Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Four-armed surgical robotics system taps a surgeon’s feet for controls

By MDOStaff | July 18, 2023

By Brianna Wessling at The Robot Report

A photo showing a surgical robot with four arms, two controlled by a surgeons hands and the other two controlled by their feet.

A surgeon can control two of this four-armed surgical robotics system’s arms with their hands and the other two with their feet. [Photo courtesy of EPFL]

Researchers at EPFL, a public research university in Lausanne, Switzerland, have developed a four-armed surgical robotics system that allows surgeons to perform laparoscopic surgeries by controlling two of the robotic arms using haptic foot interfaces. The results were published in The International Journal of Robotics Research.

The research was a collaboration between the research group REHAssist and the Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory (LASA). It was led by EPFL Ph.D. students Jacob Hernandez and Walid Amanhoud, who developed a system that allows surgeons to control two robotic arms using haptic foot interfaces with five degrees of freedom. In this setup, each of the surgeon’s hands controls a manipulative instrument, while one foot controls an actuated gripper while the other controls an endoscope or camera.

Related: Moon Surgical thinks Maestro’s light touch can win the surgical robotics arms race

“Actuators in the foot pedals give haptic feedback to the user, guiding the foot towards the target as if following an invisible field-of-forces, and also limit force and movement to ensure that erroneous feet movements do not endanger the patient,” Mohamed Bouri, head of REHAssist, said. “Our system opens up new possibilities for surgeons to perform 4-handed laparoscopic procedures, allowing a single person to do a task that is usually performed by two, sometimes three people.”

One key aspect of the system is that control is shared between the surgeon and robotic assistants. The researchers designed a control framework that ensures the surgeon and robots can work collaboratively within a concurrent workspace while still meeting the precision and demands of laparoscopic surgery.

This feature helps to minimize fatigue for surgeons, as the robots can sometimes lead the surgeon’s control of an instrument as it predicts where the surgeon wants to move.

“Controlling four arms simultaneously, moreover with one’s feet, is far from routine and can be quite tiring. To reduce the complexity of the control, the robots actively assist the surgeon by coordinating their movements with the surgeons through active prediction of the surgeon’s intent and adaptive visual tracking of laparoscopic instruments with the camera. Additionally, assistance is offered for more accurate grasping of the tissues,” Professor Aude Billard, head of LASA, said.

Related: These surgical robotics arms are destined for the trash — by design

Specialists have already been trained on the system and clinical trials are currently ongoing in Geneva. The research team conducted a comprehensive user study with practicing surgeons.

According to Dr. Enrico Broennimann, who has participated in the trials in collaboration with the Swiss Foundation for Innovation and Training in Surgery (SFITS), “The idea to actively use one’s feet to perform robotic-assisted surgery is a good idea, and it’s definitely a learnable skill. I’d like to see it implemented in the operating room, perhaps as a cockpit well away from the patient to increase ergonomics.”

Related Articles Read More >

MIT long-lasting delivery of drugs
Researchers use tiny crystals to deliver long-lasting drugs
Sectional view of the SPHEREx with cosmic structures in the background.
This week in research: A space launch, breathing eyes, glaciers melting, and more
This Pixabay image shows a digital looking person with brain and skeleton and digital looking stuff to represent artificial intelligence or AI used in medtech and healthcare including at Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic has more AI partnerships, including with Microsoft
Paralyzed man flies virtual drone with thought-controlled finger movements
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE