System and method for dynamic virtual collision objects

1. A control unit for a medical device comprising:

one or more processors; and

an interface coupling the control unit to the medical device;

wherein the control unit is configured to:

determine a position of a first movable segment of the medical device, a volume occupied by the first movable segment being approximated by one or more first virtual collision objects (VCOs);

adjust, based on the position and motion goals for the medical device, one or more properties of the first VCOs;

determine, based on the position and the properties, first geometries of the first VCOs;

receive second geometries of one or more second VCOs associated with a second segment of a second device;

determine relationships between the first VCOs and the second VCOs; and

adjust, based on the relationships, a motion plan for the medical device.

2. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit the first geometries and the properties to a second control unit associated with the second device.

3. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the motion plan is collision free.

4. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the adjustment to the motion plan avoids overlaps between the first VCOs and the second VCOs.

5. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the properties of the first VCOs include one or more properties selected from a group consisting of a size of each of the first VCOs, a shape of each of the first VCOs, a number of the first VCOs, and a coefficient of resiliency of each of the first VCOs.

6. The control unit of claim 5 wherein the coefficient of resiliency is non-uniform over a volume of at least one of the first VCOs.

7. The control unit of claim 5 wherein the coefficient of resiliency for at least one of the first VCOs varies based on a corresponding first geometry of the at least one of the first VCOs.

8. The control unit of claim 5 wherein the coefficient of resiliency for at least one of the first VCOs varies based on a direction of motion of the at least one of the first VCOs.

9. The control unit of claim 5 wherein the coefficient of resiliency for at least one of the first VCOs is modeled as a vector or tensor over a corresponding first geometry of the at least one of the first VCOs.

10. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a velocity of the first movable segment.

11. The control unit of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust a size of one or more of the first VCOs based on the velocity of the first movable segment.

12. The control unit of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust a size of one or more of the first VCOs based on a momentum of the first movable segment.

13. The control unit of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust a number of the first VCOs based on the velocity of the first movable segment.

14. The control unit of claim 10 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust a number of the first VCOs based on a momentum of the first movable segment.

15. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to increase a size of one of the first VCOs so as to induce an emergency stop in the second device.

16. The control unit of claim 15 wherein the size is increased to a size of a work space occupied by the medical device and the second device.

17. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to increase a size of one of the first VCOs so as to induce a retreat in the second device.

18. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to increase a size of a selected one of the first VCOs so that a first volume occupied by the selected first VCO is expanded to just before the first volume touches a second volume occupied by a closest one of the second VCOs.

19. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to create one or more third VCOs to reserve an operational volume for the medical device.

20. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to create one or more third VCOs to create one or more protected regions in a workspace.

21. The control unit of claim 20 wherein the one or more protected regions include objects or protected patient anatomy.

22. The control unit of claim 20 wherein the one or more protected regions are dynamically changing.

23. The control unit of claim 20 wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine additional relationships between the first VCOs and the third VCOs; and

adjust, based on the additional relationships, the motion plan for the medical device.

24. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the properties of the first VCOs to support fine motion operation of the medical device.

25. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the properties of the first VCOs to support close operation of the medical device with the second device.

26. The control unit of claim 1 wherein the control unit is further configured to adjust the properties of the first VCOs based on a change in orientation between the first movable segment and a third segment of the medical device.

27. The control unit of claim 1 wherein a shape of each of the first VCOs is selected from a group consisting of a sphere, a cylinder, an ovoid, a capsule, and a rectangular solid.

28. The control unit of claim 1 wherein determining the relationships includes determining whether there is an overlap between the first VCOs and the second VCOs.

29. The control unit of claim 1 wherein determining the relationships include determining whether one of the first VCOs and one of the second VCOs are less than a threshold distance apart.