Force estimation and failure detection based on disturbance observer for an ear surgical device

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Mechatronics
• Surgical Technology
• Control Systems Engineering

Background:

• Accurate contact force estimation is crucial for safety in robotic and mechatronic systems.
• Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) treatment requires reliable force sensing for surgical device guidance.
• Existing methods may lack the precision needed for sensitive surgical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel automatic ear surgical device for OME treatment guided by force sensing.
• To propose and validate a contact force estimation method using a disturbance observer for enhanced surgical safety.
• To develop a robust control strategy incorporating advanced disturbance observer, contact estimator, and failure detector.

Main Methods:

• Development of a system model and a composite motion controller for an ultrasonic motor (USM) stage.
• Design and stability analysis of an advanced disturbance observer for precise force estimation.
• Integration of a contact estimator and a failure detector to improve system reliability and safety.

Main Results:

• The advanced disturbance observer accurately estimates contact forces in simulations and experiments.
• The proposed disturbance observer-based method demonstrates feasibility for force sensing and contact detection.
• Experimental validation confirms the precise estimation of actual contact forces.

Conclusions:

• The developed disturbance observer-based approach provides reliable contact force estimation for surgical robotics.
• The integrated system enhances the safety and reliability of automatic ear surgical devices.
• The method is applicable to force sensing, contact detection, and fault diagnosis in mechatronic systems.