Abstract: A master-slave system that includes a first manipulator supporting a first end effector; a second manipulator supporting a second end effector; an input device configured to concurrently receive from a hand of an operator a first movement command to effect a desired movement of the first end effector and a second movement command to effect a desired movement of the second end effector; and a processor configured to determine a desired movement of the first and the second end effectors in response to the first and second movement commands received from the input device respectively.

Abstract: A master-slave system that includes a first manipulator supporting a first end effector; a second manipulator supporting a second end effector; an input device configured to concurrently receive from a hand of an operator a first movement command to effect a desired movement of the first end effector and a second movement command to effect a desired movement of the second end effector; and a processor configured to determine a desired movement of the first and the second end effectors in response to the first and second movement commands received from the input device respectively.

Abstract: A master-slave system that includes a first manipulator supporting a first end effector; a second manipulator supporting a second end effector; an input device configured to concurrently receive from a hand of an operator a first movement command to effect a desired movement of the first end effector and a second movement command to effect a desired movement of the second end effector; and a processor configured to determine a desired movement of the first and the second end effectors in response to the first and second movement commands received from the input device respectively.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a surgical robot by a surgeon console remote from the surgical robot, the control system being configured to: receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments being attachable to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arr

Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

Abstract: Magnetic treatment of hydrocarbon fuel flowing through a fuel conduit. A plurality of magnets with repelling polarity affects the fuel structure and alternating said structure by aligning the hydrocarbons in a parallel uniform manner to increase combustion efficiency, thus increasing power while reducing pollutants and exhaust emissions.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a surgical robot by a surgeon console remote from the surgical robot, the control system being configured to: receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments being attachable to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arr

Abstract: A method for controlling a mechanical system having a plurality of components interlinked by a plurality of driven joints, the method comprising: measuring torques or forces about or at the driven joints and forming a load signal representing the measured torques or forces; receiving a motion demand signal representing a desired state of the system; implementing an impedance control algorithm in dependence on the motion demand signal and the load signal to form a target signal indicating a target configuration for each of the driven joints; measuring the configuration of each of the driven joints and forming a state signal representing the measured configurations; and forming a set of drive signals for the joints by, for each joint, comparing the target configuration of that joint as indicated by the target signal to the measured configuration of that joint as indicated by the state signal.

Abstract: A control system for a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a remote surgeon console and an articulated surgical robot arm comprising a series of joints extending from a base to a terminal end for attaching to an articulated surgical instrument. The control system comprises a central controller communicatively coupled to and remotely located from an arm controller of the surgical robot arm, the central controller also communicatively coupled to a surgeon input device of the surgeon console.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for computer aided design of physical structures include, in at least one aspect, a fully automatic method of converting a generative design into an editable, watertight B-Rep by leveraging the generative solver input and representation to: (1) embed the exact input solid boundary surfaces where the design coincides with the input, (2) approximate everywhere else the design boundary with globally smooth, editable “organic” surfaces, and (3) join all surfaces to form a generative design output B-Rep.

Abstract: A control system for controlling manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device at a remote surgeon's console, the surgical instrument being supported by a surgical robot arm, the surgical instrument comprising an end effector connected to a distal end of a shaft by an articulated coupling, the articulated coupling comprising one or more joints enabling the end effector to adopt a range of attitudes relative to the distal end of the shaft, the control system configured to: receive a command from an input actuated by a user to straighten the surgical instrument; and in response to the received command, to command driving forces to be applied to joint(s) of the articulated coupling to drive the instrument to adopt a predetermined configuration in which the profile of the end effector is most closely aligned with the profile of the distal end of the shaft.

Abstract: A control system for controlling a surgical robot by a surgeon console remote from the surgical robot, the control system being configured to: receive one or more state signal associated with a plurality of instruments, each of the plurality of instruments being attachable to the surgical robot, the one or more state signal indicating a selectability of each of the plurality of instruments for control by the surgeon console, and a control mode of each of the plurality of instruments from a group of modes, the group of modes comprising a manipulation mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is controllable by the surgeon console, and a selection mode in which an instrument of the plurality of instruments is selectable for control by the surgeon console; determine a graphical arrangement of icons for display in dependence on the received one or more state signal, where each icon represents a respective one of the plurality of instruments, and output a display signal to cause the graphical arr

Abstract: A control system for regulating operative control of a surgical instrument by a remote surgeon input device. The surgical instrument is supported by an articulated robot arm, and comprises an end effector connected to a shaft by an articulated coupling. The remote surgeon input device is capable of operatively controlling the surgical instrument by controlling articulation of the end effector, and controlling articulation of the robot arm and coupling. On receiving a request to engage operative control of the surgical instrument by the surgeon input device, the control system initially engages operative control of articulation of the robot arm and coupling by the surgeon input device, whilst maintaining disengagement of operative control of articulation of the end effector by the surgeon input device. Subsequently, the control system engages operative control of articulation of the end effector by the surgeon input device following a manipulation of the surgeon input device.

Abstract: A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

Abstract: A method of controlling movement of the tip of a surgical endoscope from a first position (E) to an intermediate position (E?), the field of view from the tip of the endoscope being at an angle (?) relative to a longitudinal shaft of the endoscope, the method comprising: receiving a command to move from the first position in a first direction; identifying a nominal view point (N) from the tip of the endoscope in the first position; calculating a tip movement path from the first position based on the received command, the identified nominal view point and the angle (?); determining the intermediate position; and moving the tip to the intermediate position, the intermediate position being such that the nominal view point remains within the field of view from the tip.

Abstract: A method for limiting joint velocity of a plurality of joints of a surgical robotic system, the surgical robotic system comprising a robot having a base and an arm extending from the base to an attachment for an instrument, the arm comprising a plurality of joints whereby the configuration of the arm can be altered, the method comprising: obtaining joint states for a first group of k joints of the arm, where k>1; for each of the k joints: determining from the obtained joint state a permitted range of motion for that joint; deriving, using the permitted range of motion, a joint velocity limit for that joint; selecting the minimum joint velocity limit of the k joints to be a common joint velocity limit used to limit each of the k joints individually; and calculating drive signals for driving the k joints wherein the velocity of each of the k joints is limited using the common joint velocity limit.

Abstract: A control system configured to control manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device. The surgical instrument comprises an end effector having opposable first and second end effector elements connected to a shaft by an articulated coupling. The control system receives a command from the surgeon input device to both (i) change the orientation of the end effector, and (ii) open the first and second end effector elements relative to each other. In response to the command to change the orientation of the end effector, the control system determines an angle ? between the longitudinal axis of the articulated coupling and the end effector. In response to the command to open the first and second end effector elements, the control system determines an opening angle ? between the first and second end effector elements.

Abstract: A control system configured to control manipulation of a surgical instrument in response to manipulation of a remote surgeon input device. The surgical instrument comprises opposable first and second end effector elements connected to a shaft by an articulated coupling. The articulated coupling comprises a first joint driveable by a first pair of driving elements so as to permit the first end effector element to rotate, and a second joint driveable by a second pair of driving elements so as to permit the second end effector element to rotate.

Abstract: A robot arm comprising a joint mechanism for articulating one limb (310) of the arm relative to another limb (311) of the arm about two non-parallel rotation axes (20, 21), the mechanism comprising: an intermediate carrier (28) attached to a first one of the limbs by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and to a second one of the limbs by a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis; a first drive gear (33) disposed about the first rotation axis and fast with the carrier, whereby rotation of the carrier relative to the first limb about the first rotation axis can be driven; a second drive gear (37) disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with the second one of the limbs, whereby rotation of the second one of the limbs about the second rotation axis relative to the carrier can be driven; at least one of the first and second drive gears being a sector gear.

Abstract: An electrosurgical connection unit for a surgical robot arm to connect an electrosurgical instrument attached to the arm to an electrosurgical generator. The electrosurgical connection unit includes an input port connectable to the electrosurgical generator, the input port configured to receive a driving electrosurgical signal and output one or more activation signals; an output port connectable to the electrosurgical instrument, the output port configured to output the driving electrosurgical signal received on the input port; one or more activation switch units, wherein activation of an activation switch unit causes an activation signal to be output from the input port indicating a driving electrosurgical signal with a desired waveform is to be activated; and a control unit configured to selectively activate one of the one or more activation switch units in response to a control signal.