It may seem odd to use advanced technology for such a narrow purpose, but STAR could be particularly valuable if it's put into regular use at the operating table. Surgery is frequently full of repetitive tasks like suturing, so robots could either speed up those chores or free surgeons for other duties (such as prepping for the next phase). Think of it as autopilot: while doctors would get to do the hardest work and claim the glory, they wouldn't have to be active at every stage of an hours-long procedure.

The big challenge is getting autonomous robots that can handle multiple steps by themselves. Even if hospitals don't object to rendering some of their staff obsolete, there's still the matter of developing a surgical bot that can adapt to different processes. As it is, the odds aren't high that doctors can afford to leave a robot alone with a patient anytime soon. Unless the technology becomes effectively foolproof, you'll likely want an expert around to intervene.