This paper deals with the description of a telerobotic surgery experiment, conducted on July 7, 1993, between the Politecnico di Milano, Telerobotics Laboratory, Italy, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. It describes the results obtained, the new objectives proposed and the technical equipment. It also provides a comparison between the different solutions adopted. Telerobotic surgery requires particular skill; the integration of human capabilities with robotics in surgery offers useful results for robotic applications in new fields, especially health care.

An advanced graphic interface can be used for the modelling and simulation of an operation conducted by means of telerobotic surgery. The use of a graphic interface is justified in a telemanipulation system working under communication time delay. In fact the real time simulation allows an exploration of the future scenarios. It is also proved that the use of a virtual reality interface, with a graphic display, increases the performances of the operator. Laparoscopy is currently making a name for itself as one of the most interesting applications in the context of telerobotic surgery.