A programmable remote center-of-motion controller for minimally invasive surgery using the dual quaternion framework

Within robotic-aided laparoscopy, one important research topic concerns the teleoperation of open chain serial link manipulators. As opposed to specialized surgical robots, a serial robot might be used for different procedures with small changes on the setup, lowering the involved costs and possibly increasing the acceptance of robotic systems in clinical settings. However, such robots do not present kinematic constraints that guarantee that the tool movements are projected on the pivoting point defined by the incision (RCM). In such scenario, the RCM must be assured by software. This paper presents a novel control strategy for laparoscopic tools attached to robotic manipulators that makes use of a programmable RCM. The tool movement references are generated intuitively by the surgeon, while the RCM is maintained by software using a dual quaternion-based kinematic controller. The method is evaluated in a simulated surgical environment and presented satisfactory results, both in terms of RCM control, tool positioning, and good performance under human operation.