A Manipulator for Medical Applications: Design and Control

Abstract

An actuated robot arm is designed for use as a gross positioning macro-manipulator that can carry, appropriately orient, precisely position, and firmly “lock” in place different types of micro-robots and surgical tools necessary for applications in minimally invasive therapy. With a simple manipulation protocol, the clinician can easily operate the robot in manual mode. A remote control mode can also be enabled for teleoperation of the robot. The robot’s normally locked braking system and the simple quick-release joint enhance its safety features for emergencies and power shutdown. Robot workspace analysis showed that the singularity regions are outside the usable work envelope of the robot. Performance analysis showed that the robot operates with an average displacement accuracy of 0.58 mm and a roll, pitch, and yaw angular accuracies of 0.26 deg, 0.26 deg, and 0.38 deg, respectively. The sophisticated configuration and joint architecture of the arm enable it to perform and interact efficiently with the constrained and limited workspace of surgical environments. The special features of the proposed robot make it well suited for use with new surgical tools and micro-robots for a range of medical interventions.