Tentacle-like Continuum Robots for Minimally Invasive Surgery

Abstract

Intelligent animals are able to safely interact with their environments, whether those environments are hard or soft, and over a wide range of geometry. Modern robots made from serially arranged rigid links lack the dexterity, safety, and adaptability of the biological system. Continuum robot is an effective approach to enable compliant interaction with external objects and dexterous manipulation within tightly packed environments by continuously deforming its structure. In this talk, I will discuss the emerging continuum robotic technologies that can be used for minimally invasive surgery. I will talk about the concentric tube robot for intracerebral hemorrhage treatment, MRI-guided tendon driven mechanism, and the soft robots for photodynamic therapy.