The 2007 Robot of the Year awards ceremony was held at TEPIA, in Aoyama, Tokyo on December 20, 2007. The Judge’s Special Prize and a commendation went to the MR Image-Guided Surgical Robotic System, developed in a joint project involving Waseda University, Kyushu University, Hitachi,
Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corp., Mizuho Co. Ltd, and the University of Tokyo.

The MR Image-guided Surgical Robotic System is a medical system for endoscopic surgery, integrating medical robotics and MRI (magnetic resonance images) equipment. By using this system, the surgeon can operate a high-precision surgical robot in the MRI gantry with real time guidance by multiple images, an endoscopic image and an interior image of the human organ via MRI. This system was developed on consignment from NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization). Accurate and safe surgery beyond human capabilities is realized by means of a sophisticated combination of MRI images inside the human organ. The 2007 Robot of the Year awards ceremony was held at TEPIA, in Aoyama,Tokyo on December 20, 2007. The Judge’s Special Prize and a commendation went to the MR Image-Guided Surgical Robotic System, developed in a joint project involving Waseda University, Kyushu University, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Medical Corp., Mizuho Co. Ltd, and the University of Tokyo.

Professor Makoto Hashizume*, the project leader, is explaining the MR Image-guided Surgical Robotic System to Mr. Akira Amari, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.(*From the Center for Integration of Advanced Medicine and Innovative Technology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University)

(images which are invisible to the human eye) and a robot which performmore precise movement than the human hand. Since MRI captures images inside the organ using high magnetic fields and weak radio waves, robot operation in MRI requires extremely advanced technology. Two reasons were given for the system's high evaluation and the awarding of the prize. First, the robotics system’s significance to society is high because it is aimed at the resolution of technical difficulties in existing minimally invasive surgery and at the ability to perform more advanced and safer surgeries. Second, this system is unprecedented in the world for its technical innovation, enabling the performance of surgery under MRI image guidance.

Professor Masakatsu Fujie, who participated in the development, is also the leader of a 21^st COE Program involving innovative research on symbiotic human-robot technologies for the elderly dominated society. He is systematically working towards the research and development of robotics technology to support human health, and continues his research to make robotics technology truly useful to the social infrastructure.

Updated: January 24, 2008
Copyright Licence Agreement and Other Notices
Copyright(C) 2006 All rights researved. Office of International Research Promotion