Haptic interaction in robot‐assisted endoscopic surgery: a sensorized end‐effector

Abstract

Conventional endoscopic surgery has some drawbacks that can be addressed by using robots. The robotic systems used for surgery are still in their infancy. A major deficiency is the lack of haptic feedback to the surgeon. In this paper, the benefits of haptic feedback in robot‐assisted surgery are discussed. A novel robotic end‐effector is then described that meets the requirements of endoscopic surgery and is sensorized for force/ torque feedback. The endoscopic end‐effector is capable of non‐invasively measuring its interaction with tissue in all the degrees of freedom available during endoscopic manipulation. It is also capable of remotely actuating a tip and measuring its interaction with the environment without using any sensors on the jaws. The sensorized end‐effector can be used as the last arm of a surgical robot to incorporate haptic feedback and/or to evaluate skills and learning curves of residents and surgeons in endoscopic surgery. Copyright © 2005 Robotic Publications Ltd.