Abstract: A medical robotic work station includes a frame and a robotic manipulator mounted on the frame for performing a treatment procedure on a patient seated in a chair adjacent the frame. The patient is in a seating posture and support locations are provided on the frame for resting bony members of the patient. Sensors track movement and position of the body members of the patient during performance of the treatment procedure by the robotic manipulator. The robotic manipulator is adapted to perform at least one of a medical, a dental, an ophthalmic and an orthopedic treatment procedure. A physician sits at a display monitor of a physician's work station for programming, monitoring and verifying a robot program for controlling the robotic manipulator to perform the treatment procedure.

Abstract: A method to automate the process of teaching by allowing the robot to compare a live image of the work space along the desired path with a reference image of a similar workspace associated with a nominal path approximating the desired path, the robot teaches itself by comparing the reference image to the live image and generating the desired path at the desired location, hence eliminating human involvement in the process with most of its shortcomings. The present invention also overcomes the problem of site displacement or distortion by monitoring its progress along the path by sensors and modifying the path to conform to the desired path.

Abstract: A system and a method for automating a medical process including a memory storing a software program, a computer connected to the memory for running the software program, a display connected to the computer for generating a visual representation of output data generated by the computer running the program, a user interface connected to the computer for obtaining image data representing a configuration of a patient treatment space and fixed markers in the treatment space and storing the image data in the memory, a robot arm connected to the computer, and a medical tool mounted on the robot arm wherein when a human inputs a selected treatment procedure into the computer, the computer runs the software program to generate a tool path based upon the treatment procedure and the image data, and the computer operates the robot arm to move the medical tool along the tool path without human guidance, and wherein the data generated during the treatment procedure is stored, analyzed, and shared among collaborating compu