Humanoid Robots Perform Surgery on Live Animals for First Time
Surgeons at UC San Diego used two teleoperated humanoid robots to remove gallbladders from live pigs, marking the first time such machines have operated on living subjects.
Details of the Landmark Study
- Date: July 10, 2026
- Source: Nature
- Location: University of California San Diego
- Achievement: Successful removal of gallbladders from live pigs using humanoid robots.
The Robots: Meet Surgie
The robot, affectionately known as Surgie, is based on the Unitree G1, a general-purpose humanoid robot developed by Chinese firm Unitree. Surgie stands approximately 1.5 meters tall and weighs about 27 kg. Unlike bespoke surgical machines, Surgie is an off-the-shelf model that was adapted for surgical tasks.
Cost Savings and Versatility
One of the significant advantages of Surgie is its affordability—a base Unitree G1 starts at approximately $13,500. This is significantly lower than the cost of specialist surgical robotic systems like Intuitive’s da Vinci, which can range from half a million to several million dollars.
Additionally, Surgie takes up much less space, making it suitable for deployment in rural areas, battlefields, and even space—a testament to its versatility.
The Operations
The surgical procedures involved two operations with increasing complexity:
- First Operation: One robot assisted a human surgeon.
- Second Operation: Two teleoperated robots worked together to perform the surgery.
Both gallbladder removals were successful, demonstrating Surgie‘s capability and potential for future medical applications.
Challenges Remain
Despite this landmark achievement, the robots are still slow and shaky, highlighting ongoing challenges in developing humanoid robotic surgery systems. However, this study represents a significant step forward in exploring the possibilities of robotic assistance in medicine.