Intuitive shows the future of robotic surgery: Da Vinci responds to voice commands

During the Wave event in Turin, Intuitive, the manufacturer of the Da Vinci robotic system, presented the first live demonstration of artificial intelligence and autonomy functions under development. Surgeon Giuseppe Simone, director of Urology at the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome, gave a voice command to the robot: "Hey DaVinci, activate retraction." The system then autonomously applied traction to the tissue of a gallbladder model, allowing the surgeon to continue operating with both hands.

James Wall, product manager at Intuitive and a surgeon, announced that telesurgery, which will allow a specialist to assist colleagues remotely, will begin next year. The philosophy is to offer "a complete DaVinci experience remotely," with force feedback and advanced tools. Wall described the future vision as a five-level pyramid culminating in "supervised autonomy," where the system performs autonomous tasks under the constant supervision of the surgeon.

Robotic surgery originated from the idea of restoring the dexterity of the human hand to minimally invasive surgery. The company Intuitive, founded about 30 years ago, developed the da Vinci system, drawing inspiration from the name Leonardo. This technology represents a revolution compared to traditional open surgery and laparoscopy, which used rigid instruments and deprived the surgeon of valuable tactile feedback.

The journey began with restoring manual skill, and today, with over 12,800 systems installed in hospitals worldwide and more than 22.4 million patients treated, robotic surgery has become the preferred minimally invasive method in the United States. The evolution has progressed through several generations of robots, with the da Vinci 5 model reintroducing force feedback, meaning tactile perception for the surgeon. The company's stated goal is not to create technology for its own sake, but to reduce costs, complications, hospital stays, and expand access to care. The global shortage of surgeons is now driving the push toward automation and remote assistance.