Sensorless Remote Center of Motion Misalignment Estimation

Abstract: Laparoscopic surgery constrains instrument motion around a fixed pivot point at the incision into a patient to minimize tissue trauma. Surgical robots achieve this through either hardware to software-based remote center of motion (RCM) constraints. However, accurate RCM alignment is difficult due to manual trocar placement, patient motion, and tissue deformation. Misalignment between the robot's RCM point and the patient incision site can cause unsafe forces at the incision site. This paper presents a sensorless force estimation-based framework for dynamically assessing and optimizing RCM misalignment in robotic surgery. Our experiments demonstrate that misalignment exceeding 20 mm can generate large enough forces to potentially damage tissue, emphasizing the need for precise RCM positioning. For misalignment $D\geq $ 20 mm, our optimization algorithm estimates the RCM offset with an absolute error within 5 mm. Accurate RCM misalignment estimation is a step toward automated RCM misalignment compensation, enhancing safety and reducing tissue damage in robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery.