A Review of Augmented Reality in Robotic-Assisted Surgery

Augmented reality (AR) and robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) are both rapidly evolving technologies in recent years. RAS systems, such as the da Vinci® Surgical System, aim to improve surgical precision and dexterity, as well as access to minimally-invasive procedures, while AR provides an advanced interface to enhance user perception. Combining the features of both, AR-integrated RAS has become an appealing concept with increased interest among the academic community. In this paper, we review the existing literature about AR-integrated RAS. We discuss the hardware components, application paradigms and clinical relevance of the literature. The concept of AR-integrated RAS has been shown to be feasible for various procedures. Encouraging preliminary results include reduced sight diversion and improved situation awareness. Special techniques, e.g., activation-on-demand, are taken into consideration to address visual clutter of the AR interface and ensure that the system is fail-safe. Although AR-integrated RAS is not yet mature, we believe that if the current trend of development continues, it will soon demonstrate its clinical value.