The surgeon now has enhanced sensory input beyond that which is currently available in the traditional surgical scenario of the patient on the operating table. 5 Electronic mechanical output Sensory input is only one half of the data loop in a surgical procedure. For electronic surgery the surgeon's actions must be translated reliably into electronic data which can be translated back to mechanical output. An electronic interface allows for other methods of data input. Other possibilities for interaction being explored include electromyographically driven devices.
Machines are good at things that humans are poor at.
Machines can be immensely strong or gentle, they are perfectly still when required or can move very rapidly. Their motion can be scaled up and down and they do not become tired or bored. This has been performed at several places around the world, including a demonstration at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' Annual Scientific Congress in Sydney in 1998. These data change continuously in response to the surgeon's actions. The electronic data that represent the patient can be simulated, manipulated, stored and accessed at a distance in time and space from the surgeon.