Transparent Pneumatic Tactile Sensors for Soft Biomedical Robotics

Autor: Sinuo Zhao, Chi Cong Nguyen, Trung Thien Hoang, Thanh Nho Do, Hoang-Phuong Phan
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Sensors, Vol 23, Iss 12, p 5671 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1424-8220
DOI: 10.3390/s23125671
Popis: Palpation is a simple but effective method to distinguish tumors from healthy tissues. The development of miniaturized tactile sensors embedded on endoscopic or robotic devices is key to achieving precise palpation diagnosis and subsequent timely treatment. This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of a novel tactile sensor with mechanical flexibility and optical transparency that can be easily mounted on soft surgical endoscopes and robotics. By utilizing the pneumatic sensing mechanism, the sensor offers a high sensitivity of 1.25 mbar and negligible hysteresis, enabling the detection of phantom tissues with different stiffnesses ranging from 0 to 2.5 MPa. Our configuration, combining pneumatic sensing and hydraulic actuating, also eliminates electrical wiring from the functional elements located at the robot end-effector, thereby enhancing the system safety. The optical transparency path in the sensors together with its mechanical sensing capability open interesting possibilities in the early detection of solid tumor as well as in the development of all-in-one soft surgical robots that can perform visual/mechanical feedback and optical therapy.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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