*Human-Machine Collaboration in AI-Assisted Surgery: Balancing Autonomy and Expertise DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.111556*

similar to that of a pilot, as such the expected capabilities from autonomous systems in the OR might be similar to those in an airplane's cockpit, where each system has their own level of autonomy, independent from other available systems. Therefore, it may be more beneficial to expand the robotic surgery scale, creating a more comprehensive autonomy scale in surgery encompassing all the types of technology used within the OR. To this end one must first understand the flow of a surgical procedure. Every surgery is built on a series of different phases, each of which are divided into tasks based on specific steps (**Figure 4**). A surgeon's job in the OR is to perform a series of steps in order to complete tasks in different phases of a procedure. After fulfilling all steps within each task and phase, the surgery is said to have been completed.

The following scale (**Table 4**), adapted from the levels of automation in aviation, may be used to address the role of automation and autonomy in surgery as it

#### **Figure 4.**

*Divisions of a surgery. The tasks and phases can be done in tandem or can be partially achieved and completed following completion of another task.*


encompasses every type of technology. It proposes a description of each level of automation, taking into consideration the division of a surgery into phases, tasks and steps.
