This paper proposes a Cartesian control scheme applied to a robotic assistant for laparoscopic surgery. This system's main characteristic is that it emulates the movements of a human assistant, guiding the laparoscopic camera with precision to focus on the area in question inside the patient. Furthermore this control scheme requires adjustment of certain parameters in order to prevent saturation of the manipulator's actuators, and therefore the robot has been studied in terms of manipulability. The proposed movement control scheme has been implanted in the ERM robot used to carry out trials on thirty two patients

This work presents an approach to the evaluation of two interfaces for the control of a robotic surgical assistant. Each interface is associated to a different mode of controlling the system: by the surgeon (voice commands) or by the assistant (tactile interface). This two modes are allowed by the design of the manipulator, developed to occupy a small volume in the operating room. To evaluate the interfaces, a rating scale for teleoperated systems is proposed.

Presents a robotic assistant for helping surgeons in minimally invasive surgery. This prototype does not require any modification of a standard operation theatre (furniture or surgery tools) for its installation and its putting into operation. Due to its modular design, the robotic assistant is defined as a multi-purpose tool that has been successfully used in laparoscopic surgery, cystoscopy diagnostic and transurethral resection. The system has been tested by using both patient simulators and animals for experimentation purposes.