Surgical robotic system including synchronous and asynchronous networks and a method employing the same

A surgical robotic system, comprising:

• a networked computing node;
• a slave robot assembly, including a plurality of subunits;
• a plurality of first communication paths;
• and
• a plurality of second communication paths,
• wherein the plurality of subunits are communicatively coupled to one another by way of the plurality of first communication paths, thereby forming at least a portion of a synchronous network,
• wherein the networked computing node and at least one of the plurality of subunits are communicatively coupled to one another by way of one or more of the plurality of second communication paths, thereby forming at least a portion of a second network, and are configured to communicate one or more packets to one another by way of the second network,
• wherein the at least one of the plurality of subunits is configured to communicate, with other ones of the plurality of subunits by way of the synchronous network, data from the one or more packets,
• wherein a clock rate of the synchronous network is not synchronized to a clock rate of the second network,
• wherein the networked computing node further includes a global safety monitor, the slave robot assembly includes a memory that stores one or more local resolution rules, and the at least one of the plurality of subunits is further configured to:
• receive a safety alert from another subunit of the plurality of subunits, by way of one or more of the plurality of first communication paths;
• determine whether a safety metric of the received safety alert exceeds a respective threshold;
• in response to determining that the safety metric exceeds the respective threshold, determine, based on the one or more local resolution rules, whether an action relating to the corresponding safety alert can be performed by one or more of the plurality of subunits;
• in response to determining that the action relating to the corresponding safety alert can be performed by one or more of the plurality of subunits, cause the action to be performed by one or more of the plurality of subunits to address the safety alert;
• and
• in response to determining that the action relating to the corresponding safety alert cannot be performed by any of the plurality of subunits, transmit, by way of the second network, the safety alert to the global safety monitor.