Control methodologies for endoscope navigation in robotized laparoscopic surgery

Abstract

This paper is focused on the motion control problem for a laparoscopic surgery robot assistant. This article studies both, navigation problem and efforts applied with an actuated wrist when the endoscope interacts with the patient: gravity, friction and abdominal effort. In this way, a new control strategy has been proposed based on a previous work with a passive wrist robotic assistant. This strategy is able to emulate the behavior of a passive wrist by using two nestled control loops. Finally, the paper concludes with a comparison between both wrists, as well as future applications for actuated wrists related to minimally invasive surgery. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.