From:	Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Surgeons as Riggers?
Date:	Tue, 5 May 1998 13:35:54 -0400

Rigged surgery makes a lot of sense for SR.

I don't know about remote surgery; that would enable too many nasty
possibilities like rival riggers "hacking" in and taking over the surgery.

But if the surgeon was physically there, rigged into a surgery drone or
something, that would likely allow cleaner and quicker surgery.

Just think; a robot doesn't have shaky hands. A robot can always cut as
straight as is commanded. And a well trained rigger-surgeon could probably
handle more than just two hands at a time; he could be controlling multiple
robotic hands and utensils.

I would, however, require that more than a simple vehicle control rig be
needed. A building needs a special interface to be controlled by a rigger.
A surgery drone (or whatever you want to call it) would probably also
function on some special protocols that would enable maximum utility of the
system.

I would also think that this sort of surgery would be reserved for
extremely delicate work, like brain surgery, or perhaps things like surgery
to correct birth defects in a child while it is still in the womb.
Probably a fair amount of cyberware implantation, especially those with
complex neural connections, would or could fall into this style of surgery
also.

My thoughts on the matter anyway.

Erik J.