Bioinspired Handheld Time-share Driven Robot with Expandable DoFs

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Jan 26

PMID 38278829

Authors

Yunjiang Wang

Xinben Hu

Luhang Cui

Xuan Xiao

Keji Yang

Yongjian Zhu

Haoran Jin

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Handheld robots offer accessible solutions with a short learning curve to enhance operator capabilities. However, their controllable degree-of-freedoms are limited due to scarce space for actuators. Inspired by muscle movements stimulated by nerves, we report a handheld time-share driven robot. It comprises several motion modules, all powered by a single motor. Shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, acting as "nerves", connect to motion modules, enabling the selection of the activated module. The robot contains a 202-gram motor base and a 0.8 cm diameter manipulator comprised of sequentially linked bending modules (BM). The manipulator can be tailored in length and integrated with various instruments in situ, facilitating non-invasive access and high-dexterous operation at remote surgical sites. The applicability was demonstrated in clinical scenarios, where a surgeon held the robot to conduct transluminal experiments on a human stomach model and an ex vivo porcine stomach. The time-share driven mechanism offers a pragmatic approach to build a multi-degree-of-freedom robot for broader applications.

Citing Articles

Design and Analysis of a Hand-Held Surgical Forceps with a Force-Holding Function.

Bai Y, Yu Y, Xu Z Sensors (Basel). 2024; 24(18).

PMID: 39338638 PMC: 11435998. DOI: 10.3390/s24185895.

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