Dr. Garnette Sutherland and his team from the University of Calgary/Calgary Health Region revealed today the NeuroArm - the World's first Image-guided Surgical Robot.

Designed to be controlled by a surgeon from a computer workstation, neuroArm operates in conjunction with real-time MR imaging, providing surgeons unprecedented detail and control, enabling them to manipulate tools at a microscopic scale. Advanced surgical testing of neuroArm is currently underway, followed by the first patient, anticipated for this summer. NeuroArm, one of the most advanced robotic systems ever developed, was designed and built in collaboration with MDA, known for creating Canadarm and Canadarm2.

"We're not just building a robot, we're building a medical robotics program," Dr. Sutherland says. "We want the neuroArm technology to be translated into the global community, i.e. hospitals around the world," he says. "To accomplish this, we will need our students and young professionals because they're the powerhouse when it comes to embracing new technology and applying it to clinical care."
See also the University of Calgary site.