Robotics surgical systems, devices, include selected associatablc master/slave pairs, often having more manipulator arms than will be moved simultaneously by the two hands of a surgeon. Four manipulator arms can support an image capture device, a left-hand tissue manipulation tool, a right-hand manipulation tool, and a fourth surgical instrument, particularly stabilizing, retracting, tool change, or other functions benefiting from intermittent movement. The four or more arms may sequentially be controlled by left and right master input control devices. The fourth arm may be used to support another image capture device, and control of some or all of the arms may be transferred back and forth between the operator, and an assistant. Two or more robotics systems each having master controls (200) and slave manipulators (300) may be coupled to enable cooperative surgery between two or more operators (O,A1,A2).
