Master/slave haptic forceps with applications to robotic surgery

The acceptance of master/slave robotic systems by surgeons may require haptic feedback, not only in the robotic arm, but also to indicate the closing and opening pressure of single degree-of-freedom tools such as forceps. This paper presents the development and initial test results for a prototype set of haptic master/slave forceps. Their low-friction design employs a voice coil actuator and a contact-free magnetic position sensor. Frequency and step response data quantify the behavior of the system. In qualitative testing, blindfolded, ear-plugged human subjects could not distinguish between direct and remote manipulation for soft objects but could detect the difference for hard objects such as aluminum.