The Pathfinder image-guided surgical robot

This paper first describes the workflow of the Pathfinder image-guided surgical robot that has been designed to replace the stereotactic frame in neurosurgery, and then details the calibration stages employed in order to achieve submillimetre positioning accuracy of a tool tip. The process uses non-linear parameter identification techniques in conjunction with some procedures for camera calibration, which exploit the fact that the camera is mounted to a calibrated robot arm that executes precise motions.