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Machines
Special Issues
Design and Control of Surgical Robots
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Design and Control of Surgical Robots

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Machine Design and Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 2052

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Yongzhuo Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Interests: surgical robot; NOTES; haptic sensing and feedback

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the mature application of surgical robots, as represented by the da Vinci robotic surgical systems, surgical robots have begun to disrupt traditional healthcare. More and more scholars and doctors are exploring how to implement various surgical procedures using robots. In this process, the combination and application of different surgical procedures with the structural design and control methods of robots remain the core issues that need to be solved in robotic surgery.

This Special Issue aims to collect and organize the literature on novel approaches, cases, and investigations concerning the “Design and Control of Surgical Robots”, especially on the robot's structure, morphology, sensing methods, interaction modes, and motion control under the condition of relying on corresponding diagnosis and treatment methods. The issue focuses on the application forms of surgical robots, such as laparoscopic surgery, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES), vascular interventional surgery, puncture surgery, orthopedic surgery, etc. The topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Continuum robots;
  • Concentric tube robots;
  • Micro-nano surgical robots;
  • Novel instrument design;
  • Surgical robot modeling and control;
  • Image-guided robot control;
  • Data-driven control method;
  • Haptic/Shape sensing method;
  • Perception methods for biological tissue.

Dr. Yongzhuo Gao
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • continuum robots
  • concentric tube robots
  • micro-nano surgical robots
  • novel instrument design
  • surgical robot modeling and control
  • image-guided robot control
  • data-driven control method
  • haptic/shape sensing method
  • perception methods for biological tissue

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 3405 KB  
Article
Design of a Semi-Robotic Knee Arthroscopy Support System Utilizing a Novel Ball Joint Braking Mechanism
by Thai Hua, Yuanli Bai, Anthony Quear, Siddhartha Aryal and Sang-Eun Song
Machines 2025, 13(11), 1014; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13111014 - 3 Nov 2025
Viewed by 859
Abstract
To alleviate the poor ergonomics which surgeons suffer during knee arthroscopy, a semi-robotic device with a novel ball joint braking mechanism was designed for intra-operative assistance. A slit ball joint assembly was developed to transmit the clamping force to the arthroscope inside, and [...] Read more.
To alleviate the poor ergonomics which surgeons suffer during knee arthroscopy, a semi-robotic device with a novel ball joint braking mechanism was designed for intra-operative assistance. A slit ball joint assembly was developed to transmit the clamping force to the arthroscope inside, and the ball deformation and stress at various angles in relation to the vertical and clamping forces were recorded through finite element analysis (FEA) using Abaqus 2017. The contact forces between the scope and inner surfaces of the ball joint were computed at different clamping forces, and the von Mises stress occurring in the ball joint was found to be under the yield stress limit for polyethylene, with noticeable force preventing the scope from sliding along the ball through-hole under clamping. The ball joint braking mechanism was tested as part of a semi-robotic knee arthroscopy support system, and FEA simulation demonstrated that the maximum von Mises stress and the magnitude of contact forces positively correlated with the clamping force, while the stress incurred remained within the elastic range of the polyethylene prototype. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Control of Surgical Robots)
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Review

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22 pages, 1437 KB  
Review
A Structured Engineering Review of Robotic Systems in Craniofacial Surgery: Architecture, Validation, and Accuracy
by Andrew Clark, Mason Currens, Nathan Kowalczyk, Brian Rath, Anthony Quear, Jadyn Towns, Ananth Murthy and Sang-Eun Song
Machines 2026, 14(5), 487; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14050487 - 27 Apr 2026
Viewed by 437
Abstract
Robotic technologies are increasingly investigated for craniofacial and dental surgical procedures where sub-millimeter positional accuracy and stable instrument trajectories are essential. This structured review evaluates the current landscape of robotic systems applied to craniofacial surgical interventions and analyzes their technical architectures, validation approaches, [...] Read more.
Robotic technologies are increasingly investigated for craniofacial and dental surgical procedures where sub-millimeter positional accuracy and stable instrument trajectories are essential. This structured review evaluates the current landscape of robotic systems applied to craniofacial surgical interventions and analyzes their technical architectures, validation approaches, and reported surgical accuracy. A structured literature search of PubMed and IEEE Xplore identified 27 studies published between 2015 and 2025 that met predefined inclusion criteria. The included systems were analyzed with respect to robotic control architecture, surgical application domain, validation model, and quantitative performance metrics. To facilitate cross-study interpretation, the review introduces a unified engineering classification framework linking robotic control paradigms, mechanical configurations, and clinical application domains. Most platforms employed master–slave teleoperation, image-guided hybrid control, task-autonomous execution, or cooperative haptic-guided architectures designed to stabilize surgical trajectories and reduce surgeon-dependent variability. Across representative investigations, robotic systems demonstrated entry-point deviations typically ranging from approximately 0.6–1.5 mm and angular deviations between 1.2° and 3.5°, indicating improved reproducibility compared with conventional freehand techniques. Dental implant robotics currently represents the most clinically mature application, whereas sinus, skull base, and microsurgical systems remain largely in experimental or early translational stages. Overall, craniofacial surgical robotics demonstrates substantial potential to enhance surgical precision and procedural standardization; however, broader clinical validation and improved workflow integration remain necessary for widespread clinical adoption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Control of Surgical Robots)
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