Optical Motion Detection for Intuitive Robotic Manipulator Pairing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic manipulator systems for teleoperated applications, such as surgical procedures, lack intuitive methods for associating user input devices with manipulators, leading to complex interactions with display systems that do not provide clear relative poses of the manipulators.
Innovation Solution
A computer-assisted medical system that includes teleoperated manipulators, a user input system with movable portions, and a controller that executes instructions for pairing and controlling the manipulators. The system uses an optical motion detection system to detect user hand movements, allowing for intuitive association of user input devices with manipulators based on physical manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional display-based association methods are used, then information can be presented to the operator, but the association process becomes complex and lacks intuitive sense of relative poses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional display-based association methods with an optical motion detection system that tracks physical movement of user input devices. This substitution transforms the association process from a complex display interaction to an intuitive physical gesture-based system, where the optical system detects hand movements and automatically associates them with manipulators based on spatial relationships.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service association by automatically detecting the operator's hand movements and autonomously pairing the user input device with the appropriate manipulator. The optical motion detection system monitors the physical gestures and performs the association without requiring manual configuration or complex display interactions, making the system self-configuring based on natural operator behavior.
2Ease of operation
If physical manipulation of user input device is used for association, then intuitive sense of relative poses is provided, but the system requires motion detection capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual association configuration with an optical motion detection system that automatically tracks and interprets physical gestures. This substitution eliminates the need for display-based configuration while adding motion sensing capability, transforming the system from static display interaction to dynamic gesture-based control.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical motion detection system serves as an intermediary between the operator's physical gestures and the manipulator control system. It captures hand movements, interprets them as association commands, and translates them into appropriate manipulator pairings, bridging the gap between physical intuition and system configuration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple user input devices are used to control different manipulators, then independent control is achieved, but the association process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service association for multiple devices by automatically detecting each user input device's physical movements and autonomously pairing them with the appropriate manipulators. Each device independently undergoes motion-based association, eliminating the need for complex multi-device configuration procedures and allowing automatic scaling to any number of devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by treating each user input device's association process as an independent, self-contained gesture sequence. Rather than requiring coordinated configuration of multiple devices together, each device undergoes its own motion-based pairing process, dividing the complex multi-device association into simpler individual device associations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables intuitive association of user input devices with manipulators, providing human-detectable feedback to facilitate the association process, thereby simplifying the control of teleoperated manipulators in medical and non-medical applications.
Implementation Method 1
an optical motion detection system operable to generate signals to control the plurality of manipulators... The optical motion detection system is configured to detect motion of hands of a user
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-assisted medical system includes robotic manipulators, a user input system operable to generate signals to control the manipulators, and a controller configured to execute instructions to perform operations. A portion of the user input system is movable relative to the plurality of manipulators. The operations include, in a pairing mode, associating a first manipulator of the plurality of manipulators with the portion of the user input system based on movement of the portion of the user input system relative to the first manipulator, and, in a following mode, controlling motion of the first manipulator in accordance with an indication generated by the user input system in response to operation of the portion of the user input system by a user.