Abstract
Success of the da Vinci surgical robot in the last decade has motivated the development of flexible access robots to assist clinical experts during single-port interventions of core intrabody organs. Prototypes of flexible robots have been proposed to enhance surgical tasks, such as suturing, tumor resection, and radiosurgery in human abdominal areas; nonetheless, precise constraint control models are still needed for flexible pathway navigation. In this paper, the design of a flexible snake-like robot is presented, along with the constraints model that was proposed for kinematics and dynamics control, motion trajectory planning, and obstacle avoidance during motion. Simulation of the robot and implementation of the proposed control models were done in Matlab. Several points on different circular paths were used for evaluation, and the results obtained show the model had a mean kinematic error of 0.37 ± 0.36 mm with very fast kinematics and dynamics resolution times. Furthermore, the robot’s movement was geometrically and parametrically continuous for three different trajectory cases on a circular pathway. In addition, procedures for dynamic constraint and obstacle collision detection were also proposed and validated. In the latter, a collision-avoidance scheme was kept optimal by keeping a safe distance between the robot’s links and obstacles in the workspace. Analyses of the results showed the control system was optimal in determining the necessary joint angles to reach a given target point, and motion profiles with a smooth trajectory was guaranteed, while collision with obstacles were detected a priori and avoided in close to real-time. Furthermore, the complexity and computational effort of the algorithmic models were negligibly small. Thus, the model can be used to enhance the real-time control of flexible robotic systems.
Highlights
The da Vinci surgical robotic system, introduced two decades ago, has given rise to a rapid paradigm-shift in minimally invasive surgery (MIS)
Kinematic and dynamic constraints models were first developed for point-to-point motion control of the flexible robot, a trajectory model was developed for smooth navigation and that avoids collisions with obstacles detected in the robot’s workspace
Objects that are not of interest in a workspace or links making-up the flexible robot can be deemed as obstacles, and these can hinder the steady or continuous motion of a robotic mechanism when moving along a pathway with a pre-planned trajectory, which reduces the efficiency of the trajectory planning system
Summary
The da Vinci surgical robotic system, introduced two decades ago, has given rise to a rapid paradigm-shift in minimally invasive surgery (MIS). While robotic mechanisms with soft actuation and deformable joints are generally used in the context of flexible robotics, rigid serial-link robots have been proposed and adapted to enhance MIS procedures that involve intrabody and intraluminal navigations [2]. Some existing surgical robotic systems, such as Zeus and da Vinci robotic platforms, adopt parallel-link design mechanisms for flexible access during surgical interventions. While navigating the parallel mechanisms requires passive control systems, recent advances in flexible MIS have shown that serial-link prototypes, such the da Vinci® Sp (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) and Flex Robotic (Medrobotics Corp., Raynham, MA, USA) surgical systems, can perform MIS. Flexible prototypes are designed for a fast, safe, and precise stratagem needed for intrabody navigation during surgery interventions in confined anatomical areas of the human body. A major issue is the lack of motion and force constraints, which hinder the effective control of the multisegmented robots during flexible access surgery
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
