Synthesizing spatially-aware transitions between multiple camera viewpoints during minimally invasive surgery

A system for transitioning between camera viewpoints during a robotic surgical procedure, the system comprising:

• a surgical robot including:
• a first camera,
• a second camera, and
• robotic arms coupling the first and second cameras to the surgical robot;
• and
• a computer configured to:
• receive images of a surgical site from the first camera during the robotic surgical procedure;
• track the position of the robotic arm including the second camera coupled thereto based on data obtained from at least one pose detection sensor tracking the pose of the second camera;
• receive images of the surgical site from the second camera that are different from the images received from the first camera as the robotic arm is electromechanically moved to different positions;
• compare a pose from which at least one of the images received from the second camera were captured to a pose from which at least one of the images received from the first camera were captured based on the determined pose of the second camera and a predetermined pose of the first camera;
• generate a transition between the compared images based on a difference in the pose from which the images received from the first and second cameras were captured;
• and
• display the transition when switching between displaying images received from the first and second cameras.