Researchers are getting closer to cryopreserving organs. Here's how.

Qmed Staff

Robots have been used for what seems like ages for surgery, but there has been debate about the high price tag of Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci robot and whether it is truly better at operating than human surgeons.

Now, Verb Surgical (backed by Google-parent Alphabet) is partnering with Johnson & Johnson to make robot surgeons smarter. Using its background in artificial intelligence, information sorting, image processing, Verb ultimately plans on making robots more accurate as well as less expensive. Although the company is hush-hush on the details, the explain on their website that the near future of surgical robotics would have been "unimagined even a few years ago."

The technology was initially developed by SRI International, which helped develop the predecessor to Intuitive's da Vinci robot and, perhaps more famously, developed Apple's Siri voice recognition technology. SRI notes that the technology will "enable greater efficiency and improved outcomes across a wide range of surgical procedures."

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our daily e-newsletter.