Towards an Intelligent Surgical Partner—Robotics-Centered Context-Aware Surgical Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Scope and Aims: The next generation of surgical robotics must evolve from teleoperated precision tools into autonomous, context-aware robotic partners. This Special Issue highlights robotic system design, sensing, and control innovations. These developments will allow robots to monitor the operative field and patient sensor data for anomalies, monitor and adapt to different signs of surgeon cognitive overload, and collaborate intelligently with surgeons. 

We seek contributions that advance robotic platforms through sensor fusion, control architectures, perception-driven autonomy, and multimodal human–robot interaction. Emphasis is placed on robotics engineering approaches ranging from system modeling and control theory to advanced software architectures and real-time AI integration that enable robots to function as active, intelligent partners in surgery. 

Key Areas of Interest

1. Robotic System Modeling, Control, and Autonomy

• Modeling of surgical robots for precise yet adaptive motion;
• Model-based and learning-based control frameworks for semi-autonomous and autonomous behaviors;
• Shared autonomy and supervisory control architectures that balance surgeon authority with robotic initiative;
• Real-time trajectory generation and motion planning under uncertainty in surgical environments.

2. Monitoring and Adapting to Surgeon Cognitive and Experience

• Computer vision and kinematic analytics for detecting fatigue, stress, or cognitive overload;
• Real-time workload inference from multimodal signals (eye-tracking, posture, tool use, voice, etc.);
• Adaptive robot behaviors (motion scaling, impedance adjustment, and safety margins) based on surgeon states;
• Closed-loop feedback mechanisms to support stable and safe human–robot collaboration;

• Control strategies where robots adapt motion parameters (speed, resistance, and safety margins) based on surgeon fatigue or overload;
• Closed-loop robotic intervention systems to stabilize tool trajectories during high-workload states;
• Haptic and visual feedback mechanisms enabling shared autonomy. 

3. Robotics-Enabled Access to Patient Data

• Positioning robots as data-aware assistants that bridge perception, decision support, and control;

• ROS-integrated frameworks for querying EHR and PACS during robotic procedures;
• Real-time data overlays (imaging, vitals) aligned with robotic vision feeds;
• Patient-specific risk-aware control algorithms that adjust robot behavior dynamically. 

Why Submit to This Issue?

• Robotics Engineering Focus: Grounded in control theory, kinematic modeling, sensing, and AI integration.
• System-Level Innovation: From component design to ROS-based full-stack robotic architectures.
• Collaborative Robotics: Bridging surgeon intent with robotic autonomy.
• Clinical Relevance: Robotics research tested in simulation and OR-compatible prototypes. 

Submission Types
Original research articles; robotic system prototypes; simulation studies; engineering demonstrations; and reviews at the intersection of robotics, perception, and surgical practice.

Prof. Dr. Abhilash Pandya
Prof. Dr. Ken Masamune
Guest Editors

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Robotics 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 1800 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.

• context-aware surgical robotics
• human–robot collaboration in surgery
• voice-controlled medical robots
• real-time surgical scene analysis
• cognitive load detection in surgeons