A narrative review of the Medtronic Hugo RAS and technical comparison with the Intuitive da Vinci robotic surgical system

Medtronic launched the Hugo Robotic-Assisted Surgery (RAS) System in 2021, offering a modular alternative to the incumbent market leader in surgical robotics, the Intuitive da Vinci (dV) surgical system. A detailed technical review of the Hugo RAS was conducted to explore the strengths and weaknesses of this new robotic surgical system. Each component of the system—vision tower, arm cart, and surgeon console—was compared against the existing dV systems. The docking process, instrumentation, and external arm movement trajectories were analyzed. The modular Hugo RAS provides the possibility of operating using up to four arm carts. It has certain design features that are unique to itself, and others that have been implemented to address the shortcomings of the dV Si. While Medtronic’s first-generation robot offers distinct advantages over the older Intuitive systems, the true test of its mettle will be its performance compared to the latest dV Xi.