SPRINGDALE (KFSM) --Students at the Don Tyson School of Innovation got hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology used by surgeons on Tuesday (Sept. 6).
Students got the rare opportunity to control a Da Vinci robot, which is used for by surgeons for extra precision during delicate surgeries.
Northwest Health Systems has two Da Vinci robots and students got to see what they could do using this replica.
“I was expecting it to move more like controls, but it was a lot more hand movement” said Will Hodge. "It reminded me of virtual reality."
Another freshman, Allison Lind, said she has been looking forward to trying the Da Vinci out herself.
“I was kind of nervous because I felt like I was doing a real operation and I felt like I needed to be really delicate with it,” Lind said.
Fellow ninth grader Jose Leon said getting to interact with this kind of technology makes it easier to understand.
“It was kind of hard to figure the things out, but when I was picking on it and stuff and I learned how to grab the stuff and turn it around,” said Jose Leon.
Larry Blake with Intuitive Surgical said the plastic version of the Da Vinci is used for skills drills, but works the same way as the robots in the operating rooms.
“Actually have the dexterity beyond even the human hand," Blake said. "To get a feel for what that would be like and also to see what it's like to see in 3-D and to be able to manipulate the endoscope and manipulate the instruments as well."
Students at the School of Innovation were Arkansas students who have had a chance to use the Da Vinci robot.