A noted polytechnical university in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has developed a robot that can help set bones, conduct surgeries and medical research.

The robot was developed by the Harbin Polytechnical University based in the provincial capital Harbin, in collaboration with several other Chinese research bodies including the robot institute of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

According to researchers with Harbin university, they have developed two types of the robot: a mainframe built on a wholly-digital platform to carry out medical research and track state-of-the-art technologies of the world, and a smaller system for clinical use.

To date, the smaller robot system has helped conduct 21 bone setting surgeries, all of which were successful.

The research group has applied for four patents for the interdisciplinary project that involves robotics, network technologies, computer science, imaging and surgery.

China's high-tech development program, code-named Project 863, financed the research.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2004)