Systems and methods of merging localization and vision data for object avoidance

1. A system comprising:

a tracker configured to be attached to an object;

a localizer configured to cooperate with the tracker to generate localizer data associated with the object;

a vision device configured to generate, in a coordinate system of the vision device, image data associated with the object and an environment surrounding the object within a field-of-view of the vision device;

a navigation computer coupled to the localizer and the vision device, and the navigation computer being configured to:

associate a virtual object with the object;

determine a position and orientation of the virtual object in a coordinate system of the localizer based on the localizer data;

combine the localizer data and the image data into a common coordinate system;

merge the localizer data and the image data to identify data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object; and

associate a second virtual object with the identified data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object, wherein the second virtual object defines a region that is to be avoided.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is an instrument configured to manipulate tissue and the virtual object is associated with the instrument or a portion of the instrument.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising one or more controllers configured to control movement of the instrument to avoid the second virtual object.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a robotic manipulator and the virtual object is associated with the robotic manipulator or a portion of the robotic manipulator.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising one or more controllers configured to control movement of the robotic manipulator to avoid the second virtual object.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the object is a target site of a patient and the virtual object further defines a volume of material to be removed from the target site.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein to identify data points in the image data is further defined as to identify some data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image data generated by the vision device comprises a three-dimensional map of at least a portion of a surface within the field-of-view of the vision device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the three-dimensional map comprises one or more of a point cloud, a range map, a plane, or a line.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the navigation computer is configured to:

regenerate image data associated with the object and the environment surrounding the object within the field-of-view of the vision device;

re-identify data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object; and

update the second virtual object based on the re-identified data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object.

11. A method of operating a system, the system comprising a tracker configured to be attached to an object, a localizer configured to cooperate with the tracker to generate localizer data associated with the object, a vision device configured to generate, in a coordinate system of the vision device, image data associated with the object and an environment surrounding the object within a field-of-view of the vision device, and a navigation computer coupled to the localizer and the vision device, the method comprising the navigation computer:

associating a virtual object with the object;

determining a position and orientation of the virtual object in a coordinate system of the localizer based on the localizer data;

combining the localizer data and the image data into a common coordinate system;

merging the localizer data and the image data for identifying data points in the image data having coordinates located outside of the virtual object; and

associating a second virtual object with the identified data points in the image data having coordinates located outside of the virtual object, wherein the second virtual object defines a region that is to be avoided.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the object is an instrument for manipulating tissue and the virtual object is associated with the instrument or a portion of the instrument.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising one or more controllers for controlling movement of the instrument for avoiding the second virtual object.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the object is a robotic manipulator and the virtual object is associated with the robotic manipulator or a portion of the robotic manipulator.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising one or more controllers for controlling movement of the robotic manipulator to avoid the second virtual object.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the object is a target site of a patient and the virtual object further defines a volume of material to be removed from the target site.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein identifying data points in the image data is further defined as to identifying some data points in the image data that have coordinates located outside of the virtual object.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the image data generated by the vision device comprises a three-dimensional map of at least a portion of a surface within the field-of-view of the vision device.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the three-dimensional map comprises one or more of a point cloud, a range map, a plane, or a line.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the navigation computer:

re-generating image data associated with the object and the environment surrounding the object within the field-of-view of the vision device;

re-identifying data points in the image data having coordinates located outside of the virtual object; and

updating the second virtual object based on the re-identified data points in the image data having coordinates located outside of the virtual object.