can work with off-the-shelf medical instruments.
The team fitted the robot with a surgical adapter. This adapter allows the robot's hands directly grip laparoscopic surgical tools. A remote-control system then translated the surgeon's movements into precise robotic actions.
According to the report, the surgery was not carried out by a single robot working alone. Instead, two G1 units divided the labor between them. One handled the main surgical operations, while the other assisted by controlling the endoscope and retracting tissue, mimicking the division of roles in a real surgical team. The researchers performed two laparoscopic cholecystectomies on test pigs. Both procedures were completed successfully without needing to convert to open surgery.
That said, the researchers acknowledged that humanoid robots still face considerable limitations at this stage. These include the need for frequent recalibration and movement fluidity that falls short of human hands. Overall surgical times also ran longer than those of existing dedicated surgical robots.
During the second procedure, there was minor bile leakage and bleeding from the liver bed. Both issues were addressed immediately without causing serious complications.
The research team believes this achievement primarily demonstrates the feasibility of humanoid robots entering surgical settings. Because the G1 can use standard medical instruments and offers more flexible deployment options, it could eventually serve remote areas and regions with limited medical resources. It might even support surgery in unconventional environments.
UCSD Professor Michael Yip said that remotely controlled and autonomously operating humanoid robots have the potential to expand patients' access to critical surgeries. This, he added, could help ease global healthcare pressures.
Another key focus of this research is first author and corresponding author Zekai Liang. Multiple Chinese and English-language media outlets have pointed out that this reflects the important role Chinese scholars are playing in cutting-edge robotic medical research. It also signals that Chinese-made humanoid robots are gradually moving from demonstration products toward experimental medical applications.
This study represents pre-clinical validation. It is not intended to replace existing surgical robot systems. Rather, its core aim is to prove that general-purpose humanoid robots can function in remote surgical settings.
