scholarly journals Recent Advances in Design and Actuation of Continuum Robots for Medical Applications

Actuators ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Yong Zhong ◽  
Luohua Hu ◽  
Yinsheng Xu
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Engineering Ethics ◽  
The Body ◽  
Confined Space ◽  
Medical Field ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Surgical Interventions ◽  
New Methods ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
The Continuum

Traditional rigid robot application in the medical field is limited due to the limited degrees of freedom caused by their material and structure. Inspired by trunk, tentacles, and snakes, continuum robot (CR) could traverse confined space, manipulate objects in complex environment, and conform to curvilinear paths in space. The continuum robot has broad prospect in surgery due to its high dexterity, which can reach circuitous areas of the body and perform precision surgery. Recently, many efforts have been done by researchers to improve the design and actuation methods of continuum robots. Several continuum robots have been applied in clinic surgical interventions and demonstrated superiorities to conventional rigid-link robots. In this paper, we provide an overview of the current development of continuum robots, including the design principles, actuation methods, application prospect, limitations, and challenge. And we also provide perspective for the future development. We hope that with the development of material science, Engineering ethics, and manufacture technology, new methods can be applied to manufacture continuum robots for specific surgical procedures.

Development of a Multi-Cable-Driven Continuum Robot Controlled by Parallel Platforms

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinbo Chen ◽  
Jiantao Yao ◽  
Tong Li ◽  
Haili Li ◽  
Pan Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Position Accuracy ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
In Series ◽  
Kinematic Models ◽  
Parallel Platform ◽  
Tube Structure ◽  
The Continuum

Abstract Cable-driven continuum robots exhibit excellent capabilities in the unstructured environment due to their inherent compliance and dexterity. To improve the reliability and load capacity of continuum robots, increasing the number of cables is often used in the control of continuum robots. However, the number of actuators will increase with the cables. To tackle this challenge, this work proposes a method for increasing the number of cables without increasing actuators in a continuum robot through parallel platforms. The parallel platforms are used to control all the cables in the continuum robot, and can be separated from the continuum robot to enable the remote drive of a manipulation arm by using the cable-tube structure. The manipulation arm is composed of several independent bending modules in series, which can be configured freely according to the demand of degrees of freedom. Further, each bending module is controlled independently by a parallel platform, which can avoid the mutual interference between the cables of one bending module and another one, improve the position accuracy and simplify the control difficulty of the manipulation arm. To evaluate the proposed method, this work develops a prototype of six-cable-driven continuum robot controlled by 3RPS parallel platforms, and presents some basic kinematic models to describe its function, and then an experimental work characterizing its performance. Experimental results illustrated the importance of increasing the number of cables, the rationality of kinematic models of the continuum robot, and the feasibility of controlling multiple cables by a parallel platform.

Follow-the-leader motion strategy for multi-section continuum robots based on differential evolution algorithm

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
GuoHua Gao ◽  
Pengyu Wang ◽  
Hao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Differential Evolution ◽  
Kinematic Model ◽  
Differential Evolution Algorithm ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loop Control ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Motion Strategy ◽  
The Continuum

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a follow-the-leader motion strategy for multi-section continuum robots, which aims to make the robot have the motion ability in a confined environment and avoid a collision. Design/methodology/approach First, the mechanical design of a multi-section continuum robot is introduced and the forward kinematic model is built. After that, the follow-the-leader motion strategy is proposed and the differential evolution (DE) algorithm for calculating optimal posture parameters is presented. Then simulations and experiments are carried out on a series of predefined paths to analyze the performance of the follow-the-leader motion. Findings The follow-the-leader motion can be well performed on the continuum robots this study proposes in this research. The experimental results show that the deviation from the path is less than 9.7% and the tip error is no more than 15.6%. Research limitations/implications Currently, the follow-the-leader motion is affected by the following factors such as gravity and continuum robot design. Furthermore, the position error is not compensated under open-loop control. In future work, this paper will improve the accuracy of the robot and introduce a closed-loop control strategy to improve the motion accuracy. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is to present an algorithm to generate follow-the-leader motion of the continuum robot based on DE. This method is suitable for solving new arrangements in the process of following a nonlinear path. Then, it is expected to promote the engineering application of the continuum robot.

Setpoint regulation of continuum robots using a fixed camera

Robotica ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 581-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. K. Chitrakaran ◽  
A. Behal ◽  
D. M. Dawson ◽  
I. D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Robot Manipulator ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Body ◽  
Reference Image ◽  
Shape Information ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Dimensional Shape ◽  
Three Dimensional Shape

SUMMARYIn this paper, we investigate the problem of measuring the shape of a continuum robot manipulator using visual information from a fixed camera. Specifically, we capture the motion of a set of fictitious planes, each formed by four or more feature points, defined at various strategic locations along the body of the robot. Then, utilizing expressions for the robot forward kinematics as well as the decomposition of a homography relating a reference image of the robot to the actual robot image, we obtain the three-dimensional shape information continuously. We then use this information to demonstrate the development of a kinematic controller to regulate the manipulator end-effector to a constant desired position and orientation.

Design and control of a tendon-driven continuum robot

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 3263-3272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minhan Li ◽  
Rongjie Kang ◽  
Shineng Geng ◽  
Emanuele Guglielmino
Keyword(s):  
Control Method ◽  
Programming Algorithm ◽  
Redundant Actuation ◽  
External Disturbances ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Helical Springs ◽  
Actuation System ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Continuum

Continuum robots are suitable for operating in unstructured environments owing to their intrinsic compliance. This paper presents a novel tendon-driven continuum robot equipped with two modules and a compliant backbone formed by helical springs. Each module is driven by four parallel arranged tendons to implement a redundant actuation system that guarantees dexterous motions of the robot. A position feedback controller for the continuum robot is then developed, and a quadratic programming algorithm is incorporated into the controller to achieve a smooth configuration of the robot. Experiments results show that the control method has good trajectory tracking performance against external disturbances.

scholarly journals A New Approach for Solving the Inverse Kinematics of Continuum Robot Based on Piecewise Constant Curvature Model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoran Wu ◽  
Jingjun Yu ◽  
Jie Pan ◽  
Xu Pei
Keyword(s):  
Motion Control ◽  
Constant Curvature ◽  
Inverse Kinematics ◽  
Clustering Method ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Piecewise Constant ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Distinct Sequence ◽  
The Continuum

Abstract The inverse kinematics of continuum robot is an important factor to guarantee the motion accuracy. How to construct a concise inverse kinematics model is very essential for the motion control of continuum robot. In this paper, a new method for solving the inverse kinematics of continuum robot is proposed based on the geometric and numerical method. Assumed that the deformation of the continuum robot is Piecewise Constant Curvature model (PCC), the envelope surface of the continuum robot based on single-segment is modeled and calculated. The clustering method is used to calculate the intersection of the curves. Then, a distinct sequence is designed for solving the inverse kinematics of continuum robot, and it is also suitable for the multi-segment continuum robots in space. Finally, the accuracy of the inverse kinematics algorithm is verified by the simulation and numerical experiment. The experiment results illustrate that this algorithm is with higher accuracy compared with the Jacobian iterative algorithm.

Design Considerations for Continuum Robot Actuation Units Enabling Dexterous Transurethral Bladder Cancer Resection

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Del Giudice ◽  
Nima Sarli ◽  
Stanley D. Herrell ◽  
Nabil Simaan
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Modular Architecture ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Position Sensing ◽  
Actuation Force ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Modular Format

The last decade has seen rapid growth in exploring the potential of continuum robots for a variety of surgical applications. The design of these robots requires unique electro-mechanical architectures of actuation units that satisfy operational requirements of precision, workspace, and payload capabilities. This paper presents the task-based design process of a compact nine degrees of freedom actuation unit for transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT). This actuation unit has a unique modular architecture allowing partial decoupling of actuation, force and position sensing in a compact modular format. The derivation of task specifications based on kinematic simulations takes into account workspace, accuracy and force application capabilities for TURBT. Design considerations for supporting modularity, serviceability, sterilization, and compactness are presented. The detailed exposition of the design process serves as a case study that will be helpful for other groups interested in the development and integration of surgical continuum robots.

Auditory Display for Telerobotic Transnasal Surgery Using a Continuum Robot

2019 ◽  
Vol 04 (02) ◽  
pp. 1950004 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Black ◽  
Sven Lilge ◽  
Carolin Fellmann ◽  
Anke V. Reinschluessel ◽  
Lars Kreuer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Path Following ◽  
The Body ◽  
Auditory Display ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Distance Information ◽  
Sphenoidal Sinus ◽  
Subjective Workload ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Task Time

Tubular continuum robots can follow complex curvilinear paths to reach restricted areas within the body. Using teleoperation, these robots can help minimize incisions and reduce trauma. However, drawbacks include the lack of haptic feedback and a limited view of the situs, often due to camera occlusion. This work presents novel auditory display to enhance interaction with such continuum robots to increase accuracy and path-following efficiency and reduce cognitive workload. We recreate a typical use case with a test environment that simulates a transnasal intervention through the sphenoidal sinus including a simulated continuum robot. Distance information is mapped to changes in a real-time audio synthesizer using sung voice to provide navigation cues. User studies with novice participants and clinicians were performed to evaluate the effects of auditory display on accuracy, task time, path following efficiency, subjective workload, and usability. When using auditory display, participants exhibit significant increase in accuracy, efficiency, and task time compared to visual-only display. Auditory display reduced subjective workload and raised usefulness and satisfaction ratings. The addition of auditory display for augmenting interaction with a teleoperated continuum robot has shown to benefit performance as well as usability. The method could benefit other scenarios in navigated surgery to increase accuracy and reduce workload.

Developing a Kinematically Similar Master Device for Extensible Continuum Robot Manipulators

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chase G. Frazelle ◽  
Apoorva Kapadia ◽  
Ian Walker
Keyword(s):  
Physical System ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Robot Manipulators ◽  
Input Device ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Master Device

We introduce a novel input device for the teleoperation of extensible continuum robots. As opposed to previous works limited by kinematically dissimilar master devices or restricted Degrees-of-Freedom (DoF), a kinematically similar input device capable of nine degrees-of-freedom is designed and used. The device is capable of achieving configurations identical to a three-section continuum robot and simplifies the control of such manipulators. In this paper, we outline the design of the input device and its construction. Implementation of the new master device and its effectiveness in regulating a physical system is also discussed.

scholarly journals Task space-based orientability analysis and optimization of a wire-driven continuum robot

2019 ◽  
Vol 233 (23-24) ◽  
pp. 7658-7668
Author(s):  
Cong Wang ◽  
Shineng Geng ◽  
David T Branson ◽  
Chenghao Yang ◽  
Jian S Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm ◽  
Kinematic Model ◽  
Task Space ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Swarm Optimization ◽  
The Monte Carlo Method ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Two Indices ◽  
Joint Length ◽  
The Continuum

Compared to traditional rigid robots, continuum robots have intrinsic compliance and therefore behave dexterously when performing tasks in restricted environments. Although there have been many researches on the design and application of continuum robots, a theoretical investigation of their dexterity is still lacking. In this paper, a two-joint wire-driven continuum robot is utilized to demonstrate dexterity by introducing the concept of orientability taking into account two indices, the accessible ratio and angle of the robot, when its tip reaches a certain task space inside the workspace. Based on the kinematic model, the accessible ratio and angle of the continuum robot are calculated using the Monte-Carlo method. From this, the influence of individual joint lengths on the proposed orientability indices and the optimal joint length are then investigated via an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm. Finally, the presented methods were validated through experiments showing that the use of optimal joint length can increase the accessible ratio and reduce the minimum accessible angle by more than 10° in the task space.

scholarly journals Developing a Kinematically Similar Master Device for Extensible Continuum Robot Manipulators

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chase G. Frazelle ◽  
Apoorva Kapadia ◽  
Ian Walker
Keyword(s):  
Physical System ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Robot Manipulators ◽  
Input Device ◽  
Continuum Robots ◽  
Continuum Robot ◽  
Master Device

We introduce a novel input device for the teleoperation of extensible continuum robots. As opposed to previous works limited by kinematically dissimilar master devices or restricted degrees-of-freedom (DoF), a kinematically similar input device capable of 9DoF is designed and used. The device is capable of achieving configurations identical to a three-section continuum robot and simplifies the teleoperation of such manipulators. In this paper, we outline the design of the input device and its construction. Implementation of the new master device and its effectiveness in regulating a physical system is also discussed.

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