A Systematic Review on Haptic Feedback in Medical Robotics: Technologies, Applications, Clinical Translation, and an Information-Oriented Perspective

Haptic technology restores the sense of touch to robotic systems and has become increasingly important for safe and intuitive human-robot interaction in healthcare. Despite substantial advances over the past two decades, widespread clinical adoption remains limited, highlighting a persistent gap between laboratory research and real-world medical deployment. This review synthesizes research from robotics, human-computer interaction, neuroscience, and clinical medicine based on a systematic literature search conducted in IEEE Xplore, PubMed, and Scopus (2000-2025). The review adopts an information-centric perspective, focusing on the clinically relevant information conveyed through haptic feedback rather than force reproduction alone. The review examines tactile, kinesthetic, and hybrid feedback modalities; summarizes key principles of haptic rendering, stability, and control; and evaluates applications in surgical robotics, teleoperation, rehabilitation, prosthetics, and medical training. Evidence indicates that haptic feedback can improve performance, reduce excessive forces, and enhance situational awareness, although benefits remain task-dependent. Clinical translation continues to be constrained by sensing limitations, miniaturization challenges, stability requirements, human factors, and regulatory considerations. Current research is increasingly directed toward sensorless force estimation, artificial intelligence-assisted haptic rendering, wearable and soft haptic interfaces, and neurohaptic technologies, reflecting a shift toward task-oriented and information-centric feedback. Future progress will depend less on maximizing physical realism and more on delivering clinically meaningful information through stable, interpretable, and user-centered haptic systems. This review provides a roadmap for advancing clinically deployable haptic technologies in healthcare.