Design of a Model-Free Cross-Coupled Controller with Application to Robotic NOTES

Cross-coupled synchronization is an effective method of controlling an articulated robot especially in applications with restrictive requirements and low tolerance to error. Model-free methods of cross-coupled synchronization provide similar performance in cases where models are difficult or impossible to obtain. Here a novel model-free cross-coupled adaptive synchronization method is developed and applied to a Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) robot - where reducing contour error has the important benefit of reducing the risk of surgical error and improving patient outcomes. To accomplish this, a baseline model-free cross coupled strategy is used, and an adaptive control gain and a balance scaling factor are used to improve the performance. Experiments are then performed validating the functionality and effectiveness of the controller using a NOTES robot. The results show significant improvement in decreasing contour error when compared with similar methods.