This assignment aims to investigate the implementation of a bilateral control scheme in an Aorta Catheter insertion case application. The outcome of this research is a functional proof of concept of two robotic systems that can collaborate in said task.
The two systems considered are:
- A 3 DOF C-Arm fluoroscope
- A 3 DOF Robotic Flexible Catheter
The C-Arm is completely automated through the manipulation of its kinematics. Positional information on the Catheter tip is fed back to the C-Arm controller and used to determine the optimal position. The optimal position is defined as the position in which the bending angle of the Catheter is best estimated. In addition to the kinematics of each manipulator, the projection created by the fluoroscope is modelled. This, in turn, is used to create an image from which the bending angle of the Catheter tip can be estimated. Using this input (the estimation of the bending angle of the Catheter tip) the C-Arm camera can optimise its position to maintain the best perspective angle (where the angle estimation is accurate with less ambiguity). In combination, these allow for an automated Catheter insertion system. The entire system has been implemented and demonstrated in a simulation environment. It will open up a new way of coordinating multiple medical devices and robots for autonomous Catheter navigation.