Overview

In the framework of the RIME project, funded by the MIUR in 2001, it has been completed the design of two prototypes of robotic systems (both hardware and software) for applications of spinal surgery.

Within this project the primary research objectives of the PERCRO laboratory of the Scuola Superiore S. Anna of Pisa have been the realization of a suitable 3DoF Haptic Master for the control of entire families of robot for medical applications and the validation of a bilateral teleoperation system for robotic assisted surgical operations.

On the base of the realized and tested models, the engineerization and development of a master system final version, usable for teleoperated operations in the medical-surgical field, has been carried out, in order to obtain an economic model and to reduce the realization costs of force feedback interfaces for future applications of teleoperated robotics in this field.

Calibration and experimental validation of the complete master-slave prototype obtained by the integration of the realized robotic system have been conducted and experimental verification of obtained performances have been done during execution and simulation of specific teleoperated tasks.

A facility has been set-up for the validation of algorithms and medical procedures related to spinal surgery. In order to evalute from a technical point of view the mechanical architecture, PERCRO has realized a complete system for bilateral force-feedback teleoperation.