Cable-driven MIS Robot with Intuitive Manipulability and Direct Force Feedback

The master-slave control mode of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) robot systems improves intuitive manipulability of MIS, but it cuts off direct force feedback between the master and slave manipulator. In order to design a MIS robot with both intuitive manipulability and direct force feedback, the following studies were conducted. Firstly, based on a new task division of the console surgeon and operating-table surgeon, a new model of an MIS robots system was proposed, in which the operating-table surgeon worked as main surgeon and the console surgeon worked as assistant surgeon. Secondly, according to the workspace requirement of MIS, a symmetrical cable-driven MIS robot was designed including structure, layout of driving cable and motion characteristics. Thirdly, the prototype was manufactured and related experiments were carried out, such as flexibility experiment, position control accuracy experiment and motion performance experiment. The study is important for both improving intuitive manipulability and realizing force feedback of MIS robot.