Open-Source Research Platforms and System Integration in Modern Surgical Robotics

Abstract

In modern medical research and development, the variety of research tools has grown in the previous years significantly. It is crucial to exploit the benefits of shared hardware platforms and software frameworks in order to keep up with the technological development rate. Sharing knowledge in terms of algorithms, applications
\nand instruments allows researchers to help each other’s work effectively. This is a relatively new trend in the traditionally closed domain of Computer-Integrated Surgery,
\nwhere community workshops and publications are now providing a thorough overview of system design, capabilities, know-how sharing and limitations. This paper overviews the emerging collaborative platforms, focusing on available open-source research kits, software frameworks, cloud applications, teleoperation training environments and
\nshared databases that will support the synergies of the diverse research efforts in this area.