Google to build robots for surgery

Google has teamed with pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson to build robots that could assist surgeons in the operating theatre.

The web company will share resources and intellectual property with Johnson & Johnson as part of a deal - value undisclosed - to be finalised in the second quarter of the year, once it has been approved by US antitrust authorities.

Google is aiming to help surgeons see better during operations and receive relevant information via machine vision and image analysis software.

The pair will direct their energy to less invasive surgeries, such as gynecological procedures and colorectal surgeries.

The companies hope the robot-assisted surgery will give surgeons greater control, access and accuracy during surgical procedures, and also benefit patients by minimising trauma and scarring, allowing them to heal faster after surgery.

It's not Google's first push into healthcare - the division working with Johnson & Johnson, the Life Science team within the Google X research lab, last year announced it would partner with pharmaceutical company AbbVie to help develop new drugs for old-age related diseases in an effort to "cure death".

Google last year also launched its its Google Fit health data service.