MINIMALISTIC DESIGN OF AN ACTUATION DEVICE TO MANIPULATE AN ACTIVE FLEXIBLE ROBOTIC TOOL

This work presents a minimalistic design of an actuation system to operate an active flexible robotic tool to steer within tissue for precise targeting. The device is designed to be held by hand or installed on a robotic system. The robotic tool is operated based the user’s commands received from a joystick button. Two internal tendons, actuated by two Maxon motors, realize precise bidirectional bending at the tip of the robotic tool. The flexible robotic tool is intended to facilitate manipulations in needle-based interventions such as prostate biopsy and brachytherapy.