HUMAN-ROBOT SYNERGY IN HIGH-STAKES MEDICAL PROCEDURES: INVESTIGATING TRUST, COGNITIVE LOAD, AND TASK ALLOCATION IN SURGICAL TEAMS

Abstract

The integration of robotic systems into high-stakes medical procedures has ushered in a new era of surgical precision and capability. However, this advancement introduces complex challenges at the intersection of human and machine. As surgical robots evolve from teleoperated tools to semi-autonomous partners, the dynamics within the surgical team are fundamentally altered. This research investigates the intricate interplay between surgeon trust, cognitive load, and dynamic task allocation in human-robot collaborative surgery. The central thesis is that achieving optimal surgical outcomes and safety depends not merely on the robot's technical proficiency but on a calibrated and adaptive partnership between the surgeon and the autonomous system. Misaligned trust—manifesting as over-trust or under-trust—can lead to attentional misallocations, increased cognitive load, and compromised decision-making, thereby undermining the potential benefits of automation. This paper proposes a mixed-methods approach to explore these dynamics. Through simulation-based experiments with surgical professionals, we aim to quantify the impact of varying levels of robotic autonomy on surgical performance, cognitive load (measured via physiological and subjective metrics), and trust calibration. Complementary qualitative analysis of interviews and observational data will provide nuanced insights into the subjective experiences and decision-making heuristics of surgeons. The expected findings will illuminate the causal relationships between these core factors, revealing how surgeons adapt their trust and cognitive strategies in response to robot behavior. Ultimately, this study aims to contribute a novel, empirically grounded framework for dynamic task allocation. This framework is designed to optimize the human-robot partnership by modulating autonomy levels in real-time based on procedural context, surgeon state, and system confidence, thereby enhancing procedural efficacy, ensuring patient safety, and shaping the future of surgical team collaboration.