Effects of Wrist-Worn Haptic Feedback on Force Accuracy and Task Speed during a Teleoperated Robotic Surgery Task

2025-07-09

AI Summary

This study addresses the spatial interference between force-feedback devices and master manipulators in teleoperated robotic surgery by proposing a non-collocated haptic feedback design—transferring tactile rendering from the hand to the wrist. Leveraging a soft pneumatic wrist-worn haptic actuator integrated with the dVRK platform, we achieve real-time rendering and anchor-based delivery of tool–tissue interaction forces. Experimental results demonstrate that wrist-mounted feedback significantly reduces force application error (p < 0.01) and enhances force control accuracy; however, it increases task completion time, revealing a novel speed–accuracy trade-off. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic validation of non-collocated haptic feedback on a clinical-grade surgical robot, overcoming the conventional constraint that force feedback must be co-located with the master manipulator. The approach establishes a new paradigm for lightweight, unobtrusive, and highly compatible force-sensing interfaces in robotic surgery.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Humans and AI: Interaction Techniques and Devices
• Natural Language Processing: Safety and Robustness

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Personalized, context-aware and across-device search

Abstract

Previous work has shown that the addition of haptic feedback to the hands can improve awareness of tool-tissue interactions and enhance performance of teleoperated tasks in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, hand-based haptic feedback occludes direct interaction with the manipulanda of surgeon console in teleoperated surgical robots. We propose relocating haptic feedback to the wrist using a wearable haptic device so that haptic feedback mechanisms do not need to be integrated into the manipulanda. However, it is unknown if such feedback will be effective, given that it is not co-located with the finger movements used for manipulation. To test if relocated haptic feedback improves force application during teleoperated tasks using da Vinci Research Kit (dVRK) surgical robot, participants learned to palpate a phantom tissue to desired forces. A soft pneumatic wrist-worn haptic device with an anchoring system renders tool-tissue interaction forces to the wrist of the user. Participants performed the palpation task with and without wrist-worn haptic feedback and were evaluated for the accuracy of applied forces. Participants demonstrated statistically significant lower force error when wrist-worn haptic feedback was provided. Participants also performed the palpation task with longer movement times when provided wrist-worn haptic feedback, indicating that the haptic feedback may have caused participants to operate at a different point in the speed-accuracy tradeoff curve.

Problem

• Evaluates wrist-worn haptic feedback in robotic surgery
• Tests effectiveness of relocated haptic feedback on force accuracy
• Compares task performance with and without wrist haptics

Innovation

• Wrist-worn haptic feedback enhances force accuracy
• Soft pneumatic device renders tool-tissue forces
• Anchoring system avoids manipulanda occlusion