ChatGPT-Enabled daVinci Surgical Robot Prototype: Advancements and Limitations

The daVinci Surgical Robot has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery by enabling greater accuracy and less-invasive procedures. However, the system lacks the advanced features and autonomy necessary for it to function as a true partner. To enhance its usability, we introduce the implementation of a ChatGPT-based natural language robot interface. Overall, our integration of a ChatGPT-enabled daVinci Surgical Robot has potential to expand the utility of the surgical platform by supplying a more accessible interface. Our system can listen to the operator speak and, through the ChatGPT-enabled interface, translate the sentence and context to execute specific commands to alter the robot's behavior or to activate certain features. For instance, the surgeon could say (even in Spanish) "please track my left tool" and the system will translate the sentence into a specific track command. This specific error-checked command will then be sent to the hardware, which will respond by controlling the camera of the system to continuously adjust and center the left tool in the field of view. We have implemented many commands, including "Find my tools" (tools that are not in the field of view) or start/stop recording, that can be triggered based on a natural conversational context. Here, we present the details of our prototype system, give some accuracy results, and explore its potential implications and limitations. We also discuss how artificial intelligence tools (such as ChatGPT) of the future could be leveraged by robotic surgeons to reduce errors and enhance the efficiency and safety of surgical procedures and even ask for help.