They struggle valiantly to stabilize him, but despite their best efforts, the patient dies. As the staff members stand numbly next to the bed, one starts giggling uncontrollably. Actually, it's a snapshot of cutting-edge medical training. Sophisticated mathematical models of human physiology and pharmacology determine Stan's reactions to the PC operator's commands. He responds to 70-plus medical scenarios, including pulmonary edema, diabetic shock and dysfunctional chest tubes.
Some medical robots lend more than a helping hand-they lend an arm or two.
Its slender metal arm manipulates thin optical tubes called surgical endoscopes-a painstaking task that was previously performed by an assistant in response to the surgeon's commands. Computer Motion is currently developing the next generation of its technology, a robotic surgical system called Zeus. Using verbal commands, a surgeon controls Zeus's three robotic arms, one of which positions the endoscope and two of which position surgical instruments. Company officials claim using Zeus for minimally invasive surgery procedures will result in faster recovery times and fewer complications for patients. People do see it as rather a gimmick, but when they have a genuine need for something like SmartSpace, they react very favorably to it.