A clear vision: Researchers develop robotic surgical cameras that mimic the human eye

What do laparoscopic surgery and robotic lunar construction have in common? Plenty, as it turns out, for Shuai Li, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering.  

Li and the lead investigator on the project, the University of Tennessee’s Jindong Tan, Ph.D., are working to create technology that could improve surgical outcomes while paving the way for more efficient and safer remote construction—by mimicking the human eye.  

Imagine a surgeon performing laparoscopic surgery in the abdomen of a patient in critical condition. A camera is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen, which is inflated with carbon dioxide to move the abdominal wall away from organs, thereby improving visibility. So far, so good. The surgical team can see and perform the procedure with confidence.

But what happens if the camera lens is suddenly obscured by blood or something else? The camera has to come out to be cleaned, and precious time is lost. 

Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, Li and his team have developed a soft, magnetically driven, AI-powered, nature-inspired robotic device that operates much like the human eye — blinking, using tears to clean away contaminants and automatically moving around to get the best view.  

The robotic eye moves independently along the inside of the abdominal wall, allowing the surgeon to focus on the surgical procedure at hand. In traditional laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon operates the camera, cleaning it when necessary, as well as the surgical tools. 

“When humans have sand in their eyes, we just blink our eyes and the eyelid wipes away the sand, using tears,” Li said. “So, we're trying to mimic how human eyes are functioning, using robots that have eyelid wipers and a passage-like nozzle. It’s soft and can also have an outflow nozzle that blows away the smoke generated during the surgery.” 

If the robotic eye is mimicking the human body, what’s analogous to the brain in Li’s system? AI, naturally.  

“AI can quickly detect if there is contamination, and then control the robot, control the eyelid wiper and clean the lens, Li said. “So, all the time, the surgeon will have a clear vision and can focus on the procedure.” 

What does all this have to do with lunar construction and civil engineering? The same conditions present inside the human body during surgery — poor visibility, debris, and the need for safety — would be present if robots were to build habitats on the lunar surface.  

“In lunar construction, if we are trying to build a habitat, it’s very different from Earth. There is a lot of debris and very fine dust on everything that will adhere to the camera lens,” Li said. “With this self-cleaning, software-powered robotic camera, we would probably be able to solve a big challenge for lunar construction.” 

A vision for the future.