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Brain Surgery Robot Running Linux

hherb writes "Singapore has developed a robotic brain surgeon. The interesting bit: based on a Linux platform. Well, what else? Who in his right mind would like to have his brain fondled by a MS product?"

3 of 341 comments (clear)

  1. It is not Linux... by kitsook · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ... matters most. It is the software that do the drilling, cutting etc.

    From the article:
    The speed and precision hinge on the software program written by researchers at NTU's department of mechanical and production engineering.

  2. Unm by mcc · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am not sure how comfortable with this i am, not becuase i at all think linux is prone to fail but becuase linux is capable of failing. Kernel panics still happen, like, once in a billion years. Linux just never struck me as an OS you need when, like, it is absolutely essential that absolutely nothing go wrong ever. Like when you are running some kind of control system for an airplane, or controlling a robot drilling holes in people's skulls. I don't think linux or even bsd would be a great choice in those cases, though i sure as hell don't think windows should even be considered given their track record in such situations.

    Aren't there any OSes about at the moment that are like all redundant and correctness-proven and stuff, like with NASA-like failure margins? Wouldn't it be better to be using those instead?

    Is this reasonable of me to say?

  3. Funny thing is .. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I find it odd that even though the story has nothing to do with microsoft the company still gets mentioned. Will the linux community ever get over their penis envy of the more successful counterpart? I doubt it.