Key Technologies for Autonomous Robotic Surgery

Format : Half day tutorial - half day workshop

Organisers : Paolo Fiorini, Leonardo Mattos, Emmanuel Vander Poorten

Abstract : This tutorial / workshop aims at introducing the main concepts of robotic surgery and to discuss the emerging field of autonomous robotic surgery (ARS). The addition of autonomy to robotic surgery involves the integration of complex mechatronic systems with advanced perceptual and reasoning capabilities that require detailed models and accurate control. Examples of cognitive features are surgical task analysis, situation awareness, and automatic task execution. This tutorial will be organized in five sections: (i) basic concepts of design and (ii) control of a surgical robot, (iii) advanced surgical robotic systems, (iv) surgeon-robot interfaces, and (v) issues related to task modeling and integration of perception and reasoning into the robot control loop. Advances in these areas have been pursued during recent European projects such as ISUR (Intelligent Surgical Robot), ARS and CASCADE (Cognitive AutonomouS CAtheter operating in Dynamic Environments) and ATLAS (Joint doctoral program in autonomous intraluminal surgery). Specific solutions will be presented during the tutorial and put in the broader ARS context. The main advantages and challenges of using cognition in such difficult application will be highlighted. During the workshop contributions from interested parties will be presented and analysed. The discussion will help shape the future research directions in this promising field.