--- title: "This Miniature Surgery Robot Was Inspired by Origami" description: "Researchers at Harvard built a tiny microscale surgical robot, only about the size of a tennis ball, which was inspired by origami." date: "2020-08-25" modified: "2020-08-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/miniature-surgery-robot-inspired-origami" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "robot surgeon" - "robot surgery" - "the digest" --- # This Miniature Surgery Robot Was Inspired by Origami ![Researchers at Harvard built a tiny microscale surgical robot, only about the size of a tennis ball, which was inspired by origami.]() *\Image: Wyss Institute at Harvard University\* ## Tiny Surgeon Researchers at Harvard collaborated with Sony to build a [tiny, origami-inspired surgical robot](). The robot is only about the size of a tennis ball and weighs only as much as a penny. And it's not just tiny: in [a study]() published in *Nature Machine Intelligence*, the researchers described how it managed to perform a tricky mock surgical task. The research is part of a greater vision in which surgical procedures are taken over by robots, which offer more precise control than human surgeons. But so far, these robot surgeons tend to be massive, often almost [taking up the entire surgical room](). For more detailed work that requires precision, it may be a job for tiny bots. ## Scaling Down The researchers' tiny robot surgeon can reach its final shape by "popping up" like a novelty birthday card, [according to a statement](), after being laser-cut out of a special laminated material. Such a complex three-dimensional shape would be otherwise tricky to construct, according to the team. Three linear actuators allow it to move up and down, rotate side to side, and extend and retract. The tiny actuators themselves are made out of a special ceramic material that changes shape when an electrical field is applied to it. An LED optical sensor makes sure that it knows where to go. ## Holding Steady Early tests showed that the Lilliputian bot had a far "steadier hand" than a human surgeon. It was also far more accurate and less error-prone. It was even able to successfully puncture a mock retinal vein, only about twice the thickness of a human hair, without causing damage. **READ MORE:** [Harvard and Sony built a tiny surgery robot inspired by origami]() \[*Engadget*\] **More on robot surgeons:** *[Watch a Surgery Robot Operate on a Jack-o’-Lantern]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()