Development of Hands-on User Interface for Articulated Forceps Enabling Simultaneous Positioning and Tip Movement Operation

Abstract

In our previous work, we have proposed a passive link mechanism with RCM and gravity compensation to provide a surgeon with intuitive operation of articulated forceps. In this paper, we explore the design principles of a hands-on type user interface for operating articulated forceps enabling simultaneous positioning and precise tip movement control. We develop several different prototypes of user interfaces and experimentally evaluate their usability in terms of intuitiveness and precision in tracing and pick-and-place tasks.