Identification of risks in the application of surgical robotics

The continuously growing pace of robot development implies that by 2020, there is going to be on average one robot per household in the world. The aim of robot deployment in larger numbers is to help to extend human capabilities, and to eliminate to disadvantages of the human embodiment. As a consequence, besides industrial robots, service and surgical applications appear in growing numbers. While in the field of industrial production, the adherence to sophisticated safety standards grants a low level of risk of injury, but there are numerous risks in the case of robots operating in a divided workspace. Service robots will inevitably interact physically with an operator and the served people. The complex systems of surgical robots requires risk analysis of every component, and also adequate measures to reduce the hazards. To apply these, the probable risks and their consequences have to be identified first, while making sure the robot fulfills its function.