Design and Analysis of a Compact and Foldable Master Device Based on Binocular Near-Infrared Optical Navigation Technology for Minimally Invasive Surgery Robots

The traditional minimally invasive surgical (MIS) robots generally have bulk leader manipulators with relatively fixed working positions, which limits their further utilization in special scenarios, such as remote surgeries. This study proposes a compact and foldable leader device based on passive binocular near-infrared (NIR) optical navigation technology for MIS robots, which does not need mechanical arm linkage constraints and provides a larger range of position and orientation tracking, enabling the surgeons to perform continuous leader-follower manipulations more steadily. Moreover, the polyhedral and foldable structure of the optical leader device further reduces the spatial footprint of the MIS robot. A prototype of the optical leader devices was constructed with a weight of 186 g. Its performance was then evaluated through testing, and the maximum average absolute error in position and orientation tracking was 0.90 mm and 0.45°, respectively. Additionally, the prototype exhibits acceptable stability and a wide range of position and orientation tracking. The leader device features a compact, foldable structure with enhanced portability and excellent position and orientation tracking capabilities, facilitating precise surgical maneuvers of surgeons in scenarios of remote surgeries.