A learnt approach for the design of magnetically actuated shape forming soft tentacle robots

Soft continuum robots have the potential to revolutionize minimally invasive surgery. The challenges for such robots are universal; functioning within sensitive, unstructured and convoluted environments which are inconsistent between patients. As such, there exists an open design problem for robots...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE robotics and automation letters 2020-07, Vol.5 (3), p.1-1
Main Authors: Lloyd, Peter Robert, Kafash hoshiar, Ali, Da Veiga, Tomas, Attanasio, Aleks, Marahrens, Nils, Chandler, James Henry, Valdastri, Pietro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actuation
and Learning for Soft Robots
Computer simulation
Control
Diameters
Finite element analysis
Magnetic moments
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetomechanical effects
Miniaturization
Modeling
Neural networks
Robot arms
Robots
Shape
Soft Robot Materials and Design
Soft robotics
Surgical Robotics: Steerable Catheters/Needles
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Summary:Soft continuum robots have the potential to revolutionize minimally invasive surgery. The challenges for such robots are universal; functioning within sensitive, unstructured and convoluted environments which are inconsistent between patients. As such, there exists an open design problem for robots of this genre. Research currently exists relating to the design considerations of on-board actuated soft robots such as fluid and tendon driven manipulators. Magnetically reactive robots, however, exhibit off-board actuation and consequently demonstrate far greater potential for miniaturization and dexterity. In this paper we present a soft, magnetically actuated, shape forming, high aspect ratio 'tentacle-like' robot. To overcome the aforementioned design challenges we also propose a novel design methodology based on a Neural Network trained using Finite Element Simulations. We demonstrate how our design approach generates static, two-dimensional tentacle profiles under homogeneous actuation based on predefined, desired deformations. To demonstrate our learnt approach, we fabricate and actuate candidate tentacles of 2mm diameter and 42mm length producing shape profiles within 5% mean absolute percentage error of simulations. With this proof of concept, we make the first step towards showing how tentacles with bespoke magnetic profiles may be designed and manufactured to suit specific anatomical constraints.
ISSN:2377-3766
2377-3766
DOI:10.1109/LRA.2020.2983704