Robotic Hand-Held Surgical Device: Evaluation of End-Effector’s Kinematics and Developpement of Proof-of-Concept Prototypes Ali Hassan Zahraee 1 , J´ erome Szewczyk 1 , Jamie Kyujin Paik 2 , and Guillaume Morel 1 ⋆ 1 Institut des Systemes Intelligents et de Robotique Universit´ e Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI, 4, place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France 2 Harvard Microrobotics Lab Abstract. We are working towards the development of a robotic hand- held surgical device for laparoscopic interventions that enhances the sur- geons’ dexterity. In this paper, the kinematics of the end effector is stud- ied. Different choices of kinematics are compared during an evaluation campaign using a virtual reality simulator to find the optimal one: the Yaw-Roll (YR) kinematics. A proof of concept prototype is made based on the results. 1 Introduction Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) causes less operative trauma and leaves pa- tients with less pain and scarring, speeds recovery, and reduces the incidence of post-surgical complications. Conventional instruments used in MIS are hand- held instruments with long shafts, an end effector (needle holder, dissector etc.) at one end and a handle at the other. The instrument motion is constrained at the pivot point to 4 degrees of freedom (DOF): (1) translation along the shaft of the instrument, (2) rotation around the translational axis and (3) and (4) limited inclination of the shaft pivoted trough the incision [1]. Some gestures are very difficult or impossible to make using the non-dexterous conventional in- struments. One could imagine a more dextrous device with a jointed end effector adding one or more DOF. The end effector must have at least 6 DOF to allow the surgeon choose the orientation and position of the end effector arbitrarily. The DOF added to the end-effector could be actuated manually, pneumatically or electrically. The latter gives a mechatronic (robotic) hand-held instrument. But making such a miniature-scale instrument with a mechanical force transmis- sion system that can provide for the requirements in MIS, is difficult and costly. So, choosing the simplest kinematics for the added DOF that allows performing all needed movements is critical. In [2] for example, the end-effector can yaw or pitch while the surgeon can roll the instrument’s shaft using his thumb. [3] has ⋆ This work was supported by Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) fund ANR- 09-CORD-020.