Accuracy of electromagnetic navigation systems

A system for electromagnetic navigation in dental implant placement, the system comprising:

• an electromagnetic tracking system comprising a field generator and configured to track positions and orientations of a plurality of electromagnetic sensors within a tracking volume, the tracking volume encompassing a headrest of a dental unit;
• a passive articulating arm attached to the dental unit from a first end of the passive articulating arm;
• a parallel manipulator comprising:
• a first plate coupled with a second end of the passive articulating arm;
• a second plate, the field generator mounted on the second plate and moveable with the second plate;
• and
• six prismatic actuators connected between the first plate and the second plate, each prismatic actuator of the six prismatic actuators connected between the first plate and the second plate utilizing two universal joints at either end of each prismatic actuator, the six prismatic actuators configured to move the second plate relative to the first plate with six degrees of freedom;
• and
• a control unit coupled with the parallel manipulator and the electromagnetic tracking system, the control unit configured to receive tracked positions of the plurality of the electromagnetic sensors from the electromagnetic tracking system and to adjust at least a position or an angular orientation of the field generator, the control unit comprising:
• a processor;
• and
• a memory configured to store executable instructions to cause the processor to:
• receive coordinates of a volume of interest within the tracking volume with respect to the field generator;
• receive the tracked positions of the plurality of the electromagnetic sensors;
• and
• urge the parallel manipulator to adjust at least one of the position and the orientation of the field generator based on the tracked positions of the plurality of the electromagnetic sensors, such that the volume of interest encompasses the tracked positions of the plurality of the electromagnetic sensors at any given instant.