Real-time control architecture of a novel Single-Port lapaRoscopy bimaNual roboT (SPRINT)

This paper presents a novel master-slave teleoperated robotic platform designed for Single Port Laparoscopy. The SPRINT (Single-Port lapaRoscopy bimaNual roboT) is composed of two high-dexterity 6 Degrees of Freedom (DOFs) robotic arms, a stereoscopic camera and a dedicated console for the robot control by the surgeon. Along with a short summary of the hardware features of the system, this paper describes the real-time control architecture of the SPRINT. Particular attention was given to the kinematic coupling between the master and the slave manipulators, as well as to the inverse kinematics algorithm. Tests performed to validate the performance of the robot in terms of accuracy are satisfactory, thus positioning the SPRINT as a candidate for the next generation of robots for Single Port Laparoscopy.