Many surgical procedures are non; performed using the techniques of mi
nimally invasive surgery (MIS), in which unnecessary trauma is limited
by reducing the size of incisions to less than about 1 cm or by using
catheters or endoscopes threaded through vessels, the gastrointestina
l tract, or other tubular structures, Micromechatronic technologies ha
ve great potential to allow access to regions now inaccessible, or to
enhance the surgeon's abilities in applications where current minimall
y invasive techniques do not permit the full range of human dexterity
and perception, Key needs and applications in MIS are identified, and
relevant technologies, methods, and systems issues in mechatronics are
discussed, The authors' millirobotic system for MIS of the abdomen is
used as an example.