User interface device having grip linkages

A surgical robotic system, comprising:

• a robotic surgical tool mounted on a robotic arm;
• one or more user interface devices, wherein each user interface device includes
• a device body having a central axis,
• a plurality of grip linkages distributed about the central axis, wherein each grip linkage is coupled to the device body by a slider at a prismatic joint, and
• a grip linkage displacement sensor configured to generate, in response to movement of the slider, a grip signal;
• and
• one or more processors communicatively coupled to the one or more user interface devices and the robotic arm and configured to control a grip motion of the robotic surgical tool based on the grip signal.

A method, comprising:

• generate, by a grip linkage displacement sensor of a user interface device, a grip signal representing movement of a plurality of grip linkages of the user interface device, wherein the plurality of grip linkages are distributed about a central axis of a device body, and wherein each grip linkage is coupled to the device body by a slider at a prismatic joint;
• receive, by a surgical robotic system, the grip signal from the user interface device;
• and
• move, by the surgical robotic system based on the grip signal, a grasper of a robotic surgical tool coupled to the actuator.