A Tremor Suppression Method for the Master-Follower Surgical Robot Manipulator Based on Kalman Filter Algorithm.

BACKGROUND

Master follower surgical robotic systems are widely used in invasive procedures but remain vulnerable to end effector tremor transmitted from the operator's physiological tremor, reducing precision.

METHODS

Physiological tremor was characterised with a three-dimensional optical motion capture system and integrated into master follower control strategy enhanced with Kalman filter based tremor suppression algorithm. The method was validated on a custom platform using 24 predefined motion trajectories executed via a force feedback haptic master and robotic slave manipulator.

RESULTS

Physiological tremor exhibited amplitudes that did not exceed 1 mm and dominant frequencies within 5-15 Hz. Across all 24 motion sets, suppression significantly reduced in majority of cases standard deviations of end-effector velocity and acceleration and removed high-frequency components while preserving smooth motion.

CONCLUSIONS

The Kalman filter based master follower tremor suppression strategy provides accurate and effective attenuation of physiological tremors, enhancing the precision, stability and operational safety of surgical robotic manipulation.