Path Planning of 6DOF Venipuncture Robot Arm Based on Improved Astar and Collision Detection Algorithms In this paper, we use a compact 6 degreeof freedom (DOF) robot arm as the actuator of the venipuncture system. Aiming at the robot armxe2x80x99s requirements for speed and smoothness and considering that the robot arm may collide with obstacles in the course of movement,we simplify the model of the robot arm and obstacles according to the geometry of the robot arm and obstacles in the environment. Then we proposed an improved Astar algorithm and a threedimensional (3D) collision detection algorithm, which can plan a collisionfree optimal path for the blood taking needle fixed in the end of the robot arm, so that the blood taking needle can penetrate into the target point of the venous vessel continuously,smoothly and accurately driven by the robot arm. The simulation and actual path planning experiments indicate that the proposed path planning method is effective and feasible.

HumanRobot Visual Interface for 3D Steering of a Flexible, Bioinspired Needle for Neurosurgery Robotic minimally invasive surgery has been a subject of intense research and development over the last three decades, due to the clinical advantages it holds for patients and doctors alike. Particularly for drug delivery mechanisms, higher precision and the ability to follow complex trajectories in three dimensions (3D), has led to interest in flexible, steerable needles such as the programmable beveltip needle (PBN). Steering in 3D, however, holds practical challenges for surgeons, as interfaces are traditionally designed for straight line paths. This work presents a pilot study undertaken to evaluate a novel humanmachine visual interface for the steering of a robotic PBN, where both qualitative evaluation of the interface and quantitative evaluation of the performance of the subjects in following a 3D path are measured. A series of needle insertions are performed in phantom tissue (gelatin) by the experiment subjects. User could adequately use the system with little training and low workload, and reach the target point at the end of the path with millimeter range accuracy.