For the first time, researchers have successfully deployed a fully autonomous surgical robot to perform gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) on pig cadavers—without any human joystick control. The system, called Surgical Robot Transformer-Hierarchy (SRT-H), was trained using videos and surgeon joystick movements on Intuitive Surgical’s Da Vinci robot.
Developed by researchers at Stanford and Johns Hopkins, SRT-H mimics surgeon behavior using AI models similar to ChatGPT. It adapts in real time to anatomical differences, navigates tight surgical spaces, and even handles simulated bleeding—marking a major leap toward independent robotic surgery.
While slower than human surgeons, the robot delivered smoother, more precise trajectories. Clinical deployment remains a few steps away, requiring further trials in live animals and a strong human-robot collaboration model. Still, the milestone signals a future where autonomous systems could expand access to surgical care while improving outcomes.