The strategic approach of EndoCAS is depicted in the figure below.

The figure illustrates, in the path from top to bottom, the flow of requirements of clinical applications into the definition of specifications of CAS system and into basic research; and, in the opposite direction, from bottom to top, the flow of research through basic technology into CAS systems families and, ultimately, into clinical applications.

There are crucial feedback paths at all levels. Clinical applications provide focus and practical validation of the effectiveness provided by the engineered systems families. The need for specific system capabilities, in turn, creates requirements for well-engineered subsystems and enabling component technologies and standards.

Developing these capabilities further requires fundamental advances in knowledge and basic computational techniques. Furthermore, the systems and components provide the essential infrastructure for test and validation of the research.