Control Engineering

MARILENA VENDITTELLI
MARILENA VENDITTELLI

General objectives
Introduction to the basic robotic technologies in the medical context, with particular emphasis on surgical robotics.
Expected learning results: Knowledge of the main robotic surgical systems, of the challenges and methodologies of medical robot design and control.






Specific objectives

Knowledge and understanding
The student will learn: to critically read articles that describe the main technologies involved in medical robotics; to discuss in detail the state of the art of robotic applications in medicine; how to approach the design of robot-assisted medical systems; robot modeling and control methodologies needed in the development of medical robotic systems.

Apply knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to design new robotic technologies for medical applications.
In particular, he/she will be able to develop robotic simulation systems, to analyze, to model and to design control schemes for teleoperated medical robots and for the execution of tasks shared between humans and robots.

Critical and judgment skills
The student will be able to estimate the potential benefits deriving from the introduction of robotic support in a medical procedure and to evaluate the clinical, social and economic constraints in the implementation of robotic technology in a medical sector.

Communication skills:
The student will learn to communicate and collaborate with people of different backgrounds.

Learning ability
The student will be able to independently learn new concepts useful for the design and development of new technologies for medical applications.

Expected learning results: Knowledge of the main robotic surgical systems, of the challenges and methodologies of medical robot design and control.
Expected competence in:
-critically reading a scientific paper describing medical robotics technologies;
- discussing in detail the state of the art  of robotic applications in medicine;
- estimating potential benefits deriving from the introduction of robotic technologies in a medical procedure;
- arguing the development of a particular technology not yet available or experimentally validated;
- communicating and collaborating with people with different technical background;
- evaluating clinical, social and economical constraints in implementing a robotic technology in a medical context;
- design control scheme for teleoperation of medical robots and for shared execution of surgical tasks between humans and robots.

Control of linear dynamic systems.

Course contents vary on a yearly basis. The list reported below includes the core topics treated during the course.

Introduction to the course
Historical perspective and surgical systems overview
Classification of surgical systems supported by robots
Kinematic design of medical robots

Control
Control modalities of medical robots vs their domain of use
Physical interaction control: basic principles and case studies
Shared control and virtual fixtures
Virtual fixtures: examples of application
Constrained manipulation and constrained targeting: task control with Remote Center of Motion (RCM) constraint
Teleoperation 1: general principles
Teleoperation 2: the 4-channel architecture, transparency and stability
Visual servoing: concept and mathematical formulation for monocular cameras
Visual servoing for medical procedures assisted by robots
Principles of medical imaging (ultrasound, TC, MR)
Applications of visual servoing
autonomous retrieval and positioning of surgical tools
3D ultrasound-guided needle steering
Optimization of Ultrasound Image Quality via Visual Servoing
Automatic Tracking of an Organ Section with US

Haptics
Introduction to haptics
Haptic rendering
Case study: needle-tissue interaction force identification and haptic rendering in teleoperated needle insertion

Robot registration
Introduction and formulation of the problem
Case study: robot registration in a robot-assisted superficial hyperthermia system

Exoskeletons and biomechanics of walking
Exoskeletons: introductory concepts and examples
Human gait analysis
Case study: comparative gait analysis on twins for childrens affected by celebral palsy

Simulation tools
the da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) kinematic simulator
the dVRK dynamic simulator
visuo-haptic interaction with virtual patients

Safety
General concepts
Synthetic description of the IEC 80601-2-77 (safety of robotically assisted surgical equipment and systems)
European Regulation on Medical Devices
The AI act and the healthcare technologies

Integration of AI methods
Temperature estimation of internal body targets from superficial measurements
Simulation of deformable structures
Hands-on sessions decided yearly

Scientific papers and slides prepared by the instructor.

Traditional lectures illustrate the methodological bases of the course topics. The application of the methodologies is illustrated through case studies and the nalysis of systems in use in clinical practice. Multiple choice tests are periodically proposed in the Sapienza e-learning environment for a quick check of the acquired knowledge.

Not mandatory.

The exam consists in the preparation of a project in groups of three students or, in alternative, in a written exam and an oral discussion. The project usually requires programming work.

Exam texts and lists of projects from past years are available within the e-learning environment: https://elearning.uniroma1.it/course/view.php?id=7465 (registration required)