Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 4, 2026

A Teleoperated Robotic System-Assisted Percutaneous Transiliac-Transsacral Screw Fixation Technique
Published on: January 6, 2023
SmartArm: Integration and validation of a versatile surgical robotic system for constrained workspaces
Murilo Marques Marinho1, Kanako Harada1, Akio Morita2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Background:
With the increasing presence of surgical robots minimally invasive surgery, there is a growing necessity of a versatile surgical system for deep and narrow workspaces.
Methods:
We developed a versatile system for constrained workspaces called SmartArm. It has two industrial-type robotic arms with flexible tools attached to its distal tip, with a total of nine active degrees-of-freedom. The system has a control algorithm based on constrained optimization that allows the safe generation of task constraints and intuitive teleoperation.
Results:
The SmartArm system is evaluated in a master-slave experiment in which a medically untrained user operates the robot to suture the dura mater membrane at the skull base of a realistic head phantom. Our results show that the user could accomplish the task proficiently, with speed and accuracy comparable to manual suturing by surgeons. Conclusions We demonstrated the integration and validation of the SmartArm.
Related Concept Videos
Mechanical Systems
Virtual Work for a System of Connected Rigid Bodies
Next,...
One-Degree-of-Freedom System
A one-degree-of-freedom system is defined by an independent variable that determines its state and behavior. One example of a one-degree-of-freedom system is a simple harmonic oscillator, such as a...

