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Robot-Assisted Adaptive Control Enhances Dental Drilling Force Stability
Yutian Zheng1, Yuan Mu1, Maged Ali Al-Aroomi1
1Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Hunan Engineering Research Center for Oral Digital Intelligence, 3D Printing Engineering Research Center of Oral Care, Xiangya School of Stomatology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Force Adaptive Model-predictive Embedded control (FAME) offers superior stability and disturbance resistance for robotic dental drilling. This advanced control strategy ensures consistent drilling force, enhancing safety and precision in dental procedures.
Area of Science:
- Robotics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Dental Technology
Background:
- Robotic dental procedures require precise force control, challenging due to variable tooth hardness (enamel vs. dentin).
- Inconsistent drilling forces risk tissue damage during dental operations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare four control strategies for position-controlled robotic arms in dental drilling.
- To identify the optimal method for maintaining constant drilling force under varying tooth hardness.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated Original Motion (OM), TCP/CAN Direct-Drive (TDDM), Natural Logarithm Function Extrapolation (NLFE), and Force Adaptive Model-predictive Embedded (FAME) control strategies.
- Conducted static and dynamic drilling experiments using a robotic arm with a six-axis force sensor, targeting 5 N force.
- Assessed performance via dynamic response (rise time, settling time, overshoot) and steady-state stability (RMSE, MAE, peak-to-peak fluctuation).
Main Results:
- All strategies showed basic force tracking, but FAME exhibited superior stability and disturbance resistance.
- FAME achieved the lowest overshoot (13.28%) in static tests and the shortest rise time (0.76 s) in dynamic drilling.
- FAME maintained force within the clinical tolerance (5 ± 1.1 N) during dynamic drilling, unlike OM, NLFE, and TDDM which showed oscillations and fluctuations.
Conclusions:
- FAME demonstrates the best stability, convergence, and disturbance resistance for robotic dental drilling.
- This control strategy enhances constant-force precision across varying tooth hardness.
- FAME presents a promising advancement for safer and more precise robotic dental procedures.
