Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42217071›Full record

ReviewJournal of robotic surgery2026

Technical challenges in autonomous robotic ultrasound examinations: perception, planning, and control.

Dong Guo, Yongde Zhang, Xuequan Huang, Chuang He

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of robotic surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Dong GuoHarbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China.
Yongde ZhangHarbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China. zhangyd@hrbust.edu.cn.
Xuequan HuangSouthwest Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400000, China.
Chuang HeSouthwest Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400000, China.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 52275015Regional Joint Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China U23A20391
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ultrasound is one of the most widely used medical imaging modalities in clinical practice. Robot-assisted ultrasound systems (RAUS) offer significant advantages in reducing physician workload and improving imaging standardization. However, the dynamic and complex nature of the human physiological environment severely hinders the transition of RAUS from automation to full autonomy. This paper presents a narrative review of the core research progress of RAUS between 2021 and early 2026. It comprehensively analyzes the current technological landscape of autonomous robotic ultrasound by focusing on three core pillars: perception, planning, and control. By evaluating cutting-edge breakthroughs and existing limitations across these three domains, this paper identifies the key technical bottlenecks that restrict fully autonomous RAUS. Finally, we propose an evolutionary roadmap driven by multimodal fusion, digital twins, planning-control co-design, and embodied artificial intelligence (AI) architectures. This roadmap provides a developmental reference for autonomous robotic ultrasound examinations and also lays a crucial foundation for future autonomous ultrasound-guided surgical interventions.

Indexed as

Robotic Surgical ProceduresArtificial IntelligenceAutonomous RobotsHumansPerceptionUltrasonographyCompliant controlMultimodal perceptionPath planningRobot-assisted ultrasound examination

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.