Master-Slave Control System for Intuitive Surgical Robot Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical robotics systems fail to provide an intuitive control experience for operators, as the motion of slave manipulators is not accurately represented on displays, leading to disorientation and inefficiency, especially when the slave manipulator's position and orientation differ from the master manipulator's.
Innovation Solution
A control system that uses a virtual observer reference frame to map operator input from a master manipulator to a slave manipulator, ensuring intuitive movement representation on a display, regardless of the slave manipulator's actual position and orientation, combined with force feedback mechanisms that include measured and virtual forces for enhanced control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the slave manipulator's position and orientation are directly mapped to the display, then the actual position is accurately represented, but the operator experiences disorientation and loss of intuitive control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an observer reference frame as an intermediary coordinate system between the slave manipulator's actual position and the display representation. This observer frame, positioned at a fixed location with fixed orientation, mediates the transformation by converting slave manipulator coordinates into observer coordinates, which are then displayed. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by providing accurate position representation through coordinate transformation while maintaining intuitive control, as the observer frame serves as a stable reference that decouples the display from direct slave manipulator orientation changes.
2Ease of operation
If the display location corresponds to the master manipulator position, then the control feedback is intuitive, but the system cannot support remote operation scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the coordinate system transformation into distinct components: master manipulator coordinates, observer reference frame coordinates, and slave manipulator coordinates. By separating the observer reference frame from both the master and slave manipulators, the system allows the display location to be independent of the master manipulator position while maintaining intuitive control feedback. This segmentation enables remote operation scenarios where the operator and slave manipulator are physically separated, as the observer frame provides a virtual common reference point.
3Measurement precision
If force feedback is provided based on actual tooltip forces, then measurement accuracy is high, but the system complexity increases due to additional sensors and coupling mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the force sensors serve multiple functions: they simultaneously measure tooltip forces for force feedback and provide data for calculating tool tip position and orientation. The flexible coupling mechanism also serves dual purposes: it transmits actuation forces to the surgical tool while allowing the force sensors to measure tooltip forces without mechanical interference. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate measurement systems while maintaining high measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, devices, and systems for controlling movement of a slave manipulator by an operator controlling a master manipulator in a way that the motion of that slave manipulator can be presented via a display to the operator such that the displayed position of the slave manipulator is intuitive to the operator, regardless of the actual position and orientation of the slave manipulator. Methods, devices, and systems relating to force feedback associated with medical robotic procedures.