Draft Status
Ready - team will start page creating immediately
Category
IGT and Training
Key Investigators
- Mariana Bernardes
- Joonho Seo
- Junichi Tokuda
Project Description
This project aims to integrate a Stewart-platform parallel robot into the SlicerROS2 ecosystem for image-guided biopsy and ablation procedures. The robot, developed by collaborator Dr. Joonho Seo at KIMM, will be controlled using ROS2 and and can align a needle or ablation probe based on patient intraoperative imaging. By integrating robot visualization and motion-planning preview into the 3D Slicer interface, we aim to allow the user to visualize the planned robot motion and probe trajectory before execution. This integration will also provide a foundation for future closed-loop robotic control using medical imaging feedback.
Objective
The objective of this project is to explore and prototype how a parallel robot with custom forward and inverse kinematics can be integrated into the SlicerROS2 and MoveIt-based planning workflow. While current SlicerROS2/MoveIt integration is getting mature for serial-link manipulators, parallel robots such as Stewart platforms require a different strategy because their kinematics may be provided by an external library rather than by standard MoveIt solvers. During Project Week, we aim to define and demo a practical software architecture for robot visualization, kinematic communication, motion-planning preview, and future execution control from the Slicer interface.
Approach and Plan
We will first review and adjust the existing Stewart-platform code to create a ROS2 package aligned with a standard ROS2 robot architecture, including robot description, transforms, controllers, and interfaces compatible with the MoveIt and ros2_control workflow. This will include defining the relevant robot frames, moving platform, actuator representation, needle/probe guide, and joint or actuator interfaces required for visualization, planning, and control.
We will then investigate how to connect the robot’s custom forward and inverse kinematics libraries to the MoveIt-based planning workflow. Possible strategies include wrapping the custom FK/IK library as a MoveIt-compatible kinematics plugin, exposing FK/IK through ROS2 services or actions, or using MoveIt for planning-scene management, trajectory preview, and collision checking while handling Stewart-platform-specific kinematics externally.
In parallel, we will explore how to integrate the robot workflow into SlicerROS2. The planned image-guided workflow starts from intraoperative imaging in 3D Slicer, where the user defines a target, entry point, or desired needle/probe trajectory. This trajectory is converted into a desired robot alignment request and sent through the ROS 2/MoveIt interface. The planned robot pose, motion preview, and needle/probe trajectory are then visualized in Slicer before execution.
The short-term Project Week goal is to define a practical architecture and initial prototype for connecting SlicerROS2, MoveIt, ros2_control, and the Stewart-platform. Expected outcomes include an updated software architecture, identification of required ROS2 topics/services/actions, a preliminary strategy for custom FK/IK integration, and an initial workflow for visualizing a planned robot alignment from Slicer.
Progress and Next Steps
- Describe specific steps you have actually done.
Illustrations
No response
Background and References
No response
Draft Status
Ready - team will start page creating immediately
Category
IGT and Training
Key Investigators
Project Description
This project aims to integrate a Stewart-platform parallel robot into the SlicerROS2 ecosystem for image-guided biopsy and ablation procedures. The robot, developed by collaborator Dr. Joonho Seo at KIMM, will be controlled using ROS2 and and can align a needle or ablation probe based on patient intraoperative imaging. By integrating robot visualization and motion-planning preview into the 3D Slicer interface, we aim to allow the user to visualize the planned robot motion and probe trajectory before execution. This integration will also provide a foundation for future closed-loop robotic control using medical imaging feedback.
Objective
The objective of this project is to explore and prototype how a parallel robot with custom forward and inverse kinematics can be integrated into the SlicerROS2 and MoveIt-based planning workflow. While current SlicerROS2/MoveIt integration is getting mature for serial-link manipulators, parallel robots such as Stewart platforms require a different strategy because their kinematics may be provided by an external library rather than by standard MoveIt solvers. During Project Week, we aim to define and demo a practical software architecture for robot visualization, kinematic communication, motion-planning preview, and future execution control from the Slicer interface.
Approach and Plan
We will first review and adjust the existing Stewart-platform code to create a ROS2 package aligned with a standard ROS2 robot architecture, including robot description, transforms, controllers, and interfaces compatible with the MoveIt and ros2_control workflow. This will include defining the relevant robot frames, moving platform, actuator representation, needle/probe guide, and joint or actuator interfaces required for visualization, planning, and control.
We will then investigate how to connect the robot’s custom forward and inverse kinematics libraries to the MoveIt-based planning workflow. Possible strategies include wrapping the custom FK/IK library as a MoveIt-compatible kinematics plugin, exposing FK/IK through ROS2 services or actions, or using MoveIt for planning-scene management, trajectory preview, and collision checking while handling Stewart-platform-specific kinematics externally.
In parallel, we will explore how to integrate the robot workflow into SlicerROS2. The planned image-guided workflow starts from intraoperative imaging in 3D Slicer, where the user defines a target, entry point, or desired needle/probe trajectory. This trajectory is converted into a desired robot alignment request and sent through the ROS 2/MoveIt interface. The planned robot pose, motion preview, and needle/probe trajectory are then visualized in Slicer before execution.
The short-term Project Week goal is to define a practical architecture and initial prototype for connecting SlicerROS2, MoveIt, ros2_control, and the Stewart-platform. Expected outcomes include an updated software architecture, identification of required ROS2 topics/services/actions, a preliminary strategy for custom FK/IK integration, and an initial workflow for visualizing a planned robot alignment from Slicer.
Progress and Next Steps
Illustrations
No response
Background and References
No response