Effect of force feedback from each DOF on the motion accuracy of a surgical tool in performing a robot-assisted tracing task

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2010:2010:2093-6. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5626171.

Abstract

In robot-assisted surgery, it may be important to provide force feedback to the hand of the surgeon. Here we examine how force feedback from each degree of freedom (DOF) on a hand controller affects the motion accuracy of a surgical tool. We studied the motion accuracy of a needle-shaped tool in performing a robot-assisted tracing task. On a virtual simulation of the tool and neuroArm robot, human participants manipulated a hand controller to move the tool attached to the end-effector of the robot. They used the tool to trace a line on pipes (mimicking blood vessels) along 3 orthogonal directions, corresponding to 3 DOF on the hand controller. We observed that force feedback from each DOF on the hand controller had a significant effect on the motion accuracy of the tool during tracing. Varying force conditions yielded insignificant difference in motion accuracy. These results indicate a need of revising the hand controller for achieving improved motion accuracy in performing robot-assisted tasks.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Algorithms
  • Equipment Design
  • Feedback*
  • Humans
  • Motion
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Robotics / instrumentation*
  • Robotics / methods
  • Software
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*
  • Surgery, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • User-Computer Interface
  • Vision, Ocular