Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects

A robotic surgical system consists of a workstation, where the surgeon operates, and a surgical site, where the robotic armsexecute the surgeons commands. Providing proper commands by the surgeon for the surgical robot requires sensoryfeedback from the surgical site. The surgeons interface, which is arguably the most integral part of any robot-assistedsurgical system, is the link connecting the surgeon to their tools and environment, which can represent a significantchallenge if not designed appropriately. Furthermore, it is important that this interface is transparent, intuitive andergonomic, and streamlines the transition from conventional surgical technique to robotic surgery. For the surgeon tooptimally control the robotic arms, sufficient sensory feedback is required from the surgical site. Visual and auditory data arereadily reproduced at a remote workstation via cameras, monitors, speakers, and microphones. Reproducing the sense oftouch remains a significant challenge. The lack of sufficient haptic feedback increases the risk of injury for patients. Sense oftouch is a critical aspect of robotic surgery allowing tool-tissue interaction to be precise, accurate, safe, and intuitive. From asurgeons perspective, the hand-controller must offer the highest quality to ensure the best possible interaction between thesurgeon, the robot, and the patient. Therefore, the proposed research will develop a novel haptic hand- controller capable ofproviding enhanced tactile feedback not currently available in existing hand-controllers.