While robotic laparoscopic surgical systems do make certain procedures safer and less invasive, those systems are still operated by human surgeons. Now, however, a surgical robot has performed a delicate operation entirely on its own. Known as the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), the robotic-arm-equipped device was designed by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Back in 2016, when operating on pigs, STAR was shown to be equal to or better than experienced surgeons at performing a procedure known as an intestinal anastomosis – this involved painstakingly suturing together the two severed ends of a small intestine. At the time, however, the robot had to access the intestine via a large external incision, and still required some guidance from humans.