A humanoid robot developed by China's Unitree Robotics has become the first general-purpose humanoid to perform minimally invasive surgery on a living subject, marking a milestone that could broaden the role of versatile robots beyond factories and into operating rooms.

The achievement, reported by researchers at the University of California San Diego in the journal Nature, involved two successful laparoscopic gallbladder removal procedures on live pigs using modified Unitree G1 humanoid robots remotely operated by surgeons. The study represents the first preclinical demonstration of a general-purpose humanoid robot completing live surgery.

Unlike conventional surgical robots, which are purpose-built around specific procedures and proprietary instruments, the modified Unitree G1 operated standard laparoscopic tools commonly used in hospitals.

Surgeons remotely controlled the robot through a teleoperation system that translated human hand movements into precise robotic actions while providing stereoscopic visual feedback. In one operation, the humanoid robot worked alongside a human assistant; in the second, two humanoid robots performed the procedure together.