Tokyo's IBIS robot promises cheaper surgery
 

"Anything you can do, I can do cheaper," says the Tokyo Institute of Technology while jabbing a rude elow in the ribs of Intuitive Surgical. The Japanese institute is showing off IBIS, a surgical robot that is expected to cost between a third and a tenth of the $2 million it takes to buy one of Intuitive's da Vinci droids. Unlike its electrically-powered American rival, IBIS is pneumatic, making it significantly cheaper and able to provide force feedback to surgeons when the arms touch something. The team behind the 'bot is hoping to produce a practical version within the next five years, and we're already thinking about inviting both machines along for a fight at Expand 2020. In the meantime, you can catch IBIS in action in the video after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/23/i... ign=Engadget