Development of safe mechanism for surgical robots using equilibrium point control method.

Area of Science:

• Robotics
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Surgical Technology

Background:

• Current surgical robots lack human-like arm compliance, limiting dexterity and safety.
• Existing control methods struggle to replicate the nuanced stiffness and position control of biological limbs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel robotic mechanism enabling human arm-like compliant motion for surgical applications.
• To implement the equilibrium point control hypothesis for enhanced robotic manipulator behavior.
• To enable estimation of end-effector forces without dedicated sensors.

Main Methods:

• Developed a double-actuator mechanism for each robotic joint, controlling both position and stiffness.
• Implemented equilibrium point control to modulate manipulator impedance and position.
• Utilized joint stiffness and angle data for indirect force estimation.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful implementation on two- and three-link robotic manipulators.
• Experimental and simulation results validated the proposed mechanism's effectiveness.
• Achieved arbitrary manipulation of robotic manipulator stiffness and position.

Conclusions:

• The novel mechanism successfully generates human arm-like compliant motion.
• This approach significantly improves the stability and safety of robotic movements in surgical settings.
• The simple control scheme offers a practical advancement for surgical robotics.