Compact camera assistant robot for minimally invasive surgery: KaLAR

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a compact laparoscopic assistant robot system which functions as a camera assistant in laparoscopic surgery. The system allows 3-DOF motion and is mountable to a standard laparoscope holder. The 3-DOF motion includes 1-DOF translation and 2DOF bending motion for adjusting viewpoints. This compact system is designed so that viewing angles are adjusted within the abdomen using a bending section and thus, interference with the operating surgeon is reduced. Voice-controlled command input and visual-servoing are implemented for the control of the robot. Our preliminary experiments show a possible clinical use upon further improvement.