Complex teleoperative tasks, such as surgery, generally require human control. However, teleoperating a robot using indirect visual information poses many technical challenges because the user is expected to control the movement(s) of the camera(s) in addition to the robot's arms and other elements. For humans, camera positioning is difficult, error-prone, and a drain on the user's available resources and attention. This paper reviews the state of the art of autonomous camera control with a focus on surgical applications. We also propose potential avenues of research in this field that will support the transition from direct slaved control to truly autonomous robotic camera systems.

This technology shows that it is possible to create an autonomous camera system that cooperates with a surgeon without requiring any explicit user input. However, the currently implemented camera control behaviors are not ideal or sufficient for many surgical tasks. Future work will be performed to develop, test, and refine more complex behaviors that are optimized for different kinds of surgical tasks. In addition, portions of the test platform will be redesigned to enable its use in actual laparoscopic procedures.

We discuss the implementation of the integrated system, its accuracy and improvements to the system that will enhance its usefulness and further the field of sensor-based computer-assisted surgery.

The results can be used to develop better robotic control algorithms that will be more responsive to surgeons' needs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Raman spectroscopy can distinguish UC from normal colon tissue rapidly and accurately. This technology offers the possibility of real-time diagnosis as well as the ability to study changes in UC-afflicted colon tissue that do not appear histologically.