Development of the X-Perce—A Universal FBG-Based Force Sensing Kit for Laparoscopic Surgical Robot

For surgical robot, an independent contact sensing system can always provide intuitive operation reference in parallel to non-contact information. As one of them, force sensing system developed based on fiber Bragg grating sensor (FBGs) has been at the forefront of gaining force information from surgical device in the past decade. Application span from vitrectomy, cerebral surgery to cardiac ablation yet still rarely seen in laparoscopic surgery. In this paper, we present the development of the X-Perce—a force sensing kit that can be universally deployed on the laparoscopic surgical robot. By the design of a 3D-printed biocompatible joint combining with six FBGs layout, the proposed kit is able to perform tri-axial force sensing with temperature compensation and dual-thread mechanism. Modular design and standardized integration process are able to reduce the cost of manufacture, which allow the X-Perce to be consumable and commercial. Optimization based on mechanical modelling is implemented to enhance the system performance. Testing and evaluation is conducted to assess the resolution, static indexes and tracking performance of the prototype. Overall, we provide here a mechanical force sensing solution for the instrument that can be integrated on the Da-Vinci-like laparoscopic robotic system, along with a complete design paradigm for FBG sensing system alike.