Drone Mesh Network for Low-Latency Remote Robotic Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional telesurgery systems face high communication latency issues due to network congestion and geographical limitations, leading to surgical inaccuracy and safety risks, especially in remote locations with poor connectivity.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing drones to create a network between the surgeon's and patient's locations, deploying drones to adjust or add network coverage as needed to manage latency, employing drones equipped with wireless communication relay devices to establish a mesh network for secure broadband communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional network infrastructure is used for telesurgery, then system complexity is reduced, but communication latency increases and reliability deteriorates in remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces drones as intermediary nodes to establish wireless communication relay between the surgeon's location and the patient's location. These drone-based relays act as mobile intermediaries that bypass congested conventional networks, directly reducing communication latency and improving reliability in remote areas where traditional infrastructure is insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from ground-based conventional network infrastructure to three-dimensional aerial drone networks. By deploying drones at various altitudes and locations, the system creates a spatially distributed mesh network that operates in the aerial dimension, avoiding ground-based network congestion and providing superior communication performance for telesurgery.
2Reliability
If drones are deployed to create wireless communication relay, then communication latency is reduced and reliability is improved, but device complexity and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The drones are designed with multi-functionality, serving both as communication relay nodes and as mobile platform carriers. The system integrates wireless communication equipment, positioning systems, and control mechanisms into single drone units, reducing overall system complexity despite the addition of aerial components. The same drone infrastructure supports multiple telesurgery communication channels simultaneously.
3Manufacturing precision
If mesh network is established using drones, then surgical accuracy is enhanced through reduced latency, but ease of operation decreases due to complex network management
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms that monitor communication quality, drone positions, and network performance in real-time. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of drone positions, communication parameters, and network routing to maintain optimal surgical communication conditions, thereby preserving surgical accuracy while reducing the operational burden on users through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The drone-based mesh network incorporates self-organizing capabilities where drones automatically establish optimal communication paths, adjust their positions based on network requirements, and maintain connectivity without manual intervention. This self-service functionality simplifies network management while ensuring the low-latency communication necessary for precise telesurgery operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Robotic system and method are described for performing latency managed telesurgery. The system comprises drone(s) to create a wireless network in one or more geographic areas between a surgical site and a remote surgeon. The system further comprises a computer that is configured to: receive a request that indicates that a telesurgery is to be performed between the first location and the second location at a scheduled time; determine that one or more equipment is available for use at the surgical site for the telesurgery at the scheduled time; send a first instruction that triggers measurement of a latency of the wireless network; determine, during the telesurgery, whether the latency of the wireless network is acceptable; and send a first message that indicates that the latency is not acceptable, where an operation of the drone(s) is adjusted or an additional drone is deployed in the one or more geographic areas.