Many people learn best by watching others do a task first, and it turns out that method worked for a robot to perform surgery tasks just as well as a human doctor. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University trained the robot to perform surgery by having it watch videos of real surgeons.
The team used the da Vinci Surgical System, which is a robotic platform combining imitation learning with technology similar to how ChatGPT functions.
But instead of processing text, this system works with mathematical language of robotic motion.
The team trained the robot to perform three tasks: use a needle, lift body tissue and suture.
In each case, the robot performed the same surgical procedures as skillfully as human doctors, surprising the team.
“The model is so good learning things we haven’t taught it,” senior author Axel Krieger said. “Like if it drops the needle, it will automatically pick it up and continue. This isn’t something I taught it to do.”
The researchers said they’re now using imitation learning to train a robot to perform a full surgery.
