J. Fernandez-Lozano

Human-machine interface evaluation in a computer assisted surgical system

This work presents an approach to the evaluation of two interfaces for the control of a robotic surgical assistant. Each interface is associated to a different mode of controlling the system: by the surgeon (voice commands) or by the assistant (tactile interface). This two modes are allowed by the design of the manipulator, developed to occupy a small volume in the operating room. To evaluate the interfaces, a rating scale for teleoperated systems is proposed.

Adaptive cartesian motion control approach for a surgical robotic cameraman

This paper presents an adaptive trajectory planning method concerning to the robotic assistant ERM (endoscopic robotic manipulator), designed and developed by the authors for handling the camera in laparoscopic surgery. In order to emulate the human assistant, camera movements must be defined relative to the fulcrum point, where the optic passes through the patient skin and enters inside the abdominal cavity. Since the robot has a passive wrist, and it is not fixed to the operating table, the relative position between the robot camera holder and the insertion point is unknown. In this way, the proposed approach keeps the camera orientation according to the motion references in spite of this uncertainty, and compensates other unexpected disturbances about the relative robot-patient position. This motion planner is based on a schema of a cartesian motion controller with inner joint position-velocity loop, and has been tested by means of experimentation with alive animals.

Pivoting motion control for a laparoscopic assistant robot and human clinical trials

This paper presents a compliant motion control method for the robotic assistant ERM (Endoscopic Robotic Manipulator), designed and developed by the authors for handling the camera in laparoscopic surgery. Since the robot has a passive wrist and it is not fixed to the operating table, the relative position between the robot camera holder and the insertion point is unknown. In this way, the proposed approach keeps the camera orientation according to the motion references in spite of this uncertainty and compensates for other unexpected disturbances about the relative robot–patient position. This system has been tested with live animals as well as in clinical trials on humans.

Mobile Robot Lab Project to Introduce Engineering Students to Fault Diagnosis in Mechatronic Systems

This paper proposes lab work for learning fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in mechatronic systems. These skills are important for engineering education because FDD is a key capability of competitive processes and products. The intended outcome of the lab work is that students become aware of the importance of faulty conditions and learn to design FDD strategies for a real system. To this end, the paper proposes a lab project where students are requested to develop a discrete event dynamic system (DEDS) diagnosis to cope with two faulty conditions in an autonomous mobile robot task. A sample solution is discussed for LEGO Mindstorms NXT robots with LabVIEW. This innovative practice is relevant to higher education engineering courses related to mechatronics, robotics, or DEDS. Results are also given of the application of this strategy as part of a postgraduate course on fault-tolerant mechatronic systems.

Control movement scheme based on manipulability concept for a surgical robotic assistant

This paper proposes a Cartesian control scheme applied to a robotic assistant for laparoscopic surgery. This systems main characteristic is that it emulates the movements of a human assistant, guiding the laparoscopic camera with precision to focus on the area in question inside the patient. Furthermore this control scheme requires adjustment of certain parameters in order to prevent saturation of the manipulators actuators, and therefore the robot has been studied in terms of manipulability. The proposed movement control scheme has been implanted in the ERM robot used to carry out trials on thirty two patients

Double reflection goniophotometer

A positioning system and photometer as a whole are termed goniophotometer, which is defined as a specialized instrument for measuring the angular variation of a given photometric level. This paper explains the design and calibration of a new automated goniophotometer based on double reflection in order to reduce the size of the system. This goniophotometer is suitable for measuring several photometric magnitudes (luminance, luminous intensity...) with no need for auxiliary detectors.

DEVELOPMENT OF A TELEROBOTIC CAMERA MANIPULATOR FOR LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Abstract This paper presents a robotic assistant to help surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. The system provides the direct control of the camera positioning inside the abdominal cavity, by both surgeon voice co mmands and remote teleoperation. This prototype does not require any modification of a standard operating room (furniture or surgery tools) for its installation and it s application in operations. The system has been tested by using patient simulators, and in vitro tissues.

A rapid deployment wireless sensor network for sustainable urban mobility

Mobility in urban environments is constrained by a steadily growing traffic, while infrastructures usually cannot be expanded. Therefore, improving mobility and sustainability must go hand in hand with a better management of available resources, incorporating traffic control strategies that can be adapted to real conditions at any given time. One of the main obstacles is obtaining the necessary information to implement such schemes, because of either the information these systems provide, or the cost and time they require to be deployed. A feasible alternative is wireless sensor networks, which can provide information about conditions in an area of interest in order to allow more efficient planning and deployment of more sophisticated algorithms control. At the same time, such a sensor network can be deployed quickly and at a limited cost.

Risk analysis for fail-safe motion control implementation in surgical robotics

This paper describes the design and implementation of a motion control architecture for the robotic assistant ERM (endoscopic robotic manipulator), developed by the authors for handling the camera in laparoscopic surgery. The system provides the direct control of the camera positioning inside the abdominal cavity, by means of surgeon voice commands. This motion controller is implemented on a fail-safe architecture, designed from a failure mode effect analysis (FMEA). The system has been tested by means of experimentation with live animals

Experimental Results from Stereoscopic Viewing and Automatic Camera Orientation for Vehicle Teleoperation

Abstract This paper presents and analyzes experimental results from the teleoperated guidance of a mobile robot. Different modes have been tested, from mono to stereo viewing and from static to automatically oriented cameras, in order to determine the best configuration for teleoperated guidance by means of elemental curvature and speed commands. This system also features an original low-cost stereo viewing system that allows easy wireless transmission combined with a camera pan and til unit. In addition an automatic camera positioning method wich helps avoiding control unstability due to the vehicle dynamics.