jsc2006e14933

JSC2006-E-14933 (14 April 2006) --- As NEEMO 9 heads into its final week, astronaut/aquanaut Nicole P. Stott works with "in vivo" robots developed by the University of Nebraska at Lincoln onboard the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory--off the coast of Key Largo, Florida. The miniature surgical robots are designed to assist laparoscopic surgeons by functioning from completely within the abdominal environment. They have the capability of vision feedback and task assistance from on-board cameras and manipulators. The robots include versions that are both mobile and fixed based, and have been tested in animal surgeries with much success.