Robotics in Urology: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Urology robots have gained immense popularity with the da Vinci® Surgical System (Intuitive Surgical Inc., Sunnyvale, CA). Yet, the potential of robots lies much further ahead especially with developments in image-guided intervention. Numerous research systems are under development for urology applications. These are expected to allow safer and more homogeneous outcomes with less variability of surgeon performance and perform tasks based on medical transcutaneous imaging, in a less invasive way, at lower costs. The purpose of this paper is to give a short introduction to urology robotics, review current robotic instruments, and present future development directions.