A surgical master-slave robot for use in minimally invasive surgery on a subject, the surgical master-slave robot comprising: - an instrument manipulator (210, 310, 410,510, 610, 910) for mounting of a surgical instrument; and - a linkage system (200, 300, 400, 500, 600) for moveably suspending the instrument manipulator, the linkage system comprising: - a first linkage component (220, 320, 420, 520, 620) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point (202, 302, 402, 502, 602) of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component (230, 330, 430, 530, 630) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point (204, 304, 404, 504, 604) of the instrument manipulator; wherein: - the first linkage component is configured for guiding the first suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a first movement trajectory (260, 360, 460, 560, 660); - the second linkage component is configured for guiding the second suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a second movement trajectory (270, 370, 470, 570, 670); and wherein the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory differ and are selected to provide a combined translational and rotational movement of the instrument manipulator which moves the instrument manipulator along a predefined trajectory from a surgical position proximate to the subject to a standby position distal to the subject; characterised in that - the surgical master-slave robot comprises a release mechanism for holding and releasing the instrument manipulator (210, 310, 410,510, 610, 910) at the surgical position; and - the movement of the instrument manipulator from the surgical position to the standby position is obtained as a result of a force acting upon the instrument manipulator when the release mechanism releases the instrument manipulator, wherein the force is generated passively by conversion of stored potential energy. - an instrument manipulator (210, 310, 410,510, 610, 910) for mounting of a surgical instrument; and - a linkage system (200, 300, 400, 500, 600) for moveably suspending the instrument manipulator, the linkage system comprising: - a first linkage component (220, 320, 420, 520, 620) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point (202, 302, 402, 502, 602) of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component (230, 330, 430, 530, 630) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point (204, 304, 404, 504, 604) of the instrument manipulator; - a first linkage component (220, 320, 420, 520, 620) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a first suspension point (202, 302, 402, 502, 602) of the instrument manipulator; - a second linkage component (230, 330, 430, 530, 630) coupled to the instrument manipulator at a second suspension point (204, 304, 404, 504, 604) of the instrument manipulator; - the first linkage component is configured for guiding the first suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a first movement trajectory (260, 360, 460, 560, 660); - the second linkage component is configured for guiding the second suspension point of the instrument manipulator to move along a second movement trajectory (270, 370, 470, 570, 670); and wherein the first movement trajectory and the second movement trajectory differ and are selected to provide a combined translational and rotational movement of the instrument manipulator which moves the instrument manipulator along a predefined trajectory from a surgical position proximate to the subject to a standby position distal to the subject; characterised in that - the surgical master-slave robot comprises a release mechanism for holding and releasing the instrument manipulator (210, 310, 410,510, 610, 910) at the surgical position; and - the movement of the instrument manipulator from the surgical position to the standby position is obtained as a result of a force acting upon the instrument manipulator when the release mechanism releases the instrument manipulator, wherein the force is generated passively by conversion of stored potential energy.