脊柱微创手术机器人运动控制系统的设计

设计了一套医疗机器人系统用于辅助脊柱微创外科手术操作。详细论述了这款5自由度脊柱微创手术导航机器人运动控制系统的设计与实现。提出了具有创新性的步进电机细分驱动模式,将电机定子电流从方波形状转变成为了正弦波形状,消除了步进电机的步间振荡现象。利用传感机构实现了对机器人末端工具的位姿反馈,并以此构成了对机器人末端工具的闭环控制。通过CAN实现了数字信号处理器之间的网络互联。最后对该系统进行实验,结果验证了控制系统具有良好的可靠性和稳定性。     

Multimodal image registration system for image-guided orthopaedic surgery

We present a novel multimodality image registration system for spinal surgery. The system comprises a surface-based algorithm that performs computed tomography/magnetic resonance (CT/MR) rigid registration and MR image segmentation in an iterative manner. The segmentation/registration process progressively refines the result of MR image segmentation and CT/MR registration. For MR image segmentation, we propose a method based on the double-front level set that avoids boundary leakages, prevents interference from other objects in the image, and reduces computational time by constraining the search space. In order to reduce the registration error from the misclassification of the soft tissue surrounding the bone in MR images, we propose a weighted surface-based CT/MR registration scheme. The resultant weighted surface is registered to the segmented surface of the CT image. Contours are generated from the reconstructed CT surfaces for subsequent MR image segmentation. This process iterates till convergence. The registration method achieves accuracy comparable to conventional techniques while being significantly faster. Experimental results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach and its application to different anatomies.     

Detection system of a security robot using multisensor fusion algorithms

This article develops a detection system with a module-based intelligent security robot that has a uniform interface. The detection system contains a power detection module, a gas detection module, an environment detection module, and a fire detection module, etc. The control unit of these modules is a HOLTEK microchip. These modules can communicate with a master module via an I2C interface. The master module communicates with the main controller of the security robot via an RS232 interface. The main controller of the security robot system is an industry personal computer (IPC). It can display the status of these modules on the monitor. These detection modules can enhance the detection results using multisensory fusion algorithms. The user can add or remove the detection modules in any time, and the main controller can acquires sensor signals from these detection modules in real-time. Finally, we present some experimental results using these detection modules, and integrate these modules in a module-based intelligent security robot that executes several scenarios.     

Space and time sensor fusion using an active camera for mobile robot navigation

We propose a sensor-fusion technique where the data sets for previous moments are properly transformed and fused into the current data sets to allow accurate measurements, such as the distance to an obstacle or the location of the service robot itself. In conventional fusion schemes, measurements are dependent on the current data sets. As a result, more sensors are required to measure a certain physical parameter or to improve the accuracy of a measurement. However, in this approach, instead of adding more sensors to the system, the temporal sequences of the data sets are stored and utilized to improve the measurements. The theoretical basis is illustrated by examples, and the effectiveness is proved through simulations. Finally, the new space and time sensor fusion (STSF) scheme is applied to the control of a mobile robot in an unstructured environment and a structured environment.This work was presented in part at the 8th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 24–26, 2003     

IGSTK: an open source software toolkit for image-guided surgery

Image-guided surgery applies leading-edge technology and clinical practices to provide better quality of life to patients who can benefit from minimally invasive procedures. Reliable software is a critical component of image-guided surgical applications, yet costly expertise and technology infrastructure barriers hamper current research and commercialization efforts in this area. IGSTK applies the open source development and delivery model to this problem. Agile and component-based software engineering principles reduce the costs and risks associated with adopting this new technology, resulting in a safe, inexpensive, robust, shareable, and reusable software infrastructure.     

Navigation system for an autonomous robot using an ocellus camera in an indoor environment

Autonomous and mobile robots are being expected to provide various services in human living environments. However, many problems remain to be solved in the development of autonomous robots that can work like humans. When a robot moves, it is important that it be able to have self-localization abilities and recognize obstacles. For a human, the present location can be correctly checked through a comparison between memorized information assuming, it is correct, and the present situation. In addition, the distance to an object and the perception of its size can be estimated by a sense of distance based on memory or experience. Therefore, the environment for robotic activity assumed in this study was a finite-space such as a family room, an office, or a hospital room. Because an accurate estimation of position is important to the success of a robot, we have developed a navigation system with self-localization ability which uses only a CCD camera that can detect whether the robot is moving accurately in a room or corridor. This article describes how this system has been implemented and tested with our developed robot.     

New acoustic positioning system for an underwater robot using multiple frequencies

Nowadays, robots are used for many types of underwater work, and knowing their position accurately is very important. Conventional positioning systems are based on the time difference or phase lag of sound waves. However, such systems are complex and expensive, and real-time positioning is difficult and not very accurate. We propose a new system using the loss of sound propagation and a sensor network. In a previous study, we separated directly arrived waves from received waves and measured their amplitude or power. Using this data, we calculated the distance. However, the signal included many types of reflected wave, and we were not able to obtain a correct value over long distances where the direct waves cannot be separated from the influence of the reflected waves. In this study, we propose a new method based on sounds at multiple frequencies. This method uses sounds of several different frequencies, and sends them sequentially at constant intervals. The distance can be calculated by taking the average power of the signals received. The advantage of this method is that it is not necessary to use any separating process, and longer distances can be measured.     

Design and implementation of a PC-based image-guided surgical system

In interactive, image-guided surgery, current physical space position in the operating room is displayed on various sets of medical images used for surgical navigation. We have developed a PC-based surgical guidance system (ORION) which synchronously displays surgical position on up to four image sets and updates them in real time. There are three essential components which must be developed for this system: (1) accurately tracked instruments; (2) accurate registration techniques to map physical space to image space; and (3) methods to display and update the image sets on a computer monitor. For each of these components, we have developed a set of dynamic link libraries in MS Visual C++ 6.0 supporting various hardware tools and software techniques. Surgical instruments are tracked in physical space using an active optical tracking system. Several of the different registration algorithms were developed with a library of robust math kernel functions, and the accuracy of all registration techniques was thoroughly investigated. Our display was developed using the Win32 API for windows management and tomographic visualization, a frame grabber for live video capture, and OpenGL for visualization of surface renderings. We have begun to use this current implementation of our system for several surgical procedures, including open and minimally invasive liver surgery.     

使用补偿策略的机器人遥操作系统的控制研究

利用混杂动态系统的思想通过同时采用事件和时间驱动的执行器方案来弥补机器人遥操作系统中的不确定时延现象.即作为控制节点的操作者的控制决策发出时间是事件驱动的(满足一定条件下),执行器节点的接收也是事件驱动的,但是执行则是时间驱动的.通过这样的方法确保网络遥操作系统在每一采样周期内都能得到新的控制信号,从而补偿网络延迟.     

A study of an autonomous mobile robot for a sewer inspection system

This article describes a prototype autonomous mobile robot, KANTARO, designed for inspecting sewer pipes. It is able to move autonomously in 200–300-mm-diameter sewer pipes, to turn smoothly through 90° at a junction, and to go down a 5-cm step. KANTARO carries all the resources required, such as a control unit, a camera, a 2D laser, and an IR sensor. Damage or abnormalities in sewer pipes are detected based on recorded sensory data. KANTARO has demonstrated its effectiveness in inspection and in autonomous navigation in a dry sewer test field at the FAIS–Robotics Development Support Office (FAIS–RDSO). This work was presented in part at the 11th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 23–25, 2006     

A study on surgical robot image stabilization

Multimedia Tools and Applications - This study aims to investigate and analyze various image stabilization methods used in surgical robotics. An in-vitro phantom experiment was conducted using a...     

信息融合算法在机器人足球系统中的应用

最优信息融合Kalman滤波算法给出了实时动态环境中线性方差最小的融合估计。采用该算法对机器人足球系统中的小球进行状态估计和预测,并给出了信息融合处理结构和该算法的具体实现步骤。实验结果表明,该算法可以克服单一视觉传感器采集的数据含有较大噪声等局限性,实现了对小球精确的状态估计和预测,具有可行性和优越性,并且在某一机器人视觉传感器出错时,系统仍具有良好的容错性和鲁棒性。     

Fuzzy Logic Based Behavior Fusion for Navigation of an Intelligent Mobile Robot

This paper presents a new method for behavior fusion control of a mobile robot in uncertain environments.Using behavior fusion by fuzzy logic,a mobile robot is able to directly execute its motion according to range information about environments,acquired by ultrasonic sensors,without the need for trajectory planning.Based on low-level behavior control,an efficient strategy for integrating high-level global planning for robot motion can be formulated,since,in most applications,some information on environments is prior knowledge.A global planner,therefore,only to generate some subgoal positions rather than exact geometric paths.Because such subgoals can be easily removed from or added into the plannes,this strategy reduces computational time for global planning and is flexible for replanning in dynamic environments.Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can be applied to robot motion in complex and dynamic environments.     

两级传感器信息融合的移动机器人避障研究

针对移动机器人的避障问题,以AS-R移动机器人为研究平台,提出了一种将神经网络和模糊神经网络相结合的两级融合方法。采用BP神经网络对多超声波传感器信息进行融合,以减少传感器信息的不确定,提高对障碍物识别的准确率;采用模糊神经网络实现移动机器人的避障决策控制,使之更适合系统的避障要求。该方法使移动机器人在避障中具有较好的灵活性和鲁棒性。机器人避障实验验证了所提方法的有效性。     

A concept for an intelligent and fault-tolerant robot system

A concept for the intelligent control of subsystems of a flexible assembly cell is presented. Unknown or uncertain data about the real world may lead towards failure during an assembly task. Therefore, a fault tolerant system must be capable of reacting immediately to error situations. Thus, the major topic of this paper is the dynamic handling of unforeseen situations during realtime activities. This will be achieved by combining sensor guided actions with an advanced autonomous supervision system. Experimental results will be derived from the mobile two-arm robot system KAMRO of the Institute for Real-Time Computer Control Systems and Robotics, University of Karlsruhe, Federal Republic of Germany.     

Sensing system in an experimental robot

The array of microcomputers that controls an experimental robot has made it possible to implement a sophisticated sensing system that is used for a wide variety of purposes.The aim of the paper is to show how comparatively simple and inexpensive sensors, in cooperation with the great computing power of the microcomputers array and with a suitable programming language, may be used for jobs that are well beyond their normal operating capabilities. Included is an explanation of how complex sensors (such as vision systems) may be connected to the system in a simple and straightforward way.     

A 3-D visualization method for image-guided brain surgery

This paper deals with a 3D methodology for brain tumor image-guided surgery. The methodology is based on development of a visualization process that mimics the human surgeon behavior and decision-making. In particular, it originally constructs a 3D representation of a tumor by using the segmented version of the 2D MRI images. Then it develops an optimal path for the tumor extraction based on minimizing the surgical effort and penetration area. A cost function, incorporated in this process, minimizes the damage surrounding healthy tissues taking into consideration the constraints of a new snake-like surgical tool proposed here. The tumor extraction method presented in this paper is compared with the ordinary method used on brain surgery, which is based on a straight-line based surgical tool. Illustrative examples based on real simulations present the advantages of the 3D methodology proposed here.     

Evaluation of a surgical interface for robotic cryoablation task using an eye-tracking system

Computer-assisted navigation systems coupled with surgical interfaces (SIs) are providing doctors with tools that are safer for patients compared to traditional methods. Usability analysis of the SIs that guides their development is hence important. In this study, we record the eye movements of doctors and other people with no medical expertise during interaction with an SI that directs a simulated cryoablation task. There are two different arrangements for the layout of the same SI, and the goal is to evaluate whether one of these arrangements is ergonomically better than the other. We use several gaze related statistics some of which are employed in an SI design context for the first time. Even though the performance and gaze related analysis reveals that the two arrangements are comparable in many respects, there are also differences. Specifically, one arrangement leads to more saccades along the vertical and horizontal directions, lower saccade amplitudes in the crucial phase of the task, more locally clustered and yet globally spread viewing. Accordingly, that arrangement is selected for future use. The present study provides a proof of concept for the integration of novel gaze analysis tools developed for scene perception studies into the interface development process.