Phase-oriented feedback design for robotic scrub nurse handovers with contactless haptics

Abstract

Instrument handover between surgical staff and robotic scrub nurse (RSN) systems is a safety-critical interaction under strong visual demands. Existing work often considers feedback modalities in isolation rather than in relation to the handover process. This paper proposes a phase-oriented design framework for feedback in RSN handovers by decomposing the interaction into distinct phases and deriving modality-independent feedback requirements. Based on these, system-level design implications are discussed, including the role of contactless haptic feedback as a sterile, low-intrusion modality.