Systems and methods for safe compliant insertion and hybrid force/motion telemanipulation of continuum robots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016354924-A9
Application number	US-201414271418-A
Country	US
Kind code	A9
Filing date	May 6, 2014
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems are described for controlling movement of a continuum robot that includes a plurality of independently controlled segments along the length of the continuum robot. The continuum robot is inserted into a cavity of unknown dimensions or shape. A plurality of forces acting upon the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity are estimated. A positioning command indicating a desired movement of the distal end of the continuum robot is received from a manipulator control. The desired movement is augmented based, at least in part, on the estimated plurality of forces acting on the continuum robot such that movement is restricted to within safe boundaries of the surrounding cavity. The positioning of the continuum robot is then adjusted based on the augmented desired movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of controlling movement of a continuum robot, the continuum robot including a plurality of independently controlled segments along a length of the continuum robot, the method comprising:
inserting the continuum robot into a cavity of unknown dimensions or shape; estimating a plurality of forces acting on one or more segments of the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity; receiving a positioning command from a manipulator control, the positioning command indicating a desired movement for a distal end of the continuum robot; augmenting the desired movement for the distal end of the continuum robot based, at least in part, on the estimated plurality of forces acting on one or more segments such that movement of the continuum robot is restricted within safe boundaries of the surrounding cavity; and adjusting the position of the continuum robot based on the augmented desired movement.

2 . A control system for a continuum robot, the control system being configured to control the movement of the continuum robot according to the method of claim 1 , the control system comprising:
the manipulator control; a compliant insertion controller configured to perform the acts of estimating a plurality of forces acting on one or more segments of the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity; and a motion controller configured to perform the act of receiving the positioning command from a manipulator control, the positioning command indicating a desired movement for a distal end of the continuum robot.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the cavity is a nasal passage of a patient and further comprising advancing the continuum robot into the nasal cavity until the distal end of the continuum robot reaches a surgical site in the throat of the patient, wherein the act of advancing the continuum robot includes advancing the position of the continuum robot based on the positioning command from the manipulator control, and where the act of augmenting the desired movement of the continuum robot includes determining an updated positioning for each segment along the length of the continuum robot based on the estimated plurality of forces acting on the continuum robot by the surrounding cavity.

4 . A method of controlling positioning of a continuum robot, the method comprising:
determining a set of allowable motions for the continuum robot; determining a set of allowable forces for the continuum robot; projecting the set of allowable motions and the set of allowable forces as projection matrices into a joint space corresponding to a manipulator control; translating motion commands from the manipulator control into one or more task specific wrenches using an inverse of an inertia matrix; translating the one or more task specific wrenches into a joint-torque vector command using a Jacobian matrix; and adjusting the positioning of the continuum robot based on the joint-torque vector command using a joint-space PID controller.

Assignees

• Univ Vanderbilt

Inventors

• Simaan Nabil
• Bajo Andrea
• Netterville James L
• Garrett C Gaelyn
• Goldman Roger E

Classifications

• B25J9/1633

  compliant, force, torque control, e.g. combined with position control · CPC title

• A61B34/37

  Leader-follower robots (A61B34/35 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B90/06

  Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A61B2034/301

  for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes · CPC title

• A61B34/35

  for telesurgery · CPC title