Scientists want to define just how smart robot surgeons are

The system ranges from level zero to level five. The lowest one describes tele-operated robots that have no autonomous abilities. It then rises to level one, where a robot can provide some "mechanical guidance" while a human has "continuous control." Level two describes a robot that can handle small tasks on its own, chosen and initiated by an operator. Level three allows the robot to create "strategies," which a human has to approve first. Level four means the robot can execute decisions on its own, but with the supervision of a qualified doctor, while level five grants full autonomy.