Related papers: Adaptable, shape-conforming robotic endoscope
Minimally invasive medical procedures, such as endovascular catheterization, have drastically reduced procedure time and associated complications. However, many regions inside the body, such as in the brain vasculature, still remain…
This paper introduces a cube-based reconfigurable robot that utilizes an electromagnet-based actuation framework to reconfigure in three dimensions via pivoting. While a variety of actuation mechanisms for self-reconfigurable robots have…
Miniature locomotion robots with the ability to navigate confined environments show great promise for a wide range of tasks, including search and rescue operations. Soft miniature locomotion robots, as a burgeoning field, have attracted…
Worm-inspired robots provide an effective locomotion strategy for constrained environments by combining cyclic body deformation with alternating anchoring. For compliant robots, however, the interaction between deformable anchoring…
Cardiovascular diseases account for around 17.9 million deaths per year globally, the treatment of which is challenging considering the confined space and complex topology of the vascular network and high risks during operations. Robots,…
While the animals' Fin-to-Limb evolution has been well-researched in biology, such morphological transformation remains under-adopted in the modern design of advanced robotic limbs. This paper investigates a novel class of overconstrained…
Soft robotic manipulators are attractive for a range of applications such as medical interventions or industrial inspections in confined environments. A myriad of soft robotic manipulators have been proposed in the literature, but their…
To investigate the link between discrete, small-scale and continuous, large scale mechanical properties of a foam, we observe its two-dimensional flow in a channel, around an elliptical obstacle. We measure the drag, lift and torque acting…
This paper presents a modular in-pipeline climbing robot with a novel compliant foldable OmniCrawler mechanism. The circular cross-section of the OmniCrawler module enables a holonomic motion to facilitate the alignment of the robot in the…
Many keyhole interventions rely on bi-manual handling of surgical instruments, forcing the main surgeon to rely on a second surgeon to act as a camera assistant. In addition to the burden of excessively involving surgical staff, this may…
The robotic manipulation of deformable linear objects has shown great potential in a wide range of real-world applications. However, it presents many challenges due to the objects' complex nonlinearity and high-dimensional configuration. In…
The introduction of neuroendoscopy, microneurosurgery, neuronavigation, and intraoperative imaging for surgical operations has made significant improvements over other traditionally invasive surgical techniques. The integration of magnetic…
Robot-assisted ultrasound scanning promises to advance autonomous and accessible medical imaging. However, ensuring patient safety and compliant human-robot interaction (HRI) during probe contact poses a significant challenge. Most existing…
RoboClam is a burrowing technology inspired by Ensis directus, the Atlantic razor clam. Atlantic razor clams should only be strong enough to dig a few centimeters into the soil, yet they burrow to over 70 cm. The animal uses a clever trick…
Several experiments have demonstrated the existence of an electro-mechanical effect in many biological tissues and hydrogels, and its actual influence on growth, migration, and pattern formation. Here, to model these interactions and…
Objective: Probe-based confocal endomicroscopy is an emerging high-magnification optical imaging technique that provides in vivo and in situ cellular-level imaging for real-time assessment of tissue pathology. Endomicroscopy could…
This letter reports the design, construction, and experimental validation of a novel hand-held robot for in-office laser surgery of the vocal folds. In-office endoscopic laser surgery is an emerging trend in Laryngology: It promises to…
Incorrectly sized balloon catheters can lead to increased post-surgical complications, yet even with preoperative imaging, correct selection remains a challenge. With limited feedback during surgery, it is difficult to verify correct…
This study investigates the potential for drag-reduction of low-mechanical-order, self-adaptive control systems, consisting of hinged flaps attached along the edges of the rectangular base of a canonical blunt body. Comparative experiments…
Undulatory slender objects have been a central theme in the hydrodynamics of swimming at low Reynolds number, where the slender body is usually assumed to be inextensible, although some microorganisms and artificial microrobots largely…