Robotic Link Contact Detection With a Sensorized Rigid Shell

The patent applies preliminary action by equipping robotic arm links with contact sensors before the robotic arm is placed into poses that could potentially contact external objects. The sensors are pre-installed on the robotic arm links, and the system is configured to detect contact forces before they can cause harm. This allows the system to proactively monitor for collisions and trigger safety responses before unintended contact adversely impacts the medical procedure or external objects.

The patent implements feedback by using contact sensors on robotic arm links to continuously monitor for contact with external objects. When a contact force is detected by the sensors, the system receives feedback about the collision and can immediately respond by adjusting the robotic arm's pose or stopping movement. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to maintain precision while actively preventing harmful contacts by responding to real-time sensor data.

The patent applies local quality by placing contact sensors specifically at locations on the robotic arm links where contact with external objects is most likely to occur. Rather than uniformly distributing sensors throughout the entire robotic arm, the system strategically positions sensors on links that are most prone to collision during medical procedures. This localized approach provides effective collision detection while minimizing the overall number of sensors and reducing system complexity.

The patent implements universality by designing the contact sensor system to serve multiple functions simultaneously. The same sensors that detect contact forces are also used to determine the direction of contact, identify which specific link made contact, and trigger appropriate safety responses. This multi-functional use of the sensor system maximizes the value of each sensor component and reduces the need for additional specialized sensors, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.