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High-Resolution Optical Fiber Shape Sensing of Continuum Robots: A Comparative Study.
Frederic Monet1, Shahriar Sefati2, Pierre Lorre1
1Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montral, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Canada.
IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation : ICRA : [Proceedings]. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation
|August 23, 2021
Summary
Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) offers superior shape reconstruction for flexible medical instruments compared to Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors. OFDR provides higher accuracy for complex Continuum Dexterous Manipulators (CDM) in various surgical scenarios.
Area of Science:
- Medical Engineering
- Surgical Robotics
- Optical Sensing Technologies
Background:
- Flexible medical instruments like Continuum Dexterous Manipulators (CDM) are crucial for minimally invasive surgery.
- Accurate shape reconstruction of CDMs is vital but challenging.
- Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors offer shape sensing but have limitations with complex geometries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) and FBG sensors for CDM shape reconstruction.
- To evaluate sensor performance in various surgical conditions, including free-bending, obstacles, and s-bending.
- To determine a more accurate and robust alternative for complex CDM shape sensing.
Main Methods:
- A 35 mm long CDM for orthopedic surgery was used.
- Shape reconstruction accuracy was assessed using tip position error against stereo camera ground truth.
- Three experimental scenarios were conducted: free-bending, obstacle interaction, and s-bending.
Main Results:
- OFDR achieved lower tip position errors across all scenarios: 0.32 mm (free-bending), 0.41 mm (obstacles), and 0.45 mm (s-bending).
- FBG sensor errors were significantly higher: 0.83 mm (free-bending), 0.80 mm (obstacles), and 2.27 mm (s-bending).
- OFDR maintained sub-millimeter maximum tip position error, while FBG reached 3.40 mm.
Conclusions:
- OFDR demonstrates superior accuracy and robustness for reconstructing complex CDM shapes compared to FBG sensors.
- OFDR offers a cost-effective and more reliable solution for advanced shape sensing in flexible medical instruments.
- This technology has the potential to enhance precision and safety in minimally invasive surgeries.
