Research · Theme

Medical & Surgical Robotics

Robots that bring the surgeon and patient closer together — safer, more reliable, and more accessible.

Most surgical robots adapt arms built for industry, which raises cost and limits performance. We design specialized, intrinsically-safe robotic instruments and teleoperation systems where safety is guaranteed at the hardware level rather than relying solely on software. A long-term goal is a cost-effective, portable surgical robot that can extend expert care to underserved regions.

Research in our surgical robotics and haptics programs has been supported, through current and completed projects, by competitive research grants (JSPS KAKENHI, AMED) and academy programs (New York Academy of Sciences, U.S. National Academy of Medicine).

Projects

Surgical teleoperation with kinesthetic feedback

A teleoperation system that restores the sense of touch lost in remote surgery.

JSPS KAKENHIteleoperation

Compact robotic surgical instruments

Multi-DoF instrument design and kinematic evaluation for dexterous minimally-invasive surgery.

mechanism designkinematics

Haptic separation for clinical teleoperation

An approach to deliver kinesthetic feedback in safety-critical robot teleoperation.

hapticssafety

Publications in Medical & Surgical Robotics

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2025
1
Design and Realization of a Surgical Manipulator Based on 2-DoF Remote-Center-of-Motion Planar Mechanism
A. Thapliya, M. Kirwan, G. G. Nanayakkara, A. Powell, C. Chamzas, S. Nisar
30th Int. Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics (AROB) 2025
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2
Design of a Modular 6-DoF Robotic Surgical Instrument with Tool Modularity and Decoupled Degrees of Freedom
C. Welcher, K. McCrudden, R. M. Suarez Flores, Y. Zheng, L. Fichera, S. Nisar
30th Int. Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics (AROB) 2025
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2024
3
Design of a 4-Degrees-of-Freedom Auto-Changeable Robotic Surgical Instrument
P. Suriyasomboon, R. M. Suarez Flores, S. Nisar
42nd Annual Conf. of the Robotics Society of Japan (RSJ) 2024
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2023
4
Design and Kinematic Analysis of a 5-Degrees-of-Freedom Robot-Assisted Surgery Instrument
C. Manger, S. Nisar, A. Powell
28th Int. Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics (AROB) 2023
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2022
5
Human-Centered Design of a Wearable Kinesthetic Haptic Device for Surgical Teleoperation Journal
F. Shabani, S. Nisar, F. Matsuno
Artificial Life and Robotics, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 253–263
DOI
2020
6
Design and Realization of a Robotic Manipulator for Minimally Invasive Surgery with Replaceable Surgical Tools Journal
S. Nisar, A. Hameed, N. Kamal, O. Hasan, F. Matsuno
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 2754–2764
DOI
2019
7
Telesurgical Robotics and a Kinematic Perspective Book Chapter
S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in AI, Computer Simulation, and Human-Computer Interaction, IGI Global, pp. 1112–1126
DOI
8
State of the Art and Key Design Challenges of Telesurgical Robotics Book Chapter
S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Advanced Methodologies and Technologies in AI, Computer Simulation, and Human-Computer Interaction, IGI Global, pp. 1100–1111
DOI
2018
9
Design and Optimization of a 2-DoF Planar Remote Center of Motion Mechanism for Surgical Manipulators with Smaller Footprint Journal
S. Nisar, T. Endo, F. Matsuno
Mechanism and Machine Theory, vol. 129, pp. 148–161
DOI
10
State of the Art and Key Design Challenges of Telesurgical Robotics Book Chapter
S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (4th ed.), IGI Global, pp. 6872–6881
DOI
11
Telesurgical Robotics: A Kinematic Perspective Book Chapter
S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (4th ed.), IGI Global, pp. 6882–6893
DOI
12
Design of a Novel Remote Center of Motion Mechanism for Surgical Manipulators with Smaller Footprint
S. Nisar, T. Endo, A. M. Okamura, F. Matsuno
62nd Annual Conf. of the Institute of Systems, Control and Information Engineers (ISCIE) 2018
2017
13
Design and Kinematic Optimization of a 2-DoF Planar Remote Center of Motion Mechanism for Minimally Invasive Surgery Manipulators Journal
S. Nisar, T. Endo, F. Matsuno
ASME Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, vol. 9, no. 3, 031013
DOI
2016
14
Al-Zahrawi: A Telesurgical Robotic System for Minimally Invasive Surgery Journal
T. Hassan, A. Hameed, S. Nisar, N. Kamal, O. Hasan
IEEE Systems Journal, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 1035–1045
DOI
15
A 2-Degrees-of-Freedom Planar Remote Center of Motion Mechanism for Minimally Invasive Surgery Manipulators
S. Nisar, T. Endo, F. Matsuno
6th Joint Workshop on New Technologies for Computer/Robot Assisted Surgery (CRAS) 2016
2015
16
Telesurgical Robotics Book Chapter
S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology (3rd ed.), IGI Global, pp. 5482–5490
DOI
2012
17
Mechanical Interface for Virtual Laparoscopic Surgical Simulator Patent
T. Hassan, S. Nisar, O. Hasan
Patent No. 773/2012, IPO Pakistan — Granted

Other research themes

Haptics & Human–Robot Interaction

Giving operators a sense of robotic touch — on the fingertip, the palm, and beyond.

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Soft Manipulators & Actuators

Compliant, adaptive mechanisms for safe and versatile manipulation.

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AI-Powered & Assistive Robotics

Human-centered systems for mobility, rehabilitation, and everyday autonomy.

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Interested in medical & surgical robotics?

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