58 accepted papers
Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) is a minimally invasive procedure to prevent thromboembolic events in atrial fibrillation patients. The procedure’s success relies on precise navigation and occluder deployment, which is challenged by sheath movement in the dynamic cardiac environmen…
Motion planning is a critical aspect of lower-limb exoskeleton control. Conventional motion planning approaches compute reference trajectories in task space, leading to infeasible or uncomfortable joint level motions. Conversely, joint space planning methods ensure feasibility but may fail to reprod
Specular highlights distort appearance, obscure texture, and hinder geometric reasoning in both natural and surgical imagery. We present UnReflectAnything, an RGB-only framework that removes highlights from a single image by predicting a highlight map together with a reflection-free diffuse reconstr
Although robotic applications increasingly demand versatile and dynamic object handling, most existing techniques are predominantly focused on grasp-based manipulation, limiting their applicability in non-prehensile tasks. To address this need, this study introduces a Deep Deterministic Policy Gradi
Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) is a minimally invasive procedure to prevent thromboembolic events in atrial fibrillation patients. The procedure's success relies on precise navigation and occluder deployment, which is challenged by sheath movement in the dynamic cardiac environmen
In robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, optimal camera positioning is crucial for effective visualization and manipulation of tissues, which impacts the success of procedures. Traditional camera control can increase cognitive workload, lead to suboptimal camera viewpoints, and complicate surgi
Walking aids for individuals with musculoskeletal frailty or motor disabilities must ensure adequate physical support and assistance to their users. To this end, sensor-enabled human state monitoring and estimation are crucial. This paper proposes an innovative approach to assessing users' stability
Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) plays an important role in diagnosing cardiac conditions such as valvular diseases and cardiac embolism, as well as guiding various cardiac interventions. It provides detailed cardiac imaging by inserting a probe into the esophagus, which offers an unobstructed v
This paper proposes a quality-driven adaptive control framework for robotic vascular anatomies scanning to facilitate the acquisition of high-quality ultrasound (US) images. Specifically, a novel probability-based US image quality evaluation metric for vascular anatomies is introduced, leveraging an
Preserving and encouraging mobility in the elderly and adults with chronic conditions is of paramount importance. However, existing walking aids are either inadequate to provide sufficient support to users’ stability or too bulky and poorly maneuverable to be used outside hospital environments. In a…
This paper presents a method to compute smooth ankle trajectories for lower limb exoskeletons with powered ankle joints. The proposed approach defines ankle trajectories using four polynomial functions, each representing one of the four primary phases of gait. These polynomials are computed accordin…
Exoscopes have emerged as a promising visual solution within the field of microneurosurgery. However, manual repositioning poses a challenge causing interruptions that disrupt the surgical flow. Thus, the need for hands-free exoscope control arises. This paper introduces a position-based visual-serv
The integration of high-level assistance algorithms in surgical robotics training curricula may be beneficial in establishing a more comprehensive and robust skillset for aspiring surgeons, improving their clinical performance as a consequence. This work presents the development and validation of a…
Lymphadenectomy generally accompanies various oncology surgeries to remove infected cancer cells. However, there are two limitations in robot-assisted lymphadenectomy: 1) lymph nodes are not visible during operation since they are hidden by the superficial fat layer; 2) intra-operative bleeding may…
This work presents a reactive control strategy for loading and sudden unloading of an elbow effort-compensation device controlled in force. Through this control strategy, in addition to an individual's forearm weight, an external load can be detected and adaptively compensated via a feed-forward for
This paper presents an Augmented Reality (AR)assisted robot learning framework for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) tasks. The proposed framework exploits an external optical tracking system to collect human demonstration. Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) and Gaussian Mixture Regression (GMR) are utiliz…
Camera navigation in minimally invasive surgery changed significantly since the introduction of robotic assistance. Robotic surgeons are subjected to a cognitive workload increase due to the asynchronous control over tools and camera, which also leads to interruptions in the workflow. Camera motion
This paper proposes a combined optimization and learning method for impact-friendly, non-prehensile catching of objects at non-zero velocity. Through a constrained Quadratic Programming problem, the method generates optimal trajectories up to the contact point between the robot and the object to min…
Handing objects to humans is an essential capability for collaborative robots. Previous research works on human-robot handovers focus on facilitating the performance of the human partner and possibly minimising the physical effort needed to grasp the object. However, altruistic robot behaviours may
In this paper, a position-based visual-servoing control approach is introduced for a robotic camera holder to improve ergonomics and reduce mental stress during brain surgery. The visual tracking system controls and moves the robotic camera holder by following a selected surgical instrument without…
This letter proposes a hybrid learning and optimization framework for mobile manipulators for complex and physically interactive tasks. The framework exploits an admittance-type physical interface to obtain intuitive and simplified human demonstrations and Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM)/Gaussian Mixtu
Navigation inside luminal organs is an arduous task that requires non-intuitive coordination between the movement of the operator's hand and the information obtained from the endoscopic video. The development of tools to automate certain tasks could alleviate the physical and mental load of doctors…
In hybrid industrial environments, workers' comfort and positive perception of safety are essential requirements for successful acceptance and usage of collaborative robots. This paper proposes a novel human-robot interaction framework in which the robot behaviour is adapted online according to the…
Structural intervention cardiology (SIC) interventions are crucial procedures for correcting heart valves, walls, and muscle form defects. However, the possibility of embolization or perforation, as well as the lack of transparent vision and autonomous surgical equipment, make it difficult for the c…
The recognition of actions performed by humans and the anticipation of their intentions are important enablers to yield sociable and successful collaboration in human-robot teams. Meanwhile, robots should have the capacity to deal with multiple objectives and constraints, arising from the collaborat…
3-D pose estimation of instruments is a crucial step towards automatic scene understanding in robotic minimally invasive surgery. Although robotic systems can potentially directly provide joint values, this information is not commonly exploited inside the operating room, due to its possible unreliab
Prolonged remote tele-locomanipulation of multi degrees-of-freedom mobile manipulators requires a compromise between the system’s performance and the operator’s ergonomics. Neglecting this demand can significantly affect either the task completion or the level of comfort to achieve it. However, the…
The use of assistive technologies in industrial environments to improve human ergonomics and comfort in repetitive and high effort tasks have increased considerably in the last decade. Predominantly, the goal is to provide additional physical support through lightweight and wearable devices, without…
Today’s robots are expected to fulfill different requirements originated from executing complex tasks in uncertain environments, often in collaboration with humans. To deal with this type of multi-objective control problem, hierarchical least-square optimization techniques are often employed, defini…
Nowadays, robot assisted surgery training relies more and more on computer-based simulation. However, the application of such training technologies is still limited to the early stages of practical training. To broaden the usefulness of simulators, multi-sensory feedback augmentation has been recent
Keyhole neurosurgery is challenging, due to the complex anatomy of the brain and the inherent risk of damaging vital structures while reaching the surgical target. This paper presents a path planner for safe and effective neurosurgical interventions. The strengths of the proposed framework lay in th…
Many tasks in robot-assisted surgery require planning and controlling manipulators' motions that interact with highly deformable objects. This study proposes a realistic, time-bounded simulator based on Position-based Dynamics (PBD) simulation that mocks brain deformations due to catheter insertion
The objective of this paper is to present a personalisable human ergonomics framework that integrates a method for real-time identification of a human model and an ergonomics monitoring function. The human model is based on a floating base structure and on a Statically Equivalent Serial Chain (SESC)…
Full teleoperation of mobile robots during the execution of complex tasks not only demands high cognitive and physical effort but also generates less optimal trajectories compared to autonomous controllers. However, the use of the latter in cluttered and dynamically varying environments is still an…
Robot-Assisted Surgery enhances vision and it can restore depth perception, but it introduces the need for learning how to tele-operatively control both the surgical tools and the endoscope. Together with the complexity of selecting the optimal viewpoint to carry out the procedure, this requires dis
In this paper, a bilateral teleoperation control of a serial robot manipulator, which guarantees a Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint in its kinematic level, is developed. A two-layered approach based on the energy tank model is proposed to achieve haptic feedback on the end effector with a pe…
For bilateral teleoperation, the haptic feedback demands the availability of accurate force information transmitted from the remote site. Nevertheless, due to the limitation of the size, the force sensor is usually attached outside of the patient's abdominal cavity for the surgical operation. Hence,
Path planning algorithms for steerable catheters, must guarantee anatomical obstacles avoidance, reduce the insertion length and ensure the compliance with needle kinematics. The majority of the solutions in literature focuses on graph based or sampling based methods, both limited by the impossibili…
For the time varying optimization problem, the tracking error cannot converge to zero at the finite time because of the optimal solution changing over time. This paper proposes a novel varying parameter recurrent neural network (VPRNN) based hierarchical optimization of a 7-DoF surgical manipulator…
In this paper, an improved motion planning scheme is proposed for surgical robot control with multiple active constraints, including joint constraints, joint velocity constraints and remote center of motion constraints. It introduces an improved recurrent neural network (RNN) to optimize the online…
In this paper, an Internet of Things-based human-robot collaborative control scheme is developed in Robot-assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery scenario. A hierarchical operational space formulation is designed to exploit the redundancies of the 7-DoFs redundant manipulator to handle multiple operatio…
Bevel-tip steerable needles for percutaneous intervention are prone to torsion determined by the interaction forces with the human tissue. If disregarded, torsion can affect the insertion accuracy inducing a change in the needle tip orientation, which is generally undetectable by tracking devices be
Needle pose tracking is fundamental to achieve a precise and safe insertion in minimally-invasive percutaneous interventions. In this work, a method for estimating the full pose of steerable needles is presented, considering a four-segment Programmable Bevel-Tip Needle (PBN) as a case study. The met…
The complexity of surgical operation can be released significantly if surgical robots can learn the manipulation skills by imitation from complex tasks demonstrations such as puncture, suturing, and knotting, etc.. This paper proposes a reinforcement learning algorithm based manipulation skill trans…
Robot-Assisted systems for Minimally Invasive Surgery enhance the surgeon capability, however, direct control over both the surgical tools and the endoscope results in an increased workload that leads to longer operation times. This work investigates the introduction of SCAN (System for Camera Auton…
Among the numerous risk factors associated to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), repetitive and monotonous movements with light-weight tools are one of the most frequently cited. Such tasks may indeed result in the excessive accumulation of local muscle fatigue, causing severe injuries i…
Surgical-tool joint detection from laparoscopic images is an important but challenging task in computer-assisted minimally invasive surgery. Illumination levels, variations in background and the different number of tools in the field of view, all pose difficulties to algorithm and model training. Ye
An improved human-robot collaborative control scheme is proposed in a teleoperated minimally invasive surgery scenario, based on a hierarchical operational space formulation of a seven-degree-of-freedom redundant robot. Redundancy is exploited to guarantee a remote center of motion (RCM) constraint
This paper proposes a manipulability optimization control of a 7-DoF robot manipulator for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery (RAMIS), which at the same time guarantees a Remote Center of Motion (RCM). The first degree of redundancy of the manipulator is used to achieve an RCM constraint, the…
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a minimally invasive surgical technique to treat aortic heart valve diseases. According to current clinical guidelines, the implanted prosthetic valve replacing the native one is selected based on pre-operative size assessment of the aortic annulus t…
Kinematic trajectories recorded from surgical robots contain information about surgical gestures and potentially encode cues about surgeon's skill levels. Automatic segmentation of these trajectories into meaningful action units could help to develop new metrics for surgical skill assessment as well…
This letter proposes a novel technique for the real-time estimation of the human feet ground reaction forces (GRFs) and centers of pressure (CoP) from the whole-body CoP and body configuration. The estimated variables are used for the estimation of the overloading torques in human joints during doub
Robust representation of actions and its sequences for complex robotic tasks would transform robot's understanding to execute robotic tasks efficiently. The challenge is to understand action sequences for highly unstructured environments and to represent and construct action and action sequences. In…
In this paper, an automatic planner for minimally invasive neurosurgery is presented. The solution provides the neurosurgeon with the best path to connect a user-defined entry point with a target in accordance with a specific cost function. The approach guarantees the avoidance of obstacles which ca…
Hands-on training is an indispensable part of surgical practice. As the tools used in the operating room become more intricate, the demand for efficient training methods increases. This work proposes a robotic assistance-as-needed method for training with surgical teleoperated robots. The method ada…
In this paper, a teleoperation control of a 7-DoF robot manipulator for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), which guarantees a safety-enhanced compliant behavior in the null space, is described. The redundancy of the manipulator is exploited to provide a flexible workspace for nurses or other staff (a…
Teleoperated robotic surgery allows filtering and scaling the hand motion to achieve high precision during the surgical interventions. Teleoperation represents a very complex sensory-motor task, mainly due to the kinematic and kinetic redundancies that characterize the human motor control. It requir
Haptically enabled hands-on or tele-operated surgical robotic systems provide a unique opportunity to integrate pre- and intra-operative information into physical actions through active constraints (also known as virtual fixtures). In many surgical procedures, including cardiac interventions, where…