Apparatus and method for registering images in real-time

An apparatus comprising:

• a surgical robot;
• an image capturing device configured to capture an image of an observed region;
• a display device configured to generate a displayed image corresponding to the captured image;
• a registration device configured to, on receipt of a designation by a user of a selected portion of the displayed image, determine position data representing a position in the observed region corresponding to the selected portion;
• and
• a controller coupled to the registration device, the controller configured to move the surgical robot to the position in the observed region represented by the determined position data;
• the registration device further configured to, based on the designation of the selected portion and further designation of an identity attribute of said selected portion by a user, determine the position data by registering the selected portion to a three-dimensional (3D) pattern stored in a memory coupled to the registration device, the 3D pattern being associated with an identity matched with the identity attribute;
• the apparatus further comprising:
• a processor configured to superimpose a graphical representation of said 3D pattern on the displayed image.