A new 7-degree-of-freedom 2-PRRRRR parallel remote center-of-motion robot for eye surgery

Abstract

Millions of patients suffering from eye disease cannot receive proper treatment due to the lack of qualified surgeons. Medical robots have the potential to solve this problem and consequently are attracting significant attention in the research community. This paper introduces a new 7-degree-of-freedom (DOF) 2-PRRRRR parallel robot with remote-center-of-motion for eye surgery. Mobility requirement, robot mechanism synthesis, kinematics, singularity, and dimensional optimization for the prescribed workspace, are analyzed and presented. A number of configurations were explored focusing on cataract surgery resulting in one being identified that covers the area completely and has excellent dexterity, but further work will be needed to enhance accuracy.