Does Size Matter in Surgical Robots?

Robotic platforms have revolutionized minimally invasive surgery since their experimental introduction in 1988. The evolution from large systems like ROBODOC and da Vinci to smaller, more versatile robots addresses issues like ergonomics, hand-eye coordination, and access challenges. While large robots dominate, smaller systems like Versius and HUGOTM enhance portability. Innovations include single-port systems like SurgiBot-SpiderTM and MIVR for reduced invasiveness. Handheld robotic tools augment surgeon skills, offering precision, and compactness. Current limitations include the inability of handheld systems to be directly AI-driven. Robotic scope holders, like SOLOASSISTTM, exhibit autonomy in endoscope manipulation. Future exploration focuses on flexible endoscopy robots, combining safety and accuracy, exemplified by MASTER and milibot, demonstrating the importance of size in robotic surgery.