NEAR lab at Polimi

After the ISO workshop and meetings, the group was give na guided tour to the NEAR lab at Polimi (Neuroengineering and Medical Robotics Laboratory). Lead by Prof. Ferrigno, they have built a strong background in robotics, surgical planning and navigation and applied nurosurgery.  Their projects include 

Within IGS:

•  automatic and intelligent planners for neurosurgical keyhole interventions (biopsy, DBS electrodes placements and stereo EEG), 
• robust functional hip joint center identification in knee arthroplasty interventions, 
• new software development for sensor fusion in surgical navigation.

In surgical robotics:

• Sensors fusion in surgical robotics and navigation
• Motion compensation in awake robotic  neurosurgery
• Force feedback and haptics in minimally invasive surgery
• Ontologies for robotic surgical systems
• Micro-robots propulsion and control for soft tissue burrowing

Numerous articles have been published (e.g, this, this, this and this list).

One of their key projects was the recently ended ROBOCAST FP7, where they focused on robot assisted keyhole neurosurgery. Within the european project EuroSurge (2011-13) the group is building a glossary of definitions on the topic of robotics surgery, based on existing products in the industry and university fields.  In the second phase of the research formal models  and relation between ontologies will be created, using for example OWL. They are also the consortium leaders of the ACTIVE project (Active Constraints Technologies for Ill-defined or Volatile Environments).