Human-Robot Shared Control for Robot-Assisted Endoscopy of the Spinal Cord

The biomedical application this paper refers to is the neuroendoscopy of the sub-arachnoid spinal space. Such a kind of endoscopy is strongly challenging due to the tiny space to be explored and to the delicate anatomical structures which lie into it. In order to have more precision and control in catheter maneuvering, and a more efficient monitoring of medical parameters, a robotic system has been conceived. In this paper, proper strategies of human-robot shared control are introduced so as to enhance the degree of safety of the endoscopic exploration. The proposed methods are strongly based on a deep exploitation of sensorial feedbacks. In particular, the focus of the paper is on vision and pressure sensory feedbacks. The surgeon interacts with the robotic system by means of human-machine interfaces. The automatic control mainly operates at two levels; a low-level and a high-level control, implemented by an Electronic Unit and by a Workstation, respectively. Experimental results prove the reliability and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and their suitability to be employed in real time operation