Robotic surgery is entering an exciting new era where robots are no longer simply mechanical tools under the direct control of a surgeon, but rather fully-fledged cyber-physical systems capable of collaborating with doctors to carry out complex procedures.
Within this evolving landscape, unconventional surgical instruments such as lasers, radiofrequency, and ultrasound probes are taking an increasingly prominent role, promising to deliver unprecedented surgical precision and minimal patient trauma.
This workshop aims to bring together researchers from academia, industry, and the clinical world to discuss the unique opportunities and challenges presented by the introduction of unconventional instruments in robotic surgery. The main focus will be on the role of machine learning and AI in the modeling and control of these instruments, as well as the need for novel robotic designs to accommodate them, highlighting how these technologies can be integrated with surgical robotics to enhance precision, adaptability, and surgical outcomes.
The workshop will feature invited talks, panel discussions, a rising star session, an unconventional surgical instrument demo session, and poster sessions. Findings and conclusions will be summarized into a white paper, which will be released on arXiv and submitted to a reputable journal for publication.
