Robot surgeon uses frighteningly large needle to remove shrapnel, your resistance

We've reported on many a creepy looking and dangerous sounding robot in the past, but this one might just take the cake when it comes to dominating your nightmares for the next few nights. Developed by a team at Duke University, the bot uses ultrasound to identify areas of density in human flesh, then starts probing them with a rather painfully large looking needle. It could be used to locate and extract bits of shrapnel from stricken GIs on the battlefield, but that same tech might also be deployed to pierce women's breasts and men's prostates -- ostensibly to treat cancers of those respective regions, but we can think of more nefarious reasons. The bot doesn't have a name, but once it and its kind take over, neither will you.

[Via gizmag]

[schmitty338 @ Jun 22nd 2009 9:47AM]

Sha-weeeet~!

[OneLove @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:23AM]

why is he smiling like that?

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:38AM]

Because his prick is bigger then yours?

Sorry I had to. I'll go sit in a corner now and think about what I did.

[John @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:07AM]

Think about where they other arm might be...

[idiot @ Jun 22nd 2009 9:52AM]

i still prefer the electromagnet method

[asuka @ Jun 22nd 2009 9:55AM]

I am NOT bending over and coughing for that thing.

[Follow the money @ Jun 22nd 2009 9:55AM]

ha ha - Robots are going take over and kill us!

[sajonfalcon @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:03AM]

That's one floating black orb away from having a place on the Death Star.

[amneziac @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:08AM]

nice

[fistpittingnork @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:15AM]

Probo + kids + Chris Hansen = best Engadget photoshop ever.

Great stuff.

[SOOPERGOOMAN @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:27AM]

It looks lik ehe has a robotic arm. very nice shopp job.

[Wwhat @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:18AM]

I'm not sure it is shopped, he's leaning on it, it's a nice job of the photographer on scene to pick the angle and tell the guy to stand there, but I'm not sure that's any adobe getting involved with the positioning part, although it's hard to be sure of course, there is some processing done and it's hard to tell what's real.

[pablito @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:34AM]

Perfect, since now we couldn't yell to the one who handles the needle.

[Harold Nyholm @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:36AM]

Pretty freaking creepy

[Jason D. Clinton @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:38AM]

If that 'guy' is the robot surgeon, I'll take two please. Surely it can be reprogrammed to my pool boy. Eh, maybe I just need one pool boy. What to do with the other one...

[the swiss @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:41AM]

as long as this thing does not start shouting "hastala vista baby" or "restistance is futile" the world will be okey...

[glenn s @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:52AM]

Keep that think away from my prostate!

[glenn s @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:54AM]

Keep that THING away from prostate.

(Engadget, when are you going to let people edit their own comments?)

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 22nd 2009 4:21PM]

Never. Because lazy is how Engadget rolls.

[Wwhat @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:08AM]

Removing shrapnel eh, so it's developed in canada for fixing US friendly fire incidents I assume?

[manny @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:16AM]

today innocent surgeon robot...tomorrow dark overlord IT-O droid (http://www.starwars.com/databank/droid/ito/index.html)

[OneLove @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:25AM]

"Content blocked by your organization" :(

[dolapo10 @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:55AM]

for a second there i thought his left arm was the giant needle

[euclid @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:45PM]

Lies! Thats a adamantium injector to create super mutant GIs.

[Seoul Brother @ Jun 22nd 2009 1:20PM]

In related news, the robotic Mohel Extreme2010 will be performing the first automated bris as soon as a few kinks can be ironed out.

[ED @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:14AM]

I, for one, welcome anyone who wishes to go ahead of me in the queue of test subjects.

[Brannon.fissette @ Jun 23rd 2009 2:12AM]

this connected with an Iphone, i see Skynet...