Abstract: A surgical implement and a manipulation system including the surgical implement may include at least one instrument including at least one joint portion. The joint portion may include a first part, a second part connected to the first part, and a force applying element for applying a force for bending (or rotating) the second part. A distance between a joint point and a force application point where a force is applied may be greater than a diameter of at least one of the first part and the second part. The instrument may further include a second joint portion spaced apart from the joint portion, and a surgical tool connected to an end portion of the second joint portion. The manipulation system may include a supporting structure, at least one instrument supported by the supporting structure, and an operating device for operating the instrument.

Abstract: A surgical device, the surgical device including a mounting part mounted on a robot arm of a surgical robot; an extension part extending from the mounting part; a joint driving part that comprises a driving motor having a driving axis, that comprises a driving rod connected to the driving axis and reciprocating, and that is connected to an end of the extension part; and a joint part that is connected to the joint driving part, that is driven at one or more degrees of freedom by the driving rod, wherein the driving motor is connected to the driving axis with an elastic connection member.

Abstract: A surgical instrument utilized in a minimally invasive surgery is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effecter configured to conduct a surgical operation, a piezoelectric driver configured to generate motive power, a power transmitting unit configured to transmit the motive power generated by the piezoelectric driver to the end effecter to operate the end effecter, and a housing which encloses the power transmitting unit and the at least one piezoelectric driver.

Abstract: A surgical device including first and second joint parts that are connected in series is provided. The surgical device includes a plurality of link arms that pass through an inner portion of the first joint part so as to drive the second joint part. The link arms are serially connected so as to rotate with respect to each other, and are rotatably connected to a driving unit for driving the plurality of link arms.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an extension portion having a surgical tool at an end thereof, and a head portion connected to the extension portion and actuating the surgical tool. In the surgical instrument, the extension portion includes a first extension portion connected to the head portion, a second extension portion having an elbow joint portion that is bending-actuated by a rigid rod that is reciprocated in a lengthwise direction by the head portion, and a connection portion connecting the first and second extension portions at an angle.

Abstract: A multi-axis force sensing apparatus that is installed at an operational end of a surgery robot and is capable of measuring force acting upon the operational end and a robot arm including the force sensing apparatus includes a body that is elastically deformable and has a pipe form extending along an axial direction of the body, an optical fiber strain gauge attached to a surface of the body to measure a tension and compression of the body in at least three directions. The optical fiber strain gauge may include at least three fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) that are attached to the surface of the body and extended in an axial direction of the body, a light source providing light to each of the FBGs, and a light detector detecting light reflected by the FBGs or light that has passed through the FBGs.

Abstract: A localization apparatus and method for localizing by use of image information and range data are provided. The localization apparatus includes an image sensor which captures an image and outputs image data, a range sensor which senses a distance and outputs a range sensing signal, an image feature point information processing unit which extracts image feature points from the sensed image and generates image feature point information about the extracted image feature points, a range feature point information processing unit which generates range feature point information about range feature points from the range sensing signal, and a state estimation unit which estimates a state variable including a position of the localization apparatus by using the image feature point information and the range feature point information as an observation value.

Abstract: A system building a map while an image sensor is moving, the system including the image sensor configured to capture images while the image sensor moves relative to one or more different locations, a sub-map building unit configured to recognize a relative location for at least the image sensor of the system using the captured images, build up a sub-map, and if a condition for stopping a building of the sub-map is met, store the sub-map which has been so far built up, an operation determining unit configured to determine whether the condition for stopping building the sub-map, an image group storing unit configured to store an image group including images that are newly captured from the image sensor after the storing of the sub-map when the condition for the stopping of the building of the sub-map is satisfied, and an overall map building unit configured to build an overall map based on the built sub-map and the stored image group when a current relative location for at least the image sensor of the system i

Abstract: A position recognizing apparatus and method is provided. The position recognizing apparatus includes a range sensor which senses a distance between the position recognizing apparatus and a range landmark, and a candidate range landmark information generating unit which generates information about candidate range landmarks. The candidate range landmark information is modeled using a position and a posture of the position recognizing apparatus, the sensed distance and an angle between the range landmark and the position recognizing apparatus. The position recognizing apparatus further includes a range landmark extracting unit which, if a new distance is sensed, updates the candidate range landmark information and extracts actual range landmark information from the candidate range landmark information, and a position recognizing unit which recognizes a position of the position recognizing apparatus based on the extracted actual range landmark information.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an extension portion having a surgical tool at an end thereof, and a head portion connected to the extension portion and actuating the surgical tool. In the surgical instrument, the extension portion includes a first extension portion connected to the head portion, a second extension portion having an elbow joint portion that is bending-actuated by a rigid rod that is reciprocated in a lengthwise direction by the head portion, and a connection portion connecting the first and second extension portions at an angle.

Abstract: A surgical implement and a manipulation system including the surgical implement may include at least one instrument including at least one joint portion. The joint portion may include a first part, a second part connected to the first part, and a force applying element for applying a force for bending (or rotating) the second part. A distance between a joint point and a force application point where a force is applied may be greater than a diameter of at least one of the first part and the second part. The instrument may further include a second joint portion spaced apart from the joint portion, and a surgical tool connected to an end portion of the second joint portion. The manipulation system may include a supporting structure, at least one instrument supported by the supporting structure, and an operating device for operating the instrument.

Abstract: A supporter device supports an instrument which is inserted in an object. The supporter device includes a base member having an insertion region through which the instrument passes, a movable member installed on the base member so as to move around the insertion region, and a pivot member installed to be pivotable based on a pivot axis that passes through the insertion region, wherein the instrument may be mounted on the pivot member. A movable central axis of the movable member and an extension axis of the instrument may cross at a single crossed point.

Abstract: A robot system including a surgical robot inserted into a subject may include: a photographing device that is disposed on an end portion of the surgical robot, is inserted into a body part of the subject, which is to be treated, and captures a real-time image with a resolution at which the body part to be treated may be observed in units of cells; a control device that receives a control signal for controlling the surgical robot by referring to the real-time image received from the photographing device; and an energy generating device that is disposed adjacent to the photographing device, and transmits energy to a region corresponding to the body part to be treated which is being photographed by the photographing device according to the control signal.

Abstract: A surgical device, the surgical device including a mounting part mounted on a robot arm of a surgical robot; an extension part extending from the mounting part; a joint driving part that comprises a driving motor having a driving axis, that comprises a driving rod connected to the driving axis and reciprocating, and that is connected to an end of the extension part; and a joint part that is connected to the joint driving part, that is driven at one or more degrees of freedom by the driving rod, wherein the driving motor is connected to the driving axis with an elastic connection member.

Abstract: A surgical device including first and second joint parts that are connected in series is provided. The surgical device includes a plurality of link arms that pass through an inner portion of the first joint part so as to drive the second joint part. The link arms are serially connected so as to rotate with respect to each other, and are rotatably connected to a driving unit for driving the plurality of link arms.

Abstract: A surgical instrument utilized in a minimally invasive surgery is provided. The surgical instrument includes an end effecter configured to conduct a surgical operation, a piezoelectric driver configured to generate motive power, a power transmitting unit configured to transmit the motive power generated by the piezoelectric driver to the end effecter to operate the end effecter, and a housing which encloses the power transmitting unit and the at least one piezoelectric driver.

Abstract: A position recognizing apparatus and method is provided. The position recognizing apparatus includes a range sensor which senses a distance between the position recognizing apparatus and a range landmark, and a candidate range landmark information generating unit which generates information about candidate range landmarks. The candidate range landmark information is modeled using a position and a posture of the position recognizing apparatus, the sensed distance and an angle between the range landmark and the position recognizing apparatus. The position recognizing apparatus further includes a range landmark extracting unit which, if a new distance is sensed, updates the candidate range landmark information and extracts actual range landmark information from the candidate range landmark information, and a position recognizing unit which recognizes a position of the position recognizing apparatus based on the extracted actual range landmark information.

Abstract: A localization apparatus and method for localizing by use of image information and range data are provided. The localization apparatus includes an image sensor which captures an image and outputs image data, a range sensor which senses a distance and outputs a range sensing signal, an image feature point information processing unit which extracts image feature points from the sensed image and generates image feature point information about the extracted image feature points, a range feature point information processing unit which generates range feature point information about range feature points from the range sensing signal, and a state estimation unit which estimates a state variable including a position of the localization apparatus by using the image feature point information and the range feature point information as an observation value.

Abstract: A system building a map while an image sensor is moving, the system including the image sensor configured to capture images while the image sensor moves relative to one or more different locations, a sub-map building unit configured to recognize a relative location for at least the image sensor of the system using the captured images, build up a sub-map, and if a condition for stopping a building of the sub-map is met, store the sub-map which has been so far built up, an operation determining unit configured to determine whether the condition for stopping building the sub-map, an image group storing unit configured to store an image group including images that are newly captured from the image sensor after the storing of the sub-map when the condition for the stopping of the building of the sub-map is satisfied, and an overall map building unit configured to build an overall map based on the built sub-map and the stored image group when a current relative location for at least the image sensor of the system i