Precise and minimally invasive surgery has become a yardstick that reflects the level of the technological advancement of colorectal surgery. As a result, the emergence of the da Vinci surgical system (DVSS) opened a new epoch for the precise and minimally invasive surgery. DVSS has the advantages of providing high definition and stable stereoscopic vision, accurate intuitive movement control, hand-tremor filtration, short learning curve and allowing remote manipulation, while, it also has shortcomings such as lack of force feedback, prolonged operative time and high cost. The authors, in this article, address the constitution and evolution of DVSS as well as its application state in colorectal surgery, and some considerations of the future prospects of advanced intelligent technology are also proposed.