Chapter 12 - Flexible robotic platform with multiple-bending tendon-driven mechanism

Abstract

Robot-assisted surgery involves the use of multiple slimline tools to perform minimally invasive surgical procedures such as diseases in urology, cardiology, and diseases of the head and neck, with reduced complications for patients. Moreover, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) minimizes incision scars and postop complications through minimally invasive procedures by utilizing the natural orifices of the body, such as the oral cavity or the anal cavity. Much research has been done on the development of tendon-driven flexible robots. This chapter taps on this concept of robot-assisted surgical devices and focuses on developing a robotic platform for a multiple-bend-section flexible robot in robot-assisted NOTES. This platform explores the use of a tendon-driven mechanism to actuate a multisection flexible robot that aims to provide more degrees of freedom as compared to a single section to tackle more challenging path obstacles. The main driving mechanical components provide a tensile force to the tendons to initiate movements in the flexible robot in various degrees. The software configurations are conducted with the kinematics algorithm, allowing the user to control the platform with the use of a topside computer or a joystick. This platform hopes to provide the groundwork needed in developing a simple tendon-driven flexible robot-assisted surgical device. This idea was conceptualized and fabricated into a proof-of-concept prototype as a hands-on project.