Feel the Precision: Next-Gen Robotic Surgery With Haptic Feedback

While robotic-assisted surgery has opened new frontiers for medical interventions, benefits haven’t come without a cost. Surgeons have had to adapt to operating deep within a patient’s body without a sense of touch. The technology to restore that sensation—haptic feedback—has been a research goal since robots were first introduced into the operating room. Intuitive Surgical in March 2024 announced that its new da Vinci 5 robotics platform would include integrated force feedback haptic technology-the first FDA-approved system to do so. Using it, surgeons can sense push and pull forces, feel tissue tension, and detect pressure from common tasks such as dissection, retraction, and suturing. But force feedback is only one part of haptics. Finer tactile sensations could open up new possibilities for robotic surgery. Researchers around the globe are developing promising approaches to provide tactile experiences, including at the University of California San Diego, where a team has developed a stretchable, conductive polymer that delivers low-current electrical signals to fingertips.