Design, Modelling and Teleoperation of a 2 mm Diameter Compliant Instrument for the da Vinci Platform

This work explores the feasibility of creating and accurately controlling an instrument for robotic surgery with a 2 mm diameter and a three degree-of-freedom (DoF) wrist which is compatible with the da Vinci platform. The instrument's wrist is composed of a two DoF bending notched-nitinol tube pattern, for which a kinematic model has been developed. A base mechanism for controlling the wrist is designed for integration with the da Vinci Research Kit. A basic teleoperation task is successfully performed using two of the miniature instruments. The performance and accuracy of the instrument suggest that creating and accurately controlling a 2 mm diameter instrument is feasible and the design and modelling proposed in this work provide a basis for future miniature instrument development.