Sheila Russo
Boston University, Mechanical Engineering, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
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Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has countless benefits over open surgery, from shorter re- covery times and lower risk procedures for the patient to higher accuracy and broader capabilities for the surgeon [1]. However, a... more
Robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has countless benefits over open surgery, from shorter re- covery times and lower risk procedures for the patient to higher accuracy and broader capabilities for the surgeon [1]. However, a significant detriment to these procedures is that current systems lack haptic feedback. The lack of haptic feedback in MIS forces the surgeon to depend merely on visual cues, such as the deformation of tissue under load, to estimate the forces [1]. The likely outcome of misreading these cues is torn tissue, patient discomfort or broken sutures [2]. Moreover, haptic feed- back is specifically vital for robot-assisted endoscopy procedures. A recent study evaluating an Endoscopic Operation Robot (EOR) concluded that haptic feedback is beneficial in remote manipulation of flexible endo- scopes. When haptic feedback was absent there were more incidences of overstretching of sigmoid colon in a colonoscopy training model [3]. This work presents a soft robo...
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Metallic tools such as graspers, forceps, spatulas, and clamps have been used in proximity to delicate neurological tissue and the risk of damage to this tissue is a primary concern for neurosurgeons. Novel soft robotic technologies have... more
Metallic tools such as graspers, forceps, spatulas, and clamps have been used in proximity to delicate neurological tissue and the risk of damage to this tissue is a primary concern for neurosurgeons. Novel soft robotic technologies have the opportunity to shift the design paradigm for these tools towards safer and more compliant, minimally invasive methods. Here, we present a pneumatically actuated, origami-inspired deployable brain retractor aimed at atraumatic surgical workspace generation inside the cranial cavity. We discuss clinical requirements, design, fabrication, analytical modeling, experimental characterization, and in-vitro validation of the proposed device on a brain model.
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Colonoscopies allow surgeons to detect common diseases, that is, colorectal cancer, ulcers, and other ailments. However, there is a risk of bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract while maneuvering endoscopes. This may be due to... more
Colonoscopies allow surgeons to detect common diseases, that is, colorectal cancer, ulcers, and other ailments. However, there is a risk of bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract while maneuvering endoscopes. This may be due to perforations, hemorrhaging, polyps, diverticula, or post‐biopsy complications. Thus, it is essential for the surgeon to be able to detect bleeding at the site and evaluate the severity of blood leakage. Herein, a soft sensor that can detect the presence of blood at the bleeding site during colonoscopies is presented. The sensor consists of optical waveguides that interface with a microfluidic channel. Blood flow causes absorption and scattering of incident light that can be picked up by the optical sensing apparatus via light transmission through the waveguide. The surgeon can be alerted when bleeding occurs through a graphical user interface. The device is compact and measures only 1 mm thick. This allows the sensor to be circumferentially mounted onto a colonoscope at different locations. The sensor is able to record the presence of blood as an optical loss, rapidly detect the presence of blood under 100 ms as it enters the microchannel, and differentiate between gastric fluid and blood through changes in measured optical loss.
Research Interests:
Devices fabricated using soft materials have been a major research focus of late, capturing the attention of scientists and laypersons alike in a wide range of fields, from microfluidics to robotics. The functionality of such devices... more
Devices fabricated using soft materials have been a major research focus of late, capturing the attention of scientists and laypersons alike in a wide range of fields, from microfluidics to robotics. The functionality of such devices relies on their structural and material properties; thus, the fabrication method is of utmost importance. Here, multilayer soft lithography, precision laser micromachining, and folding to establish a new paradigm are combined for creating 3D soft microstructures and devices. Phase-changing materials are exploited to transform actuators into structural elements, allowing 2D laminates to evolve into a third spatial dimension. To illustrate the capabilities of this new fabrication paradigm, the first "microfluidic origami for reconfigurable pneumatic/hydraulic" device is designed and manufactured: a 12-layer soft robotic peacock spider with embedded microfluidic circuitry and actuatable features.
Research Interests: Engineering, Robotics, Materials Science, Microfluidics, Advanced Manufacturing, and 14 moreNanotechnology, Advanced Materials, Bioinspiration, Medicine, Medical Robotics, Soft Lithography, Physical sciences, Fabrication, Lithography, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Actuator, Soft Robotics, Bioinspired Robotics, and Nanoscience and nanotechnology
Research Interests: Materials Science, Sensors and Sensing, Microfluidics, Medical Device Design, Advanced Manufacturing, and 13 moreMicroelectromechanical systems, Surgical Robotics, Sensors, Actuators, Medical devices, Surgical Robots, MEMS design: Sensors and Actuators, Actuator, Scalability, Soft Robotics, Fluidics, Actuators and Sensors, and Capacitive Sensors
Recent advances in medical robotics have initiated a transition from rigid serial manipulators to flexible or continuum robots capable of navigating to confined anatomy within the body. A desire for further procedure minimization is a key... more
Recent advances in medical robotics have initiated a transition from rigid serial manipulators to flexible or continuum robots capable of navigating to confined anatomy within the body. A desire for further procedure minimization is a key accelerator for the development of these flexible systems where the end goal is to provide access to the previously inaccessible anatomical workspaces and enable new minimally invasive surgical (MIS) procedures. While sophisticated navigation and control capabilities have been demonstrated for such systems, existing manufacturing approaches have limited the capabilities of millimeter-scale end-effectors for these flexible systems to date and, to achieve next generation highly functional end-effectors for surgical robots, advanced manufacturing approaches are required. We address this challenge by utilizing a disruptive 2D layer-by-layer precision fabrication process (inspired by printed circuit board manufacturing) that can create functional 3D mec...
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Research Interests:
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Recently, there has been a growing interest in moving away from traditional rigid exoskeletons towards soft exosuits that can provide a variety of advantages including a reduction in both the weight carried by the wearer and the inertia... more
Recently, there has been a growing interest in moving away from traditional rigid exoskeletons towards soft exosuits that can provide a variety of advantages including a reduction in both the weight carried by the wearer and the inertia experienced as the wearer flexes and extends their joints. These advantages are achieved by using structured functional textiles in combination with a flexible actuation scheme that enables assistive torques to be applied to the biological joints. Understanding the human-suit interface in these systems is important, as one of the key challenges with this approach is applying force to the human body in a manner that is safe, comfortable, and effective. This paper outlines a methodology for characterizing the structured functional textile of soft exosuits and then uses that methodology to evaluate several factors that lead to different suit-human series stiffnesses and pressure distributions over the body. These factors include the size of the force di...
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Merging robotics with laser eye surgery could enhance precision, repeatability and automation. During some eye laser procedures the patient is awake, thus eye stabilization is desired to avoid movements that could affect the treatment.... more
Merging robotics with laser eye surgery could enhance precision, repeatability and automation. During some eye laser procedures the patient is awake, thus eye stabilization is desired to avoid movements that could affect the treatment. The ESPRESSO platform has a two-stage actuation system to position a stabilization tool on the eye, a proximity sensing unit to monitor the stabilization tool position, and a sensing unit to monitor the pressure exerted on the eye. The platform is tested in-vitro and ex-vivo with clinicians. A maximum pressure to be exerted on the eye is defined with expert ophthalmic surgeons to be 22 mmHg: physiological intraocular pressure (IOP) range is 10-21 mmHg. This pressure corresponds to a force of 0.3 N. The necessary contact force to have eye fixation (according to the clinicians' feedback) is evaluated: maximum values resulted always below 0.3 N. A maximum IOP increase of 4.67 mmHg is observed, that is a slight variation with respect to the performanc...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Robotics, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Laser, Computer Aided Design, and 15 moreFiber Lasers, Medicine, Endoscopy, Sensors, Humans, Robots, Male, Fiber Bragg gratings, Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Laser Therapy, Equipment Design, Equipment Failure Analysis, Electrical And Electronic Engineering, Laser surgery, and Prostatic hyperplasia
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Homogeneity and heterogeneity represent a well-known trade-off in the design of modular robot systems. This work addresses the heterogeneity concept, its rationales, design choices and performance evaluation. We introduce challenges for... more
Homogeneity and heterogeneity represent a well-known trade-off in the design of modular robot systems. This work addresses the heterogeneity concept, its rationales, design choices and performance evaluation. We introduce challenges for self-reconfigurable systems, show advances of mechatronic and software design of heterogeneous platforms and discuss experiments, which intend to demonstrate usability and performance of this system.
Research Interests:
Endoscopes are long, flexible instruments used to navigate the body exploiting natural orifices, reach a surgical target area, and perform diagnosis. However, the flexibility required for safe navigation conflicts with forces and... more
Endoscopes are long, flexible instruments used to navigate the body exploiting natural orifices, reach a surgical target area, and perform diagnosis. However, the flexibility required for safe navigation conflicts with forces and dexterity that can be provided distally, and causes loss of sensor feedback, making instrument control poor and limiting the therapeutic capabilities of endoscopes. Efforts to solve these issues are limited by the engineering challenges of developing articulated, three-dimensional, miniaturized mechanisms with integrated sensing and actuation, which are safe for medical applications and combine different materials (i.e., soft elements). In this chapter, two different examples of smart, millimeter-scale robots combining distal articulation and sensor feedback for minimally invasive surgery are discussed. Technical aspects, such as materials and component selection, manufacturing, and testing are analyzed. The first is a flexible, 2-mm catheter-like robot for...
Millimeter-sized electrostatic film actuators, inspired by the efficient spatial arrangement of insect muscles, achieve a muscle-like power density (61 W kg−1) and enable robotic applications in which agility is needed in confined spaces.... more
Millimeter-sized electrostatic film actuators, inspired by the efficient spatial arrangement of insect muscles, achieve a muscle-like power density (61 W kg−1) and enable robotic applications in which agility is needed in confined spaces. Like biological muscles, these actuators incorporate a hierarchical structure, in this case building from electrodes to arrays to laminates, and are composed primarily of flexible materials. So comprised, these actuators can be designed for a wide range of manipulation and locomotion tasks, similar to natural muscle, while being robust and compact. A typical actuator can achieve 85 mN of force with a 15 mm stroke, with a size of [Formula: see text] mm3 and mass of 92 mg. Two millimeter-sized robots, an ultra-thin earthworm-inspired robot and an intestinal-muscle-inspired endoscopic tool for tissue resection, demonstrate the utility of these actuators. The earthworm robot undertakes inspection tasks: the navigation of a 5 mm channel and a 19 mm squa...
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Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Burgeoning transendoscopic procedures, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), provide a promising means of treating early-stage gastric neoplasia in a minimally-invasive way. However, the remote locations of these lesions,... more
Burgeoning transendoscopic procedures, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), provide a promising means of treating early-stage gastric neoplasia in a minimally-invasive way. However, the remote locations of these lesions, coupled with their origination in the submucosal layers of the gastrointestinal tract, often lead to extreme technical, cogni-tive and ergonomic challenges which combat the widespread applicability and adoption of these techniques. Among these challenges is achieving the in vivo dexterity required to retract and dissect tissue. By leveraging workspace and force data obtained through clinical studies, we developed a modular, disposable, distally-mounted actuator (an 'active endcap') that can augment an endoscopist's distal dexterity in ways that are not achievable with the endoscope's built-in degrees-of-freedom. The device consists of a flexible articulating 'exoskeleton' manufactured via printed-circuit MEMS (PCMEMS) which engages and deflects electrosurgical tools that are passed through the endoscopic working channel. Embedded proprioceptive sensing is implemented on-board using distributed LED/phototransistor pairs and the principle of light intensity modulation (LIM). The distal degree-of-freedom is actuated using shape memory alloy (SMA) technology, and the actuation transmission system is fully contained within a 1-inch-long end cap that can be mounted on the distal end of the endoscope, thereby obviating the need for a mechanical connection to a proximal source. Proof-of-concept tests demonstrate that the actuator adds over 50 degrees of distal articulation to existing tools and can generate 450 mN of lateral force which has been clinically determined to be sufficient for performing circumferential incisions in ESD.
Research Interests:
Numerous therapeutic transendoscopic procedures exist to treat lesions in the GI tract. However, these procedures are limited by their difficulty and the amount of training required to successfully perform them. The surgeon is tasked with... more
Numerous therapeutic transendoscopic procedures exist to treat lesions in the GI tract. However, these procedures are limited by their difficulty and the amount of training required to successfully perform them. The surgeon is tasked with simultaneously steering the distal tip of the endoscope, applying tension to tissue to retract it, and manipulating electro-cautery tools with limited dexterity. We propose a device designed to assist with anchoring and tissue retraction during endoscopic surgical procedures. The designed solution decouples the tissue-grasping function from the movement of the endoscope tip, leaving the surgeon free to use the endoscope tip solely for positioning of electro-cautery or biopsy tools deployed through the endoscope working channel. The anchoring and retraction device uses pop-up book MEMS techniques, allowing for a " flat " structure to expand into a 3-D structure. The proposed device has three main integrated components: a rigid expandable geometric structure, inflatable pneumatic actuators, and a vacuum gripper. These inflatable actuators include internal rigid discs, allowing for resistance to buckling while maintaining the benefits of the established lightweight, low profile actuator design scheme. Proof-of-concept ex vivo testing demonstrates that the integrated device can be used to retract tissue to a height of 13.5 mm, providing access for endoscopy tools to contact a sample of porcine stomach tissue.
Research Interests:
This paper introduces a manufacturing technique which enables the integration of soft materials and soft fluidic micro-actuators in the Pop-up book MEMS paradigm. Such a technique represents a promising approach to the design and... more
This paper introduces a manufacturing technique which enables the integration of soft materials and soft fluidic micro-actuators in the Pop-up book MEMS paradigm. Such a technique represents a promising approach to the design and fabrication of low cost and scalable articulated mechanisms provided with sensing capabilities and on-board actuation with potential applications in the field of minimally invasive surgery. Design and integration of soft components in the rigid-flex laminates is described along with the resulting soft pop-up mechanisms realized at different scales. Prototype characterization is presented, demonstrating forces and dexterity in a range suitable for surgical applications, as well as the possibility to integrate sensing capabilities. Based on these results, a multi-articulated robotic arm is fabricated and mounted on top of an endoscope model to provide a proof of concept of simple robotic mechanisms that could be useful in a surgical scenario.
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ABSTRACT We propose a new approach to the robotic assisted ocular surgery. A Cone Beam CT is used to visualize the ocular area, by the use of a 3D image reconstruction. A software is used to transfer spatial information to a robotic arm,... more
ABSTRACT We propose a new approach to the robotic assisted ocular surgery. A Cone Beam CT is used to visualize the ocular area, by the use of a 3D image reconstruction. A software is used to transfer spatial information to a robotic arm, that can be used to move different end-effectors. A sensorized tool, equipped with force and position sensors, is connected to the patient eye and to the robotic arm. The system is provided of a feedback alarm. The optimized robotic console can be used in the preoperative design, for the real time control during surgery and to move specialized end effectors.
Research Interests:
INTRODUCTION: Merging robotics with laser eye surgery could enhance precision, repeatability and automation. During some eye laser procedures the patient is awake, thus eye stabilization is desired to avoid movements that could affect the... more
INTRODUCTION:
Merging robotics with laser eye surgery could enhance precision, repeatability and automation. During some eye laser procedures the patient is awake, thus eye stabilization is desired to avoid movements that could affect the treatment.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
The ESPRESSO platform has a two-stage actuation system to position a stabilization tool on the eye, a proximity sensing unit to monitor the stabilization tool position, and a sensing unit to monitor the pressure exerted on the eye. The platform is tested in-vitro and ex-vivo with clinicians. A maximum pressure to be exerted on the eye is defined with expert ophthalmic surgeons to be 22 mmHg: physiological intraocular pressure (IOP) range is 10-21 mmHg. This pressure corresponds to a force of 0.3 N.
RESULTS:
The necessary contact force to have eye fixation (according to the clinicians' feedback) is evaluated: maximum values resulted always below 0.3 N. A maximum IOP increase of 4.67 mmHg is observed, that is a slight variation with respect to the performance of other platforms (IOP elevations up to 328 mmHg).
CONCLUSION:
Design and initial assessment of the platform is presented. Eye stabilization is performed without exceeding the critical contact force value and causing large/sudden IOP increases.
Merging robotics with laser eye surgery could enhance precision, repeatability and automation. During some eye laser procedures the patient is awake, thus eye stabilization is desired to avoid movements that could affect the treatment.
MATERIAL AND METHODS:
The ESPRESSO platform has a two-stage actuation system to position a stabilization tool on the eye, a proximity sensing unit to monitor the stabilization tool position, and a sensing unit to monitor the pressure exerted on the eye. The platform is tested in-vitro and ex-vivo with clinicians. A maximum pressure to be exerted on the eye is defined with expert ophthalmic surgeons to be 22 mmHg: physiological intraocular pressure (IOP) range is 10-21 mmHg. This pressure corresponds to a force of 0.3 N.
RESULTS:
The necessary contact force to have eye fixation (according to the clinicians' feedback) is evaluated: maximum values resulted always below 0.3 N. A maximum IOP increase of 4.67 mmHg is observed, that is a slight variation with respect to the performance of other platforms (IOP elevations up to 328 mmHg).
CONCLUSION:
Design and initial assessment of the platform is presented. Eye stabilization is performed without exceeding the critical contact force value and causing large/sudden IOP increases.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common pathology afflicting ageing men. The gold standard for surgical treatment of BPH is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Laser assisted transurethral surgical treatment of... more
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the most common pathology afflicting ageing men. The gold standard for surgical treatment of BPH is transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Laser assisted transurethral surgical treatment of BPH is recently emerging as a valid clinical alternative. Despite this, there are still some issues that hinder the outcome of laser surgery, e.g. distal dexterity is strongly reduced by the current endoscopic instrumentation and contact between laser and prostatic tissue cannot be monitored and optimized. This paper presents a novel robotic platform for laser assisted transurethral surgery of BPH. The system, designed to be compatible with traditional endoscopic instrumentation, is composed of a catheter-like robot provided with a fiber optic based sensing system and a cable driven actuation mechanism. The sensing system allows contact monitoring between the laser and the hypertrophic tissue. The actuation mechanism allows steering of the laser fiber inside the prostatic urethra of the patient, when contact must be reached. The design of the proposed robotic platform along with its preliminary testing and evaluation is presented in this paper. The actuation mechanism is tested in in-vitro experiments to prove laser steering performances according to the clinical requirements. The sensing system is calibrated in experiments aimed to evaluate the capability of discriminating the contact forces, between the laser tip and the prostatic tissue, from the pulling forces exerted on the cables, during laser steering. These results have been validated demonstrating the robot's capability of detecting sub-Newton contact forces even in combination with actuation.
Research Interests:
"We propose a new approach to the robotic assisted ocular surgery. A Cone Beam CT is used to visualize the ocular area, by the use of a 3D image reconstruction. A software is used to transfer spatial information to a robotic arm, that... more
"We propose a new approach to the robotic assisted ocular surgery. A Cone Beam CT is used to visualize the ocular area,
by the use of a 3D image reconstruction. A software is used to transfer spatial information to a robotic arm, that can be
used to move different end-effectors. A sensorized tool, equipped with force and position sensors, is connected to the
patient eye and to the robotic arm. The system is provided of a feedback alarm. The optimized robotic console can be
used in the preoperative design, for the real time control during surgery and to move specialized end effectors."
by the use of a 3D image reconstruction. A software is used to transfer spatial information to a robotic arm, that can be
used to move different end-effectors. A sensorized tool, equipped with force and position sensors, is connected to the
patient eye and to the robotic arm. The system is provided of a feedback alarm. The optimized robotic console can be
used in the preoperative design, for the real time control during surgery and to move specialized end effectors."
Research Interests:
This paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a novel, miniaturized, flexible robotic tool for laser assisted transurethral surgery of benign prostatic hyperplasia: ASTRO (Actuated and Sensorised Tool for laseR assisted... more
This paper presents the design and preliminary evaluation of a novel, miniaturized, flexible robotic tool for laser assisted transurethral surgery of benign prostatic hyperplasia: ASTRO (Actuated and Sensorised Tool for laseR assisted surgery of the prOstate).
The system is designed to be integrated with current commercial instrumentations, such as resectopes and laser fibers: it consists of a flexible multilumen catheter with an outer diameter of 2 mm and a central working channel of 1 mm. The aim of ASTRO is to allow a more homogeneous ablation by monitoring the contact between laser and prostatic tissue, in order to speed up surgical procedure duration and recovery time.
The design includes a Fiber Bragg Grating tactile sensor system to monitor contact forces between prostatic tissue and laser with a resolution up to 0.4 mN. Furthermore, ASTRO is provided with a cable driven actuation mechanism to steer the tip of the laser in 3D of about ± 10 °."
The system is designed to be integrated with current commercial instrumentations, such as resectopes and laser fibers: it consists of a flexible multilumen catheter with an outer diameter of 2 mm and a central working channel of 1 mm. The aim of ASTRO is to allow a more homogeneous ablation by monitoring the contact between laser and prostatic tissue, in order to speed up surgical procedure duration and recovery time.
The design includes a Fiber Bragg Grating tactile sensor system to monitor contact forces between prostatic tissue and laser with a resolution up to 0.4 mN. Furthermore, ASTRO is provided with a cable driven actuation mechanism to steer the tip of the laser in 3D of about ± 10 °."
Research Interests:
The mechanical design of a novel robotic module for a self-reconfigurable modular robotic system is presented in this paper. The robotic module, named Scout robot, was designed to serve both as a fully sensorized autonomous... more
The mechanical design of a novel robotic module for
a self-reconfigurable modular robotic system is presented in this
paper. The robotic module, named Scout robot, was designed to
serve both as a fully sensorized autonomous miniaturized robot
for exploration in unstructured environments and as a module of a
larger robotic organism. The Scout robot has a quasi-cubic shape
of 105 mm × 105 mm × 123.5 mm, and weighs less than 1 kg. It
is provided with tracks for 2-D locomotion and with two rotational
DoFs for reconfiguration and macrolocomotion when assembled in a modular structure. A laser sensor was incorporated to measure the distance and relative angle to an object, and image-guided locomotion was successfully demonstrated. In addition, five Scout robot prototypes were fabricated, and multimodal locomotion of assembled robots was demonstrated.
a self-reconfigurable modular robotic system is presented in this
paper. The robotic module, named Scout robot, was designed to
serve both as a fully sensorized autonomous miniaturized robot
for exploration in unstructured environments and as a module of a
larger robotic organism. The Scout robot has a quasi-cubic shape
of 105 mm × 105 mm × 123.5 mm, and weighs less than 1 kg. It
is provided with tracks for 2-D locomotion and with two rotational
DoFs for reconfiguration and macrolocomotion when assembled in a modular structure. A laser sensor was incorporated to measure the distance and relative angle to an object, and image-guided locomotion was successfully demonstrated. In addition, five Scout robot prototypes were fabricated, and multimodal locomotion of assembled robots was demonstrated.
Research Interests:
Self-reconfigurable modular robots have been studied worldwide mainly for autonomous exploration in unstructured environments. In previous studies, robotic modules were designed to be functional only as a part of an assembled structure,... more
Self-reconfigurable modular robots have been studied worldwide mainly for autonomous exploration in unstructured environments. In previous studies, robotic modules were designed to be functional only as a part of an assembled structure, and thus the exploration capability was limited. Symbiotic multi-robot organisms have been newly proposed to design robotic modules as large-scale swarms of robots that can physically dock with each other and symbiotically share energy and computational resources within a single “artificial-life-form”. In this paper, a novel robotic module named Scout Robot, which is one of the three robotic platforms designed for the multi-robot organisms, is presented. The Scout robot is an autonomous miniature robot and equipped with many onboard sensors and a locomotion capability. It can move autonomously on rough terrains to explore the surroundings and interact with the other robots. The Scout robot is also equipped with 2 DoFs of actuation and shares the same docking design with the other robotic platforms, and thus can be a part of an assembled organism. In the experiments, the image-guided locomotion of a Scout robot and the multimodal locomotion of assembled robots were demonstrated.
Research Interests:
Homogeneity and heterogeneity represent a well-known trade-off in the design of modular robot systems. This work addresses the heterogeneity concept, its rationales, design choices and performance evaluation. We introduce challenges for... more
Homogeneity and heterogeneity represent a well-known trade-off in the design of modular robot systems. This work addresses the heterogeneity concept, its rationales, design choices and performance evaluation. We introduce challenges for self-reconfigurable systems, show advances of mechatronic and software design of heterogeneous platforms and discuss experiments, which intend to demonstrate usability and performance of this system.
Research Interests:
Devices fabricated using soft materials have been a major research focus of late, capturing the attention of scientists and laypersons alike in a wide range of fields, from microfluidics to robotics. The functionality of such devices... more
Devices fabricated using soft materials have been a major research focus of late, capturing the attention of scientists and laypersons alike in a wide range of fields, from microfluidics to robotics. The functionality of such devices relies on their structural and material properties; thus, the fabrication method is of utmost importance. Here, multilayer soft lithography, precision laser micromachining, and folding to establish a new paradigm are combined for creating 3D soft microstructures and devices. Phase‐changing materials are exploited to transform actuators into structural elements, allowing 2D laminates to evolve into a third spatial dimension. To illustrate the capabilities of this new fabrication paradigm, the first “microfluidic origami for reconfigurable pneumatic/hydraulic” device is designed and manufactured: a 12‐layer soft robotic peacock spider with embedded microfluidic circuitry and actuatable features.
Research Interests:
Flexible endoscopes are still the gold standard in most natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures; however their flexibility (necessary for navigating through the GI tract) limits their capabilities in terms of... more
Flexible endoscopes are still the gold standard in most natural orifice translumenal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) procedures; however their flexibility (necessary for navigating through the GI tract) limits their capabilities in terms of distal manipulation and stability. We propose a deployable endoscopic add-on aimed at locally counteract-ing forces applied at the tip of an endoscope. We analyze different designs: a fully soft version and two hybrid soft-folded versions. The hybrid designs exploit either an inextensible structure pressurized by a soft actuator or the stiffness provided by the unfolded " magic cube " origami structure. We focus on the fabrication and experimental characterization of the proposed structures and present some preliminary designs and integration strategies to mount them on top of current flexible endoscopes.
Self-reconfigurable modular robots have been studied worldwide mainly for autonomous exploration in unstructured environments. In previous studies, robotic modules were designed to be functional only as a part of an assembled structure,... more
Self-reconfigurable modular robots have been studied worldwide mainly for autonomous exploration in unstructured environments. In previous studies, robotic modules were designed to be functional only as a part of an assembled structure, and thus the exploration capability was limited. Symbiotic multi-robot organisms have been newly proposed to design robotic modules as large-scale swarms of robots that can physically dock with each other and symbiotically share energy and computational resources within a single “artificial-life-form”. In this paper, a novel robotic module named Scout Robot, which is one of the three robotic platforms designed for the multi-robot organisms, is presented. The Scout robot is an autonomous miniature robot and equipped with many onboard sensors and a locomotion capability. It can move autonomously on rough terrains to explore the surroundings and interact with the other robots. The Scout robot is also equipped with 2 DoFs of actuation and shares the same docking design with the other robotic platforms, and thus can be a part of an assembled organism. In the experiments, the image-guided locomotion of a Scout robot and the multimodal locomotion of assembled robots were demonstrated.