XFEM-based Adaptive Contact Model for Telepresence Systems: Time Delay Compensation and Stability Improvement during Medical Incision

An incision is a common process in medical telepresence applications. When a large distance between the human operator and the teleoperator is presented, it can lead to a time delay in communication channel which causes the hand's movement and the force feedback perception not to synchronize. This research work proposed an adaptive contact model based on the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM). The proposed contact model compensates the time delay using the real-time dynamic geometry deformation simulation and the calculation of the corresponding incision force between the scalpel at the end-effector of the teleoperator and the remote environment. An adaptive parameter identification algorithm is also developed allowing online model verification during the actual incision. The experimental results demonstrate a stability improvement during the incision with the experimental telepresence system.