Chronology

Published Oct 3, 2025

Updated Oct 3, 2026

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AI-guided autonomous camera. Sep 2025.

1,000 MARS procedures. Jul 2025.

First AR-assisted MARS procedure. Mar 11, 2024.

First commercial procedures (Sep) at Cleveland Clinic. Oct 24, 2023.

FDA clearance for high-volume abdominal surgery. Aug, 2023.

First magnetic robotic-assisted surgeries. 2021.

FDA clearance of Levita Magnetics Surgical System for laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. 2016.

Levita Magnetics founded by surgeon and inventor Alberto Rodriguez-Navarro, following the development of the company’s magnetic-surgery concept. 2011.

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MARS® (Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery) is a robotic assistance platform developed by Levita Magnetics. It is designed to support specific functions around the surgical field.

The platform represents an interesting direction in surgical robotics: progressively robotizing individual assistance tasks rather than attempting to reproduce the entire surgical procedure with a single robotic system.

From magnetic retraction to robotic assistance

Levita Magnetics initially developed its Magnetic Surgical System, based on the principle of magnetic coupling. An internally positioned magnetic grasper can be manipulated from outside the abdominal cavity by an external magnetic driver, providing controlled tissue retraction without introducing an additional conventional retraction instrument.

This technology, known as Dynamic Magnetic Positioning, has been used clinically in laparoscopic surgery and became the foundation for the subsequent MARS platform.

MARS adds a second robotic component: a surgeon-controlled robotic arm for the surgical camera. Instead of relying on a human assistant to position the laparoscope, the surgeon can control the camera directly, allowing visualization to become part of the robotic workflow.

AI-guided autonomous camera

The next development has been the introduction of AI into camera control. In September 2025, Levita reported a procedure performed at Clínica Las Condes in Santiago, Chile, using an AI-guided autonomous surgical camera integrated with MARS. The system was designed to recognize and track the surgical instruments and automatically adjust the camera to maintain visualization of the operative field. This represents a change in the role of the robotic camera. Unlike other robotic camera holders, like SoloAssist, it does not simply execute commands from the surgeon, but can perform a defined visual-assistance task autonomously.

3D visualization and augmented reality

Levita and collaborators have reported clinical use of a three-dimensional visualization system based on the EinsteinVision 3D camera and a Meta Quest 3 headset. The system allows the surgical field to be visualized stereoscopically while providing an augmented-reality interface for the surgeon.

Prior to commencing my venture into robotic surgery, I had established a firm grounding as an oncologic surgeon. My experience encompassed a wide range of resection and reconstructive procedures, as well as proficiency in minimally invasive surgical techniques and endoscopic surgery. These acquired skills and expertise serve as fundamental pillars for achieving success in robotic surgery.

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