[from Gary Cziko 2007.08.29 15:20 CDT]
I read about this yesterday in our local newspaper:
http://www.davinciprostatectomy.com/about_davinci.html
There is also a video at
http://www.davinciprostatectomy.com/video.html
which shows how the surgeon controls the instruments and gets magnified 3-D video feedback. It seems that the robot allows greater precision than ordinary surgery in reducing the movements of the surgeon (reducing gain on the output side) and increasing the video gain coming back on the input side.
I wonder if the motor side of this machine is open loop or servo-controlled, and what might be the advantages of one design over the other. I also wonder if the robot provides any kinesthetic feedback to the doctor, or all feedback is purely visual.
Anyone out there know anything more about this robots or robots like it?
No matter how it works, it seems quite remarkable and quite an advance over the traditional open incision.
–Gary
[From Rick Marken (2007.08.30.1415)]
Gary Cziko (2007.08.29 15:20 CDT) --
I read about this yesterday in our local newspaper:
http://www.davinciprostatectomy.com/about_davinci.html
There is also a video at
http://www.davinciprostatectomy.com/video.html
which shows how the surgeon controls the instruments and gets magnified 3-D
video feedback. It seems that the robot allows greater precision than
ordinary surgery in reducing the movements of the surgeon (reducing gain on
the output side) and increasing the video gain coming back on the input
side.
Yes, very interesting. It would be really fun to try it. I guess I
could write a simulation of it. I'm amazed that it works so well (or
so they say).
I wonder if the motor side of this machine is open loop or servo-controlled,
and what might be the advantages of one design over the other. I also wonder
if the robot provides any kinesthetic feedback to the doctor, or all
feedback is purely visual.
Great questions. It seem like servo control on the output side might
help; I think the kinesthetic feedback you're thinking of is some
simulation of the push back pressure you would feel when you touched
on the the structures that you see, like a nerve, blood vessel or
gland. Is that right? If so, I agree that that could only make things
better, I would think.
Anyone out there know anything more about this robots or robots like it?
No matter how it works, it seems quite remarkable and quite an advance over
the traditional open incision.
I agree.
Best
Rick
···
--
Richard S. Marken PhD
rsmarken@gmail.com