Remote cure

Specialists at the Stanford Research
Institute in California, US, have pioneered a remote surgery system for
the US Army , which could mean that
doctors will not longer have to work
in thefrontlines. In the system, the
surgeon operates on a virtual image
of the patient which is created by
video pictures beamed by a satellite
from tiny cameras mounted on two
robotic arms at the side of the real
patient. As the surgeon operates the
two instruments on the virtual
image using two mechanical arms in
front of him or her, the robotic arms
hundreds of miles away, follow
every movement slavishly and carry
out the operation on the real body.