Stryker Corporation
Techniques for controlling position of an end effector of a robotic device relative to a virtual constraint

Abstract:

A robotic device includes one or more joints to position an end effector in a plurality of degrees of freedom. A navigation system tracks an actual position of the end effector. One or more controllers identify a condition wherein the actual position of the end effector contacts a virtual constraint. An anticipated movement of the end effector is evaluated from the actual position to a home position of the end effector. The one or more controllers detect an anticipated collision between the end effector and the virtual constraint and compute a target position of the end effector that evades the anticipated collision. The target position is spaced from the actual position and also contacts the virtual constraint. The one or more joints are controlled to slide the end effector from the actual position to target position along the virtual constraint.