An Experimental Modular Instrument With a Haptic Feedback Framework for Robotic Surgery Training

A team of researchers from an undisclosed institution has published a paper detailing an experimental modular robotic laparoscopic instrument integrated with a real-time haptic feedback framework. The system, designed for robotic surgery training, addresses the critical lack of tactile feedback in current robotic-assisted surgery systems. The instrument uses a wrist-mounted force/torque (F/T) sensor to estimate tool-tissue interaction forces, circumventing the durability and integration challenges of tip-mounted sensors. The haptic feedback framework extracts external contact forces, renders them to the haptic device, and generates stable, perceptually meaningful feedback. The prototype was integrated into the RoboScope training system and evaluated through a controlled user study involving a force regulation task.

Results demonstrated that haptic feedback significantly outperformed visual-only feedback across all metrics: task success rate, force regulation accuracy, and task efficiency. The modular design and use of a wrist-mounted sensor make the system more robust and potentially cheaper than commercial alternatives, which often rely on costly tip sensors. This work, accepted at the IEEE BioRob 2026 conference, could lower the barrier to high-fidelity haptic training for robotic surgery, reducing the risk of excessive tissue forces during real operations. The authors note the system supports stable, high-fidelity haptic interaction, crucial for effective skill transfer.