The present invention is directed to a device for allowing universal surgical tool exchange. The device of the present invention includes a tool-side adapter and a robot-side adapter that combine the benefits of a robot in the operating room (OR) with a system that has minimal impact on the current surgical workflow. The device of the present invention allows surgeons to preserve their natural grip on the surgical tool, creates a reliable and repeatable connection between the tool and the robot, and allows the user to rapidly swap the tools in and out from the surgical robot using a single-handed motion. A unique RFID tag and receiver is embedded in the tool-side adapter and the robot-side adapter, respectively to allow the robot to identify the tool that has been engaged. The present invention is universally applicable to any robotic system that is intended to hold a set of hand instruments.