Decoupled six degree-of-freedom teleoperated robot system

A robot manipulator system, comprising:

• a slave manipulator coupled to a master manipulator, each of said manipulators comprising,
• an actuator base with plural actuators,
• an end effector,
• plural arms extending seriatim between said respective end effector and said respective actuator base, and
• plural joints connected between pairs of respective adjacent arms;
• wherein said master manipulator further comprises a force feedback sensor coupled between said end effector and said actuator base for receiving forces from said slave manipulator, converting said forces into feedback forces, and providing said feedback forces to an operator;
• and
• wherein each one of said plural joints of said slave and master manipulators comprises means for mechanically coupling respective ones of said actuators to respective ones of said joints through intermediate ones of said joints, and wherein said means for mechanically coupling is decoupled from said intermediate joints.

A multiple degree of freedom microsurgical robot manipulator, comprising:

• a slave manipulator coupled to a master manipulator, each of said manipulators comprising,
• a plurality of miniaturized decoupled robot joints comprising a plurality of arm joints each having a first keying pulley constrained to rotate about a second keying pulley, thereby defining an instantaneous center of rotation to effectuate one degree of freedom movement, and a miniaturized wrist joint coupled to one of said arm joints and having a tip and three degrees of freedom;
• a plurality of miniaturized driving cables, each coupled an actuator drive at a proximal end and coupled to one of said joints at a distal end;
• and
• a computer control system coupled between said master and said slave manipulators for precisely emulating movement of said master manipulator by said slave manipulator.