A scheme is developed for classifying the types of motion perceived by a humanlike robot. It is assumed that the robot receives visual images of the scene using a perspective system model. Equations, theorems, concepts, clues, etc., relating the objects, their positions, and their motion to their images on the focal plane are presented. >

http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel2/815/3148/00100651.pdf

Robot vision

Continuum robotics has rapidly become a rich and diverse area of research, with many designs and applications demonstrated. Despite this diversity in form and purpose, there exists remarkable similarity in the fundamental simplified kinematic models that have been applied to continuum robots. However, this can easily be obscured, especially to a newcomer to the field, by the different applications, coordinate frame choices, and analytical formalisms employed. In this paper we review several modeling approaches in a common frame and notational convention, illustrating that for piecewise constant curvature, they produce identical results. This discussion elucidates what has been articulated in different ways by a number of researchers in the past several years, namely that constant-curvature kinematics can be considered as consisting of two separate submappings: one that is general and applies to all continuum robots, and another that is robot-specific. These mappings are then developed both for the single-section and for the multi-section case. Similarly, we discuss the decomposition of differential kinematics (the robotâ??s Jacobian) into robot-specific and robot-independent portions. The paper concludes with a perspective on several of the themes of current research that are shaping the future of continuum robotics.

/pdf/design-and-kinematic-modeling-of-constant-curvature-4wrx5stlzx.pdf

Design and Kinematic Modeling of Constant Curvature Continuum Robots: A Review

Newness and distinctiveness is claimed in the features of ornamentation as shown inside the broken line circle in the accompanying representation.

Display screen or portion thereof with graphical user interface

Traditional robots have rigid underlying structures that limit their ability to interact with their environment. For example, conventional robot manipulators have rigid links and can manipulate objects using only their specialised end effectors. These robots often encounter difficulties operating in unstructured and highly congested environments. A variety of animals and plants exhibit complex movement with soft structures devoid of rigid components. Muscular hydrostats e.g. octopus arms and elephant trunks are almost entirely composed of muscle and connective tissue and plant cells can change shape when pressurised by osmosis. Researchers have been inspired by biology to design and build soft robots. With a soft structure and redundant degrees of freedom, these robots can be used for delicate tasks in cluttered and/or unstructured environments. This paper discusses the novel capabilities of soft robots, describes examples from nature that provide biological inspiration, surveys the state of the art and outlines existing challenges in soft robot design, modelling, fabrication and control.

/pdf/soft-robotics-biological-inspiration-state-of-the-art-and-1esuws0p9g.pdf

Soft robotics: Biological inspiration, state of the art, and future research

Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention

Emerging paradigms furthering the reach of medical technology deeper into human anatomy present unique modeling, control and sensing problems. This paper discusses a brief history of medical robotics leading to the current trend of minimally invasive intervention and diagnostics in confined spaces. Robotics for natural orifice and single port access surgery, capsule and magnetically actuated robotics and microrobotics are discussed with the aim of elucidating the state of the art. Works on modeling, sensing and control of mechanical architectures of robots for natural orifice and single port access surgery are discussed, followed by a presentation of works on magnetic actuation, sensing and localization for capsule robotics and microrobotics. Finally challenges and open problems in each one of these areas are presented.

Medical Technologies and Challenges of Robot Assisted Minimally Invasive Intervention and Diagnostics

This paper describes the structure of three types of parallel robots and compares their performances in the sense of size and static forces. The motivation for this investigation is to construct a robot that best fits a given medical application. The requirements are to cover a given work volume with a given orientation and to maintain the robot within the smallest cube possible. Among the structures examined, three are presented since two are modifications of known structures and the third is a new one.

https://robotics.technion.ac.il/Publications/Des_Cons_of_New_6dof_Robot.pdf

Design considerations of new six degrees-of-freedom parallel robots

This paper presents results of a pilot study evaluating the efficacy of robotic assistance using novel steerable electrode arrays for cochlear implant surgery. The current surgical setup of cochlear implant surgery is briefly reviewed and its limitations are highlighted. In an effort to reduce trauma to the structure of the cochlea, the kinematics and path planning for novel cochlear steerable electrodes are developed to minimize the interaction forces between the electrode and the cochlea. An experimental robotic system is used to compare the electrode insertion forces of steerable implants with those of non-steerable electrodes. The results of these experiments show about 70% reduction in the insertion forces when steerable electrodes are used with our proposed path planning and control. A distance metric explaining this reduction in the insertion force is defined and experimentally validated. Although this is only a preliminary study, we believe that these results provide a strong indication to the potential of robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery to provide a significant reduction in trauma rates during cochlear implant surgery.

/pdf/a-pilot-study-of-robot-assisted-cochlear-implant-surgery-1b27n04ld1.pdf

A pilot study of robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery using steerable electrode arrays

Cochlear implant surgery is a procedure that requires delicate insertion of an electrode array into the inner ear. This paper reports the clinical motivation, design considerations, analysis, and design optimization of a new robot for electrode arrays insertion. This paper describes a new approach for coordinated insertion of perimodiolar electrode arrays in order to minimize shape discrepancy between the shape of the electrode array and the shape of the inner ear anatomy. A new design of a 3-degrees-of-freedom (DoF) parallel robot with wire-actuated prismatic legs is presented. The dimensional synthesis of the robot design was based on satisfying the accuracy, speed, system size, and workspace requirements. The robot prototype is validated experimentally to execute electrode insertions in plastic models of temporal bones.

Modeling, Design, and Evaluation of a Parallel Robot for Cochlear Implant Surgery

A system for operating within an interior region of the eye, or other organ, includes a delivery channel having a proximal portion located exterior to the eye and a distal portion positionable within the interior region of the eye, wherein the distal portion of the delivery channel defines an outer diameter that is smaller than or equal to about 18 gauge, and a micro-robot extendable from the distal portion of the delivery channel, wherein the micro-robot is remotely operable to change shape within the interior region of the eye.

Nabil Simaan

Papers

Medical Technologies and Challenges of Robot Assisted Minimally Invasive Intervention and Diagnostics

Design considerations of new six degrees-of-freedom parallel robots

A pilot study of robot-assisted cochlear implant surgery using steerable electrode arrays

Modeling, Design, and Evaluation of a Parallel Robot for Cochlear Implant Surgery

System and method for macro-micro distal dexterity enhancement in micro-surgery of the eye