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Updated: Jul 17, 2026
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The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy
Published on: October 14, 2017
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High-accuracy drilling with an image guided light weight robot: autonomous versus intuitive feed control
Sebastian Tauscher1, Alexander Fuchs2, Fabian Baier2
1Institute of Mechatronic Systems, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Appelstrasse 11 a, 30167, Hannover, Germany. sebastian.tauscher@imes.uni-hannover.de.
Summary
This study demonstrates that compliant robotic systems with admittance feed control can achieve the high accuracy required for demanding surgical interventions like direct cochlear access, with errors less than 0.5 mm.
Area of Science:
- Robotics in Surgery
- Medical Device Accuracy
- Surgical Intervention Systems
Background:
- Robotic systems offer potential for enhanced accuracy in surgical interventions, such as direct cochlear access.
- Intuitive user interfaces, incorporating torque sensors, are vital for surgical robot usability.
- Torque sensors, while enabling intuitive control, can reduce structural stiffness, introducing potential error sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the achievable accuracy of compliant robotic systems for demanding surgical interventions.
- To determine if current robotic systems meet the precision requirements for procedures like direct cochlear access.
Main Methods:
- Focused on determining the tool coordinate frame for robot-assisted drilling.
- Implemented and analyzed a method for drill axis definition.
- Developed and tested an admittance feed control concept for intuitive, force-based path following.
- Conducted drilling experiments using PMMA phantoms and artificial bone blocks.
Main Results:
- The drill axis estimation process demonstrated high angular repeatability.
- Achieved accuracy of [Formula: see text] at the entrance and [Formula: see text] at the target point (excluding imaging).
- Admittance feed control resulted in an accuracy of [Formula: see text] at the target point.
- Drilling in artificial temporal bone phantoms, including imaging, yielded errors of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Conclusions:
- Compliant robotic systems can meet the accuracy demands of complex procedures like direct cochlear access.
- The presented admittance feed control strategy enables achieving sub-millimeter accuracy (< [Formula: see text]).
