Our goals in this research project are to determine the significance of performance of inanimate tasks as a marker for robotic proficiency and assess the utility of inanimate task training on robotic skill performance. We aim to establish standardized tasks for training, define accurate metrics for performance, and assess motor skill acquisition in virtual and real environments.
Robot-assisted surgery offers distinct advantages and is rapidly being applied to a diverse range of surgical procedures. However, teleoperation inherently decouples the surgeon from the patient. While robotic-assistance permits a more natural, intuitive interface in comparison to standard laparoscopy, there is still a significant learning curve in mastering the technique. In addition, the advantages of the robotic system are further limited by the lack of tactile and kinesthetic information transmitted to the surgeon. Given this lack of sensory feedback, more emphasis is placed on interpreting visual cues and understanding robotic movement during performance.