MIRA, a robot sent to the ISS and designed for various tasks, such as tissue cutting and manipulation, incorporates camera and remote control technology, allowing surgeons to direct operations remotely. With its two robotic arms, it simulates surgical procedures in space.
Unmanned deliveries to the International Space Station (ISS) often contain crucial supplies and scientific experiments. However, a recent resupply mission included a special cargo: a miniature surgical robot ready to perform surgery simulations.
The miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant (MIRA) was launched into space on January 30, its creators recently announced, and reached the space station on February 1. Developed by Shane Farritor, a professor of engineering at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and his team, the device is housed in a cabinet the size of a microwave oven.
Virtual Incisionco-founded by Farritor, produced a space version of the robot in Nebraska before undergoing rigorous testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, under the supervision of NASA engineers.
Experiments with the MIRA robot aim to better understand the impact of zero gravity on surgical procedures.
Details about MIRA How does the robot sent to the ISS operate?
The device, weighing only 1 kg, has two robotic arms for tissue manipulation and cutting. It incorporates a camera and remote control technology, conceived with the purpose of enabling surgeons to carry out remote interventions, thus facilitating the performance of surgeries in places that are difficult to access, such as in combat situations.
The planned experiments will be supervised by a Lincoln surgeon, who will provide remote instructions to the device to perform simulated dissection and manipulation of small objects. During these trials, the robot will use its left arm to grasp and its right arm to make cuts, closely mimicking the actions of a human surgeon in a hospital operating room, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln said.
According to a Virtual Incision representative, these surgical experiments are scheduled for this month.
The version of the robot designed for space use and currently under development for terrestrial applications as well, has the ability to perform pre-programmed tasks and remote operations, according to a Virtual Incision press release. The planned exercise aims to evaluate how zero gravity affects surgical task simulations.
MIRA, the miniature surgical robot, is already on the International Space Station. Although the results of the surgical simulations will be released months after the robot’s return to Earth, the researchers argue that this experiment will enhance remote surgeries both in space and on the surface.
Notably, the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of up to 30,200 surgical specialists by 2034 in the country.
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Photo and video: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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