Japan's First Surgical Robot is here

Japan is one of the world's leading producers of industrial robots. But medical robots, have lagged in domestic production and have relied on imports.

The robot “Hinotori,” developed by Medicaroid Corporation, is expected to cut into a market that has been nearly monopolized by foreign companies up to now.

Hinotori's compact design is intended to fit the physique of the typical Japanese person.

The robotic arm has 8 joints that allow it to perform detailed work with smooth hand-like movements. The know-how of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which has excelled in industrial robot technology, is concentrated here.

An additional advantage of the robot is that it cannot get tired or suffer from shaky hands. It is used alongside a detailed 3D image.

The surgeon can perform the procedure as if he was operating inside the body.

A doctor at a Japanese university hospital who has performed over 1000 surgeries with the US-made da Vinci robot said, “The 'da Vinci' machinery is large. And for a smaller Japanese person, there is a rare chance that the robot's arms come in contact with each other. But Hinotori solves this issue. From the point of view of the surgeon, this is a significant improvement.”

Source: Medicaroid

Meanwhile, sufficient training is required to operate Hinotori.

At the same time, though, doctors who have already used da Vinci can easily switch to using Hinotori because there are many points in common.

At the very least, training time can be shortened.

Furthermore, work is being done to begin demonstration tests of “remote surgery” systems that will use high-speed communication lines dedicated to this purpose.

This will connect major health systems in urban areas to regional hospitals, allowing doctors to remotely carry out operations, by guiding, and supporting robots from several hundred kilometers away as if they were in the same room.

Medicaroid is working on next-generation training that employs artificial intelligence and simulates operations based on the technical data of experienced surgeons.