Nanotechnology

Biology

Human–computer interaction

Engineering

Surgery

Artificial intelligence

Systems engineering

Soft robotics

Materials science

MEDLINE

Computer science

Scopus

Soft materials

Invasive surgery

Robotics

Biochemistry

Medicine

Robot

Soft Robotics

Soft robotic devices have desirable traits for applications in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), but many interdisciplinary challenges remain unsolved. To understand current technologies, we carried out a keyword search using the Web of Science and Scopus databases, applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, and compared several characteristics of the soft robotic devices for MIS in the resulting articles. There was low diversity in the device designs and a wide-ranging level of detail regarding their capabilities. We propose a standardized comparison methodology to characterize soft robotics for various MIS applications, which will aid designers producing the next generation of devices.

Soft Robotics in Minimally Invasive Surgery