Schools

Comsewogue Students Test Drive Mather's Surgical Robot

Robotics club competed against three other schools in skills test.

A team of six students headed out to the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove on Saturday to go up against robotics clubs from three other area schools in a skills test using ’s da Vinci Surgical System, a state-of-the-art robotically assisted surgery platform.

The kids performed tasks in a simulated game using the robotic arms taking rings off several pegs and placing them all on another peg. According to a Mather spokesperson, scoring was based on speed and number of rings successfully placed on the final peg. It also took into account whether a ring was dropped and if the two robotic arms bumped one another. Scores were calculated by averaging the individual scores of all of the students on the team.

The team from Smithtown had 66 points and won the competition. Sachem High School came in second with 57 points. Comsewogue tied Miller Place for third place with 51 points.

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According to a statement from Mather Hospital, a surgeon controls the robotic arm of the da Vinci Surgical System, which translates hand motion into precise micro-movements. The surgeon views a magnified, high-resolution 3-D image of the surgical site during the operation.


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