Design and implementation of a haptic device for training in urological operations

Virtual reality is becoming very important for training medical surgeons in various operations. Interfacing users with a virtual training environment requires the existence of a properly designed haptic device. This paper presents the design and implementation of a new force feedback haptic mechanism with five active degrees of freedom (DOFs), which is used as part of a training simulator for urological operations. The mechanism consists of a 2-DOF, 5–bar linkage, and a 3-DOF spherical joint, designed to present low friction, inertia and mass, and to be statically balanced. The device is suitable for the accurate application of small forces and moments. All five actuators of the haptic device are base-mounted dc motors and use a force transmission system based on capstan drives, pulleys, and tendons. The paper describes the overall design and sizing considerations, the resulting kinematics and dynamics, the force feedback control algorithm, and the hardware employed. Experimental results are provided.