Haptic Guidance for Advanced Control of Surgical Robots

Limited or absent haptic feedback is reported as a factor constraining the continued adoption of surgical robots. The integration of haptic feedback systems in surgical robots can enhance the users’ perception to increase accuracy and safety in surgical tasks (Enayati, De Momi, & Ferrigno, 2016). Vibrotactile feedback, a specific type of haptic feedback, has demonstrated its ability to enhance task performance in various applications (Schoonmaker & Cao, 2006). Navigation through cavities, where unintended contact with the tissue is to be avoided, motivates the need for feedback systems with non-contact localization. This comes into play in surgical procedures where visual feedback alone is not sufficient. Thus, we aim to equip a robotic arm with a capacitive sensor that communicates with a haptic feedback bracelet to guide the user through an arbitrarily shaped phantom.

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Kategorie: Master Thesis