This paper deals with a strategy of gain optimization for the kinematic control algorithm of a wire-driven surgical robot. The proposed controller consists of the closed-loop inverse kinematics with the back-calculation method. The closed-loop inverse kinematics has 18 PID control gains, and the back-calculation method has 6 gains. An efficient strategy is designed to optimize 18 values first and then the remaining 6 values. The optimal gain sets are searched under the step input with performance indices. In this gain optimization, the objective function is defined as the minimum value of signal-to-noise ratio of the performance indices for 6 DoF (Degree-of-Freedom) motion that is based on the Taguchi method, and the constraints are applied to obtain stable responses for each motion evenly. The gain sets obtained are verified by simulations using the test trajectories. In comparative results, the optimal gain value based on the performance index combined with ISE (integral of square error) and settling time showed the best control performance.
When using commercialized robot assisted laparoscopic, surgeon has met some problems to depend only on image of the surgical field. To solve it, there were various researches. The previous study showed that it is possible to estimate the operation force on the commercialized instrument inside patient without sensors. To apply the estimated force to a haptic master console for the laparoscopy surgical robot system, the light haptic master console should be designed. This paper suggests the design of lighter master console handle to reduce a weight of the console whose structure can match with the joint and DOF of an instrument. A cable-conduit mechanism is designed to make light structure to perform a delicate manipulation. The cable-conduit mechanism removes the weight and inertia of link caused by haptic actuator and encoder which is separated from handle link of a manipulator.
In spite of the difficulties and uncertain characteristic of cable driven method, surgical robot instrument has adopted it as driving mechanism for various reasons. To overcome the problem of cable system, previous research applied SMCSPO (sliding mode control with sliding perturbation observer) algorithm as robust controller to control the instrument and found that the value of SPO (sliding perturbation observer) followed force disturbance, reaction force loaded on the tip very similarly. Thus, this paper confirms that the perturbation observer is sufficient estimator which finds out the mount of loaded force on the surgical robot instrument. To prove the proposition, simulation using the similar model with an actual instrument and experimental evaluation are performed. The results show that it is possible to substitute SPO for sensors to measure the reaction force. This estimated reaction force will be used to realize haptic function by sending the reaction force to a master device for a surgeon. The results will contribute to create surgical benefit such as shortening the practice time of a surgeon and giving haptic information to surgeon by using it as haptic signal to protect an organ by making force boundary.