Design of a vibration damping robot and force evaluation in intraoperative robotic-assisted femoral shaft repair using a modified soft damper

Background Closed intra-medullary nailing fixation is a method for treating fractured femurs with minimal invasiveness. However, this method lacks safety and precision. To avert prevailing problems such as extended cracks in the already broken bone, the design of a vibration damping robot and force evaluation system is essential. Methods This paper presents a sensor-based clamping robot system embedded with a regulated pressurised air balloon. Drilling forces were monitored by a force sensor attached to the end robot effector, while the reduced vibration result was measured by a non-contact laser displacement sensor. A 2 degree-of-freedom (2DOF) model was developed. Results Force and vibration data were obtained using a data acquisition module (EMS 309) and analysed using MATLAB software (Version R2015b). The results obtained show that both the frequencies and amplitudes of the vibration is reduced at 6 bar with effector's spindle speed of 1500 rpm. Conclusions This proposed concept shows that drilling force and vibration can be reduced simultaneously using a robot effector coupled with a damper.