Could robots ever perform surgical operations?

It is possible that robots may begin to perform some surgical operations on people. The robot would be directed with great precision by a computer working from pictures of the inside of the patient’s body taken with scanners. The computer would be controlled by human surgeons, who would check the progress of the operation on video screens.

Robot surgery could use laser beams instead of knives. The beam would be projected by the robot down a tube into the patient’s body to remove or destroy diseased tissues. This kind of surgery would cause patients less distress than conventional operations.