ZERO GRAVITY ROBOTIC SURGERY 
NASA Reduced Gravity Research Program

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
surgery.uc.edu

SRI INTERNATIONAL
www.sri.com

FORCE DIMENSION
www.forcedimension.com

During four days (September 25-28, 2007), in collaboration with a team of researchers and surgeons, we evaluated the benefits of robotic surgery on air and space flights by performing incision and suturing tasks aboard a NASA C-9 aircraft. Through parabolic flights, the aircraft simulated the microgravity of space and variable gravity of military critical care air transport. An experimental setup composed of a surgical robot manipulator M7 (SRI) and two omega.7 force feedback interfaces (Force Dimension) were programmed to compensate for errors in movement which occurred in moments of turbulence and transition in gravity. The experiments were directed by surgeons from the University of Cincinnati.


FLIGHT PHOTOS - 28 MB
nasa-photos.wmv

FLIGHT MOVIE
youtube.com