Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Force sensing and haptic feedback are increasingly important for restoring information on instrument–tissue interaction during robotic surgery, yet the development and clinical translation of this field remain incompletely characterized. This study mapped its global research landscape, intellectual structure, technological evolution, and translational trajectory. Publications dated from January 2010 to July 30, 2026, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed. After deduplication, metadata quality control, and eligibility assessment, 2,872 publications from 960 sources were analyzed using bibliometric performance indicators, science mapping, citation-burst detection, logistic growth modeling, and exploratory topic modeling. Annual output increased from 56 publications in 2010 to 393 in 2025, with 54.46% of the corpus published during 2020–2025. The field was positioned within a rapid-growth phase, although recent output exceeded the smoothed logistic trajectory. China led publication volume, whereas the United States had the highest cumulative citation impact; international co-authorship remained limited at 11.98%. The knowledge structure evolved from master–slave teleoperation and bilateral control toward miniaturized force sensing, sensorized instruments, robotic palpation, sensorless force estimation, and force-aware intelligent assistance. Exploratory topic modeling did not yield sufficiently coherent or stable themes for definitive classification. Force sensing and haptic feedback are progressing from component-level engineering toward integrated systems and early clinical evaluation. Future research should prioritize standardized reporting, task- and tissue-specific force thresholds, independent validation, human-factor assessment, and prospective multicenter studies.</p>