Journal
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ROBOTICS
Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 187-200Publisher
IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC
DOI: 10.1109/TRO.2015.2507160
Keywords
Fluidic actuation; granular jamming; minimally invasive surgery (MIS); soft robot; variable stiffness
Categories
Funding
- STIFF-FLOP project
- European Community Seventh Framework Program [287728]
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This paper presents the concept design of a modular soft manipulator for minimally invasive surgery. Unlike traditional surgical manipulators based on metallic steerable needles, tendon-driven mechanisms, or articulated motorized links, we combine flexible fluidic actuators to obtain multidirectional bending and elongation with a variable stiffness mechanism based on granular jamming. The idea is to develop a manipulator based on a series of modules, each consisting of a silicone matrix with pneumatic chambers for 3-D motion, and one central channel for the integration of granular-jamming-based stiffening mechanism. A bellows-shaped braided structure is used to contain the lateral expansion of the flexible fluidic actuator and to increase its motion range. In this paper, the design and experimental characterization of a single module composed of such a manipulator is presented. Possible applications of the manipulator in the surgical field are discussed.
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