Friction compensation in a minimally invasive surgical apparatus
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical, Inc., a Delaware corporation
InventorGunter Niemeyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods for compensate for friction within powered automatic systems, particularly for telesurgery and other telepresence applications. Dynamic friction compensation may comprise applying a continuous load in the direction of movement of a joint, and static friction compensation may comprise applying alternating loads in positive and negative joint actuation directions whenever the joint velocity reading falls within a low velocity range.
Claims20
1-41. (canceled)
A method for friction compensation of a movable mechanical part in a medical robotic system, comprising:
- determining a velocity reading for the movable mechanical part;
- and
- applying an alternating direction, friction compensation load on the movable mechanical part when the velocity reading is within a first reading range.
A telesurgery method comprising:
- directing a surgical procedure by moving an input device of a telesurgery system with a hand of an operator;
- manipulating tissue by moving a surgical end effector in sympathy with the input device with a servomechanism of the telesurgery system;
- compensating for static friction in at least one joint of the robotic system by applying an oscillating load to the at least one joint when an absolute value of a velocity reading from the at least one joint is less than a velocity reading error range.
A telepresence system comprising:
- a master including an input device supported by a driven joint;
- a slave including an end effector supported by a driven joint;
- a controller coupling the master to the slave, the controller directing the end effector to move in sympathy with the input device;
- a sensor operatively associated with at least one of the driven joints for generating a velocity reading;
- and
- an actuator drivingly engaging the at least one driven joint, the actuator applying an oscillating load on the joint to compensate for static friction of the joint when the velocity reading is within a low velocity range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.