The thought of having to automate a morgue to keep up with the demand is a little depressing, but researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have developed a robotic system that can help with at least part of an autopsy by spotting physical abnormalities on a body—giving pathologists as much data as possible for determining the cause of death.

An articulated robotic arm that's able to automatically switch scanning tools allows the Virtopsy system to create a detailed 3D model of a body, including high-res images of its skin.

At no point does the arm perform a dissection, but it can still offer pathologists a look inside because the Virtopsy system is able to inject a body with a high-contrast chemical solution before performing an automated CT scan. So while this bot won't be at the front lines during the inevitable robot uprising, it will be super effective at sifting through the human casualties. [Virtopsy via Medgadget]