Surgeon input system using event-based vision sensors for a surgical robotic system

A method for providing provide input to a robotic surgical system, comprising:

• causing a plurality of LEDs on a surgeon input tool to emit light, including causing each LED in the plurality of LEDs to blink with a combination of blink frequency and duty cycle that is different than the combination of blink frequency and duty cycle of the other LEDs in the plurality of LEDs;
• manually moving the surgeon input tool;
• sensing light emitted from the plurality of LEDs using at least one event-based camera sensor;
• receive input in response to sensing of the light by the event-based camera sensor;
• and
• in response to the received input, generate motion commands corresponding to desired movement of a surgical instrument by a robotic manipulator arm.

A method for providing provide input to a robotic surgical system, comprising:

• causing a plurality of LEDs on a surgeon input tool to emit light, including causing each LED in the plurality of LEDs to blink at a blink frequency of at least 700 Hz;
• manually moving the surgeon input tool;
• sensing light emitted from the plurality of LEDs using at least one event-based camera sensor;
• receive input in response to sensing of the light by the event-based camera sensor;
• and
• in response to the received input, generate motion commands corresponding to desired movement of a surgical instrument by a robotic manipulator arm.