Touchless Telerobotic Surgery — Is It Possible at All?

Teleoperated robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is becoming more popular in certain types of surgical procedures due to its dexterity, precision, high-resolution, accurate motion planning and execution capabilities, compared to traditional minimally invasive surgery which relies on hindered laparoscopic control. The most widely adopted system based on this paradigm is the daVinci robot (2014), in which the surgeon manipulates joysticks in a master console using 3D imaging for guidance. Then robotic arms mimic the surgeon's movements on the patient's side.