The purpose of this study was to develop a robotic system for image-guided percutaneous interventions using ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) for needle biopsy, ablation, cryotherapy, and other needle procedures. The conventional operation of puncture was analyzed firstly, and a compact robot was then designed for manipulating a needle or other slender surgical instrument in the confined space. Its distinctive characteristic is the decoupled motion capability correlated to the positioning and orientation steps of the percutaneous intervention. This approach allowed each step of the intervention to be performed using a separate mechanism of the robot. One major advantage of this kinematic approach was patient safety.