A surgical instrument, comprising: an end effector comprising an elongated channel and a pivotally translatable clamping member; and further having a selectively reciprocatable implement member movably supported on a rotary shaft and being selectively advanceable in a distal direction upon application of a rotary actuation motion to the rotary shaft and retractable in a proximal direction upon application of a rotary retraction motion to the rotary shaft; an elongate shaft assembly coupled to said end effector so that rotation of the elongate shaft assembly about its longitudinal axis results in rotation of the end effector, the elongate shaft assembly comprising a hollow rotary drive shaft segment that is rotatably received on a distal spine shaft attached to a stationary base that is non-movably coupled to the channel, the hollow rotary drive shaft segment being configured to transmit said rotary actuation motion and rotary retraction motion to the rotary shaft from a robotic system; a tool mounting portion comprising a tool mounting plate that operably supports a plurality of rotatable elements, wherein the plurality of rotatable elements form a transmission for operably interfacing with said robotic system, wherein at least one of the rotatable elements is configurable in a first configuration for rotating said hollow rotary drive shaft segment about an axis in a first direction and a second configuration for rotating said hollow rotary drive shaft segment about said axis in a direction opposite said first direction; and an interface for coupling the tool mounting portion to said robotic system, and including an adaptor portion that is configured to mountingly engage the mounting plate, and a plurality of rotatable bodies for interfacing with the plurality of rotatable elements. an end effector comprising an elongated channel and a pivotally translatable clamping member; and further having a selectively reciprocatable implement member movably supported on a rotary shaft and being selectively advanceable in a distal direction upon application of a rotary actuation motion to the rotary shaft and retractable in a proximal direction upon application of a rotary retraction motion to the rotary shaft; an elongate shaft assembly coupled to said end effector so that rotation of the elongate shaft assembly about its longitudinal axis results in rotation of the end effector, the elongate shaft assembly comprising a hollow rotary drive shaft segment that is rotatably received on a distal spine shaft attached to a stationary base that is non-movably coupled to the channel, the hollow rotary drive shaft segment being configured to transmit said rotary actuation motion and rotary retraction motion to the rotary shaft from a robotic system; a tool mounting portion comprising a tool mounting plate that operably supports a plurality of rotatable elements, wherein the plurality of rotatable elements form a transmission for operably interfacing with said robotic system, wherein at least one of the rotatable elements is configurable in a first configuration for rotating said hollow rotary drive shaft segment about an axis in a first direction and a second configuration for rotating said hollow rotary drive shaft segment about said axis in a direction opposite said first direction; and an interface for coupling the tool mounting portion to said robotic system, and including an adaptor portion that is configured to mountingly engage the mounting plate, and a plurality of rotatable bodies for interfacing with the plurality of rotatable elements.