Current Capabilities and Development Potential in Surgical Robotics

Robots have been used regularly since the 1990s to support surgeons in their tasks. Since then, many systems have entered the research and some the market. This paper summarizes the currently available surgical systems and research directions in this field. Current research efforts are taking different approaches to improve the capacity of such systems. Teleoperated systems aim to enhance human cognitive and physical skills and provide smart tools for surgeons, while image-guided robotics aim at surpassing human limitations by introducing automated targeting and treatment delivery methods. Both concepts are discussed through concrete examples and based on those prototypes and commercial systems, the possible future development paths of surgical robots are pointed out.