In the course of this project, I endeavored to conceptualize and prototype an innovative soft robotic arm (a diameter of 0.9 mm). Distinguished by its remarkable capacity for bidirectional flexion and spiral motion, this novel technological advancement holds substantial promise for application in procedures involving the removal of blood clots (thrombus).
In this project, my objective was to design and prototype an novel omnidirectional soft robotic arm (SRA)–a diameter of 3.0 mm. This distinctive SRA incorporates three degrees-of-freedom (DOFs) and exhibits considerable potential for versatile applications in the realm of VIS, particularly in procedures such as cardiac ablation. Additionally, I devised a stabilizing mechanism and implemented a soft force sensor as integral supporting components for the SRA. The utilization of soft robotics in the design of this device serves to not only augment safety and flexibility but also to address challenges such as force loss and hysteresis friction that are inherent in traditional cable-driven catheters. The adoption of soft robotics technology thus contributes significantly to overcoming these limitations, enhancing the overall efficacy of the proposed soft robotic arm in the context of medical procedures.
In this ongoging project, I am developing a novel architecture called soft syringe (SSA) to remove the need of electrical motors in controlling soft robotic actuators (hydraulically). SSA also features built-in sensing capability for soft robotics without extra electrical sensors. This new project is expected to significantly reduce the cost, complexity (controlling and modeling), and overall size of the robots in the soft robotic field.
In this new project, I am building an advanced, motor-free surgical robotic system using soft syringe (SSA). This new system can offer multiple soft robotic arms aiming to provide multiple surgical tasks including detection, ESD/Ablation, and 3D Bioprinting. This project is expected to build a portable, compact system.