Overview of the robotic system: History of robotic surgery

Abstract

Robot is derived from a Czech term “robata” that translates into compulsory labor. One of the first known automated machines, a statue of king Memnon that was able to produced sounds, dates back to 1300 BC, and human trials to build a “robot” extend into the deepest roots of human civilizations and represent a continuum of developments that led to current status of robotics. The impetus for the current robotic platform arose out of the need for telepresence to allow machines to perform tasks in hazardous environments, and this was first made possible in 1951 with the development of a teleoperated master–slave manipulator in order to handle hazardous radioactive materials. This chapter explores the rich history of the development of the modern day surgical robot.