Dr Liang Zhao, The University of Edinburgh

The challenge

Perception and navigation are fundamental problems for autonomous robots, particularly in unknown environments. The robot must use the information obtained from its onboard sensors to construct a map of the unknown environment and, at the same time, localise itself within the map. While these techniques for mobile robots in static environments have been extensively researched over the past 30 years, applying it to surgical robots introduces new complexities. In minimally invasive surgery, the soft tissue environment is deformable, and the demands for precision are exceptionally high, requiring three-dimensional reconstruction and localisation accuracy within 1 millimetre or less.  

The research

This project aims to address the challenge of creating an accurate 3D map of the deformable environment in real-time, while simultaneously localising the robot during surgery. The research seeks to generate new insights into robot perception and navigation in deformable surgical environments, by modelling and rendering the dynamic surgical scenes and developing efficient algorithms for accurate 3D reconstruction.  

The outcomes of this project are expected to significantly advance minimally invasive robotic surgery, enhancing both precision and safety. 

About the researcher

Dr Liang Zhao is a globally recognised researcher in autonomous robot simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), specifically for his pioneer research in SLAM for surgical robots. Before joining the University of Edinburgh, he worked on image-guided robotic surgery at the Hamlyn Centre for Robotic Surgery, Imperial College London, and later led surgical robotics research at the University of Technology Sydney. He now leads research in surgical robotics and SLAM at Edinburgh, motivated by the opportunity to translate advances in robotic perception and spatial AI into safer and more effective healthcare technologies. He currently serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Robotics, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation and IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.