Development of an SMA-actuated redundant robotic platform for minimally invasive surgery

The design, fabrication and testing of an SMA-actuated redundant robotic-probe for minimally invasive surgical procedures is the subject of this article. The resulting probe is lightweight, modular and its controller relies on an antagonistic principle for each pair of tendons. The developed platform consists of a twelve Degree of Freedom snake-like probe attached to a pan-tilt mechanized unit. The probe's dimensions are fit for typical ablations and endoscopic operations. An augmented reality environment is developed, coupling haptic feedback to visual servoing techniques under the assumption that the surgeon uses a HID-device (virtual reality headset) for assistance during the operation.