Abstract
In this paper, we propose a new type of continuum robot, referred to as a magnetic concentric tube robot (M-CTR), for performing minimally invasive surgery in narrow and difficult-to-access areas. The robot combines concentric tubes and magnetic actuation to benefit from the ‘follow the leader’ behaviour, the dexterity and stability of existing robots, while targeting millimetre-sized external diameters. These three kinematic properties are assessed through numerical and experimental studies performed on a prototype of a M-CTR. They are performed with general forward and inverse kineto-static models of the robot, continuation and bifurcation analysis, and a specific experimental setup. The prototype presents unique capabilities in terms of deployment and active stability management, while its dexterity in terms of tip orientability is also among the best reported for other robots at its scale. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000543633Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
The International Journal of Robotics ResearchVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
SAGESubject
Continuum robot; concentric tube robot; magnetic continuum robot; follow-the-leader deployment; orientability; stability analysis; medical robotOrganisational unit
03627 - Nelson, Bradley J. / Nelson, Bradley J.
Funding
743217 - Soft Micro Robotics (EC)
185039 - Arbeitstitel Soft Magnetic Robots: Modeling, Design and Control of Magnetically Guided Continuum Manipulators (SNF)
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