A robot that imitates the flexibility of a snake could be used in cancer surgery within 10 years, experts say. The remote-controlled robot, called COBRA, has previously been used in jet engineering and nuclear plants.
The University of Nottingham, which developed the robot, has secured funding to make the robot the first of its kind in the UK. Prof Dragos Axinte (ABOVE) said: "We have started early tests to see if the robot can... perform surgical procedures."
The researchers, who are collaborating with Rolls-Royce, said they had secured funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to adapt COBRA for use in surgery - specifically throat cancer and injury surgery.
They said that while such medical procedures were currently performed with endoscopic tools, COBRA could offer more dexterity, accuracy, and high-definition views for surgical teams.
It has been used as part of a preliminary study at a hospital in Leicester. READ MORE...
