Continuum robotics
Compliant design of continuum manipulators
Continuum manipulators have the ability to conform to their environment and perform tasks in restricted spaces due to their redundant degrees of freedom. This makes them suitable as tools for minimally invasive surgery. However, the nonlinearity in motion and under-actuation also makes them difficult to model and control. This can potentially be overcome using flexure joints. The aim of this project is develop new designs of flexure joints and test their suitability for surgical continuum manipulators.