Special Report: Medical Robotics
Self-propelled nanobots that deliver drugs inside the human body...novel sensors that improve the safety and precision of industrial robots...a dynamic hydrogel material that makes building soft robotic devices as simple as assembling a LEGO set. These are just a few of the medical robotics innovations you'll read about in this compendium of recent articles from the editors of Medical Design Briefs and Tech Briefs magazines.
Join an expert panel put together by the Design World editorial team to examine the latest developments and challenges in the ever-changing field of robotics. We’ll learn about Clearpath Robotics’ unmanned vehicles, used for research and development, and what design challenges they faced in developing their products. Panelists will discuss what some of the best practices are for engineers involved in the design of robotics. We’ll also talk about safety issues in robotics and why ease of use of industrial robots is becoming more important. And we’ll examine what’s driving robotics technology today, as well as where the field is going in the coming years.
Robotics is the Engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, application, and Structural disposition.
Robotics is related to Electronics, Mechanics, and Software.
The term “Robotics” was coined by Isaac Asimov in his 1941 science fiction Short story “Liar”.
“Medical Robotics - Perception & Reality - The R&D challenge” - Yossi Bar @Pr...Product of Things
For many years the vision of robotics & automation is capturing our imagination, especially with its medical & surgical application. These robots have the power not only to transform surgery but also to put the “Care” back in Healthcare.
However, the R&D challenges of this revolution are big: how many people would want to go under the knife of a robo-surgeon?
In his talk, Yossi will shared from his experience and provided answers to the hard questions in the Medical Robotics domain: How far are we today from that vision? What are the main R&D challenges when trying to bridge over it?
What sort of concepts & solutions we can borrow from the traditional robotic industry to the medical field? And what might be less trivial?
This ppt will give you information about space robotics, its applications and how much important role they are doing in day to day life viz; reducing human efforts,pick and place,marketing,etc.
The automotive manufacturing industry has long been one of the quickest and largest adopters of industrial robotic technology, and that continues to this day. Robots are used in nearly every part of automotive manufacturing in one way or another, and it remains as one of the most highly automated supply chains in the world.
While there are plenty of robotic applications to choose from within the industry, there are 6 that stand out as the most common and most valuable applications on the market.
To learn more about Industrial Robots visit: http://www.justengg.com/
Join an expert panel put together by the Design World editorial team to examine the latest developments and challenges in the ever-changing field of robotics. We’ll learn about Clearpath Robotics’ unmanned vehicles, used for research and development, and what design challenges they faced in developing their products. Panelists will discuss what some of the best practices are for engineers involved in the design of robotics. We’ll also talk about safety issues in robotics and why ease of use of industrial robots is becoming more important. And we’ll examine what’s driving robotics technology today, as well as where the field is going in the coming years.
Robotics is the Engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, application, and Structural disposition.
Robotics is related to Electronics, Mechanics, and Software.
The term “Robotics” was coined by Isaac Asimov in his 1941 science fiction Short story “Liar”.
“Medical Robotics - Perception & Reality - The R&D challenge” - Yossi Bar @Pr...Product of Things
For many years the vision of robotics & automation is capturing our imagination, especially with its medical & surgical application. These robots have the power not only to transform surgery but also to put the “Care” back in Healthcare.
However, the R&D challenges of this revolution are big: how many people would want to go under the knife of a robo-surgeon?
In his talk, Yossi will shared from his experience and provided answers to the hard questions in the Medical Robotics domain: How far are we today from that vision? What are the main R&D challenges when trying to bridge over it?
What sort of concepts & solutions we can borrow from the traditional robotic industry to the medical field? And what might be less trivial?
This ppt will give you information about space robotics, its applications and how much important role they are doing in day to day life viz; reducing human efforts,pick and place,marketing,etc.
The automotive manufacturing industry has long been one of the quickest and largest adopters of industrial robotic technology, and that continues to this day. Robots are used in nearly every part of automotive manufacturing in one way or another, and it remains as one of the most highly automated supply chains in the world.
While there are plenty of robotic applications to choose from within the industry, there are 6 that stand out as the most common and most valuable applications on the market.
To learn more about Industrial Robots visit: http://www.justengg.com/
As per my knowledge i searched so many sites to gather the exact information related to the "ROBOTICS" hope something new will learn from these slides :-)
Biomedical Robotics for a Sustainable FutureMehak Azeem
It was a quality time speaking about "Biomedical Robotics for a Sustainable Future" with IEEE SB LBS Institute of Technology for Women, on the occasion of an amazing series of sessions - EXPLORICA 2.0 - Bringing together Industry, Technology, and Environment.
Definition and origin of robotics – different types of robotics – various generations of robots – degrees of freedom – Asimov's laws of robotics – dynamic stabilization of robots.
A robotic arm is a Programmable mechanical arm which copies the functions of the human arm. They
are widely used in industries. Human robot-controlled interfaces mainly focus on providing rehabilitation to
amputees in order to overcome their amputation or disability leading them to live a normal life. The major
objective of this project is to develop a movable robotic arm controlled by EMG signals from the muscles of the
upper limb. In this system, our main aim is on providing a low 2-dimensional input derived from emg to move the
arm. This project involves creating a prosthesis system that allows signals recorded directly from the human body.
The arm is mainly divided into 2 parts, control part and moving part. Movable part contains the servo motor
which is connected to the Arduino Uno board, and it helps in developing a motion in accordance with the EMG
signals acquired from the body. The control part is the part that is controlled by the operation according to the
movement of the amputee. Mainly the initiation of the movement for the threshold fixed in the coding. The major
aim of the project is to provide an affordable and easily operable device that helps even the poor sections of the
amputated society to lead a happier and normal life by mimicking the functions of the human arm in terms of both
the physical, structural as well as functional aspects.
As per my knowledge i searched so many sites to gather the exact information related to the "ROBOTICS" hope something new will learn from these slides :-)
Biomedical Robotics for a Sustainable FutureMehak Azeem
It was a quality time speaking about "Biomedical Robotics for a Sustainable Future" with IEEE SB LBS Institute of Technology for Women, on the occasion of an amazing series of sessions - EXPLORICA 2.0 - Bringing together Industry, Technology, and Environment.
Definition and origin of robotics – different types of robotics – various generations of robots – degrees of freedom – Asimov's laws of robotics – dynamic stabilization of robots.
A robotic arm is a Programmable mechanical arm which copies the functions of the human arm. They
are widely used in industries. Human robot-controlled interfaces mainly focus on providing rehabilitation to
amputees in order to overcome their amputation or disability leading them to live a normal life. The major
objective of this project is to develop a movable robotic arm controlled by EMG signals from the muscles of the
upper limb. In this system, our main aim is on providing a low 2-dimensional input derived from emg to move the
arm. This project involves creating a prosthesis system that allows signals recorded directly from the human body.
The arm is mainly divided into 2 parts, control part and moving part. Movable part contains the servo motor
which is connected to the Arduino Uno board, and it helps in developing a motion in accordance with the EMG
signals acquired from the body. The control part is the part that is controlled by the operation according to the
movement of the amputee. Mainly the initiation of the movement for the threshold fixed in the coding. The major
aim of the project is to provide an affordable and easily operable device that helps even the poor sections of the
amputated society to lead a happier and normal life by mimicking the functions of the human arm in terms of both
the physical, structural as well as functional aspects.
Prosthetic hand using Artificial Neural NetworkSreenath S
Real Time Moving Prosthetic.
It's an innovative technology,improvising the prosthetic field with the application of Artificial Neural Network technology.Unlike anyother prosthetic hand, this has a Real Time data accquisition system which varies the data set according to the input signal.This is customisable to any amputee. The hardware was developed by simple and easily available materials.We have come up with a new technology in the prosthetic field.
Recognition of new gestures using myo armband for myoelectric prosthetic appl...IJECEIAES
Myoelectric prostheses are a viable solution for people with amputations. The chal- lenge in implementing a usable myoelectric prosthesis lies in accurately recognizing different hand gestures. The current myoelectric devices usually implement very few hand gestures. In order to approximate a real hand functionality, a myoelectric prosthesis should implement a large number of hand and finger gestures. However, increasing number of gestures can lead to a decrease in recognition accuracy. In this work a Myo armband device is used to recognize fourteen gestures (five build in gestures of Myo armband in addition to nine new gestures). The data in this research is collected from three body-able subjects for a period of 7 seconds per gesture. The proposed method uses a pattern recognition technique based on Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN). The results show an average accuracy of 90.5% in recognizing the proposed fourteen gestures.
A Low Power Wearable Physiological Parameter Monitoring Systemijsrd.com
The design and development of a low power wearable physiological parameter monitoring system have been developing and reporting in this paper. The system can be used to monitor physiological parameters, such as ECG signals, temperature and heartbeat. The system consists of an electronic device which is worn on the wrist and finger, by an at-risk person. Using several sensors to measure different vital signs, the person is wirelessly monitored within his own home. An epic sensor has been used to detect ECG signals. The device is battery powered for use outdoors. The device can be easily adapted to monitor athletes and infants. The low cost of the device will help to lower the cost of home monitoring of patients recovering from illness. A prototype of the device has been fabricated and extensively tested with very good results.
This presentation outlines some of the most exciting medical MEMS and sensors devices that were introduced to the marketplace in the past few years. Some of the devices are already in volume production, and some are still being commercialized.
It is ultrathin electronics device attaches to the skin
like a sick on a tattoo which can measure electrical
the activity of heart, brain waves & other vital signals. There are various names of artificial skin in the biomedical field it is called as artificial skin, in our electronics field it is called as electronic skin, some scientist it called as sensitive skin, in other way it also called as synthetic skin, some people says that it is fake skin.
It is skin replacement for people who have suffered skin trauma, such as severe burns or skin diseases or Robotic application and so on.
EMG Driven IPMC Based Artificial Muscle FingerAbida Zama
The medical, rehabilitation and bio-mimetic technology demands human actuated devices which can support in the daily life activities such as functional assistance or functional substitution of human organs. These devices can be used in the form of prosthetic, skeletal and artificial muscles devices. However, we still have some difficulties in the practical use of these devices. The major challenges to overcome are the acquisition of the user’s intention from his or her bionic signals and to provide with an appropriate control signal for the device. Also, we need to consider the mechanical design issues such as lightweight and small size with flexible behavior etc. For the bionic signals, the electromyography (EMG) signal can be used to control these devices, which reflect the muscles motion, and can be acquired from the body surface. We are familiar with the fact that Ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) has tremendous potential as an artificial muscle. In place of the supply voltage from external source for actuating an IPMC, EMG signal can be used where EMG electrodes show a reliable approach to extract voltage signal from body. Using this voltage signal via EMG sensor, IPMC can illustrate the bio-mimetic behavior through the movement of human muscles. Therefore, an IPMC is used as an artificial muscle finger for the bio-mimetic/micro robot.
A prosthetic limb managed by sensors-based electronic system: Experimental re...journalBEEI
Taking the advantages offered by smart high-performance electronic devices, transradial prosthesis for upper-limb amputees was developed and tested. It is equipped with sensing devices and actuators allowing hand movements; myoelectric signals are detected by Myo armband with 8 electromyographic (EMG) electrodes, a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) and bluetooth low energy (BLE) module. All data are received through HM-11 BLE transceiver by Arduino board which processes them and drives actuators. Raspberry Pi board controls a touchscreen display, providing user a feedback related to prosthesis functioning and sends EMG and IMU data, gathered via the armband, to cloud platform thus allowing orthopedic during rehabilitation period, to monitor users’ improvements in real time. A GUI software integrating a machine learning algorithm was implemented for recognizing flexion/extension/rest gestures of user fingers. The algorithm performances were tested on 9 male subjects (8 able-bodied and 1 subject affected by upper-limb amelia), demonstrating high accuracy and fast responses.
Voice Controlled Wheel chair is a mobile wheel chair whose motions can be controlled by the user by giving specific voice commands. The speech recognition software running on a PC is capable of identifying the 5 voice commands ‘Run’, ‘Stop’, ‘Left’, ’Right’ and ‘Back’ issued by a particular User. This system controls the wheel chair as well as read the parameters of patient.
This project seeks to design innovative tools to measure in vivo biomechanical parameters of joint prostheses, orthopaedic implants, bones and ligaments. These tools, partly implanted, partly external, will record and analyze relevant information in order to improve medical treatments. An implant module includes sensors in order to measure the forces, temperature sensors to measure the interface frictions, magneto-resistance sensors to measure the 3D orientation of the knee joint as well as accelerometers to measure stem micro-motion and impacts. An external module, fixed on the patient.s body segments, includes electronic components to power and to communicate with the implant, as well as a set of sensors for measurements that can be realized externally.
This equipment is designed to help the surgeon with the alignment or positioning phase during surgery. After surgery, by providing excessive wear and micro-motion information about the prosthesis, it will allow to detect any early migration and potentially avoid later failure. During rehabilitation, it will provide useful outcomes to evaluate in vivo joint function. The tools provided can also be implanted during any joint surgery in order to give the physician the information needed to diagnose future disease such as ligament insufficiency, osteoarthritis or prevent further accident. The proposed nanosystems are set to improve the efficiency of healthcare, which is both a benefit to the patient and to society. Although the scientific and technical developments proposed in this project can be applied to all orthopaedic implants, the technological platform which is being built as a demonstrator is limited to the case of knee prosthesis. In addition, by reaching the minimum size achievable thanks to clever packaging techniques and also by reducing, or even removing, the cumbersome battery, it paves the way for a new generation of autonomous implantable medical devices.
1891 - 14 de Julio - Rohrmann recibió una patente alemana (n° 64.209) para s...Champs Elysee Roldan
El concepto del cohete como plataforma de instrumentación científica de gran altitud tuvo sus precursores inmediatos en el trabajo de un francés y dos Alemanes a finales del siglo XIX.
Ludewig Rohrmann de Drauschwitz Alemania, concibió el cohete como un medio para tomar fotografías desde gran altura. Recibió una patente alemana para su aparato (n° 64.209) el 14 de julio de 1891.
En vista de la complejidad de su aparato fotográfico, es poco probable que su dispositivo haya llegado a desarrollarse con éxito. La cámara debía haber sido accionada por un mecanismo de reloj que accionaría el obturador y también posicionaría y retiraría los porta películas. También debía haber sido suspendido de un paracaídas en una articulación universal. Tanto el paracaídas como la cámara debían ser recuperados mediante un cable atado a ellos y desenganchado de un cabrestante durante el vuelo del cohete. Es difícil imaginar cómo un mecanismo así habría resistido las fuerzas del lanzamiento y la apertura del paracaídas.
1890 –7 de junio - Henry Marmaduke Harris obtuvo una patente británica (Nº 88...Champs Elysee Roldan
El 7 de junio de 1890, por ejemplo, Henry Marmaduke Harris obtuvo una patente británica (Nº 8816) para "Máquinas aéreas con aerostatos" en las que el "coche... en forma de barco" estaba unido a un globo y era "impulsado por la reacción de los gases descargados a través de una boquilla... cuya dirección estaba controlada, relacionada con algún tipo de dispositivo o tecnología de dirección. ".
1886 -1887-El 12 de octubre de 1886 Alexandre Ciurcu recibió la patente franc...Champs Elysee Roldan
El 12 de octubre de 1886, Alexandre Ciurcu (alias Alexandru Churc 1854 - 1922) del Reino de Rumania, recibió la patente francesa nº 179.001 para un “Propulseur a Jtéaction” (“Propulsor de reacción"). En esta invención, había sido Con la ayuda del francés Just Buisson. Ambos consideraron el invento tan importante que también fue patentado en Alemania el 19 de octubre de 1886 (patente n° 39.964), en Inglaterra el 7 de junio de 1887 (n° 8.182) y en Bélgica el 8 de junio de 1887. (Nº 1 10. 77.754), en Italia el 17 de junio de 1887 tNo. 21.863), en Austria-Hungría el 21 de agosto 1887 (n° 41.129), y en Estados Unidos el 23 de julio de 1889 (n° 407.394).
1885 - 25 de Agosto - El Capitán Griffiths obtiene la Patente Británica No 10...Champs Elysee Roldan
1885 – 25 de agosto: El Capitán de Navío Tomas Griffiths obtuvo la Patente Británica No. 10,068 para “Mejora en la Propulsión a Chorro”
Esto es muy interesante por sí mismo; fue uno de los primeros usos del término "propulsión a chorro" aplicado específicamente a máquinas voladoras. Sin embargo, la patente cubre en gran medida las mismas características técnicas y aplicaciones que había presentado en su discurso ante la Real Sociedad Aeronáutica de Gran Bretaña en 1883 (sobre su concepto de "Un motor ligero y económico para la propulsión en el aire"; se concentró en sus ideas para un motor de una máquina voladora potencial, no en el avión en sí, sino que era aplicable a todo tipo de aparatos... ya sean globos o alas"), pero con una alteración extremadamente significativa en la redacción. "El chorro o chorros de vapor combinado de aire y gases", dice, "se entregan desde una boquilla en forma de botella en la atmósfera...".
Por lo tanto, no estaba descartando el vapor; también estaba incluyendo la posibilidad de gases continuos. Luego agrega: "Mi método está especialmente adaptado para el uso de combustible líquido...". Pero, curiosamente, la combustión aún queda fuera, o al menos la combustión directa, ya que menciona un "horno de caldera" para producir el vapor o los gases.
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1883- Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky Prepara un manuscrito titulado Free ...Champs Elysee Roldan
El teórico ruso Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky preparó un manuscrito titulado "Espacio libre" (Free Space), en el que exploraba la posibilidad de utilizar la fuerza reactiva para navegar por el espacio. Analizó el movimiento mecánico en el espacio y elaboró un esquema de una nave espacial, proponiendo el uso de un dispositivo giroscópico para estabilizar el vehículo. Tsiolkovski había sido admitido recientemente en la Sociedad de Física y Química de San Petersburgo tras haber entrado en contacto con el famoso químico ruso Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleyev..
En resumen, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky, un destacado científico ruso, escribió un manuscrito titulado "Free Space" ("Espacio Libre" en español) en 1883. Este manuscrito es uno de los primeros trabajos de Tsiolkovsky relacionados con la exploración del espacio y la astronautica. En "Free Space", Tsiolkovsky aborda una variedad de temas relacionados con la física y la posibilidad de viajar y explorar el espacio exterior.
Algunos de los temas tratados en "Free Space" incluyen:
1. Propulsión espacial: Tsiolkovsky discute los principios de la propulsión y cómo podrían aplicarse para permitir que los humanos viajen por el espacio.
2. Gravedad y movimiento: Explora las leyes de la gravedad y cómo afectan el movimiento de los objetos en el espacio, así como las posibles formas de superar los desafíos gravitacionales en la exploración espacial.
3. Colonización del espacio: Tsiolkovsky también presenta ideas sobre la colonización del espacio y cómo los humanos podrían establecerse en otros planetas o lunas en el futuro.
4. Visión futurista: En su trabajo, Tsiolkovsky demuestra una visión futurista y especulativa sobre el potencial de la humanidad para explorar y aprovechar los recursos del cosmos.
"Free Space" sentó las bases para muchas de las ideas y teorías que Tsiolkovsky desarrollaría más adelante en su carrera, incluyendo sus conceptos sobre cohetes, propulsión espacial y la exploración humana del espacio. Sus ideas visionarias jugaron un papel crucial en el desarrollo posterior de la astronáutica y la exploración espacial, y Tsiolkovsky es considerado uno de los padres de la cosmonáutica moderna.
1882- 5 de Octubre: Nace el Padre de la Cohetería Moderna Robert Hutchings G...Champs Elysee Roldan
Generalmente reconocido como el "Padre de la Cohetería Moderna", Robert Hutchings Goddard nació en Worcester, Massachusetts. De niño se sintió atraído por la física y las matemáticas y absorbió los escritos de autores de ciencia ficción como Julio Verne y Herbert George Wells. A los 19 años escribió un artículo titulado "La Navegación Espacial" que no fue aceptado para su publicación. Impresionado por el potencial de los propulsores líquidos, Goddard comenzó en 1909 a realizar cálculos detallados sobre motores de cohetes mientras estudiaba en la Universidad Clark de Worcester. En 1911 obtuvo el doctorado y posteriormente se convirtió en profesor de física en Clark.
En 1914 se le concedieron patentes sobre cámaras de combustión, sistemas de suministro de propulsante y cohetes multietapa.
El único cohete estadounidense que salvó vidas con éxito fue el de Patrick
Cunningham, ex ballenero y ex presidente de la American Carrier Rocket Company de New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Patentó su primer modelo en 1882. El cohete Cunningham tenía una característica novedosa: la línea de vida estaba enrollada en un cilindro de acero que formaba la barra estabilizadora del cohete. En total medía 2,2 metros de largo y 8,75 centímetros de diámetro.
Pesaba 20 kilogramos y tenía un alcance de entre 300 metros y 765 metros dependiendo del peso de la línea de vida utilizada. En 1888 se proporcionaron al menos 20 estaciones. Sólo se sabe que todavía existe un espécimen: en el Museo de la Asociación Histórica de Luces Gemelas, Long Branch, Nueva Jersey.
1882 – 1895 - Sergei Sergeevich Nezhdanovsky avanzó por primera vez en la id...Champs Elysee Roldan
CASO DE ESTUDIO: COHETERÍA Y ASTRONÁUTICA: CONCEPTOS, TEORÍAS Y ANÁLISIS DESPUÉS DE 1880 - SOBRE LOS TRABAJOS DE S.S. NEZHDANOVSKY EN EL CAMPO DEL VUELO BASADO EN PRINCIPIOS REACTIVOS, 1880 - 1895
1882 - 1895 – Sergei Sergeevich Nezhdanovsky de nuevo retoma la posibilidad de producir aviones propulsados a reacción, discutiendo diferentes variantes de motores activados por la reacción de ácido carbónico, vapor de agua y aire comprimido.
En 1882, Nezhdanovsky volvió a plantearse la posibilidad de producir aviones a reacción;
aviones propulsados, discutiendo diferentes variantes de motores activados por la reacción de ácido carbónico, vapor de agua y aire comprimido. Expresó las ideas concretas de construir un motor a reacción "según el principio del cargador o de las ametralladoras de dos o tres cañones con el mismo fin de tener la posibilidad de regular la potencia y el “tiempo
del vuelo." Ese mismo año avanzó la idea de construir dos tipos de aviones a reacción más pesados que el aire, con y sin alas. También señaló la posibilidad de utilizar uno de los motores que había propuesto, que funcionaba con la reacción de aire comprimido, para el vuelo horizontal de aviones más ligeros que el aire ("un globo con forma de cigarro").
1879 – Trabajo de Propulsión en Máquinas Voladoras por Enrico ForlaniniChamps Elysee Roldan
En 1879, encontramos a otro pionero que concibió la idea de las máquinas voladoras propulsadas por cohetes. Se trata del talentoso y conocido ingeniero italiano Enrico Forlanini (1848-1930) que, de hecho, llegó a construir y experimentar con una máquina de este tipo utilizando verdaderos cohetes, pero también del tipo de pólvora. El modelo, sin embargo, sólo servía para probar el principio. Ya en 1877, Forlanini construyó y voló con éxito un helicóptero propulsado por vapor que, según el historiador de la aviación Gibbs-Smith, fue la segunda máquina de este tipo que tuvo éxito después del helicóptero propulsado por reacción del inglés William Henry Phillips demostrado en 1842.
1877- Trabajos en Propulsión de Maquínas Voladoras de: - Pennington -Abate- R...Champs Elysee Roldan
James Jackson Pennington (1819-1885) fue un agricultor y comerciante de la pequeña Henryville, en el norte del condado de Lawrence, Tennessee, Estados Unidos. También era inventivo y en 1872 ideó y construyó un prototipo de su máquina voladora "Aerial Bird" que utilizaba un ventilador y un mecanismo de muelle-reloj. Se desconoce si el prototipo era sólo un modelo o una máquina de tamaño real, pero al parecer voló muy brevemente.
El mismo año de la patente de Pennington apareció el folleto de siete páginas La Direzione delle Macchine Aerostatiche per Invenzione de Stanislao Abate (La dirección de la máquina aerostática por invención de Stanislao Abate), publicado privadamente en Salerno, Sicilia, Italia, que incluye interesantes representaciones de su arte.
Sin embargo, en la historia del desarrollo de la aeronáutica hubo sin duda otros pioneros en este aspecto que fueron mucho más sistemáticos y científicos. Uno de ellos fue el inglés Charles Blachford Mansfield (1819-1851), cuya obra de más de 500 páginas, Aerial Navigation, apareció también en 1877 (https://books.google.com.na/books?id=GzkDAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false).
Finalmente, también en 1877, encontramos la patente británica del 15 de octubre de ese año de Charles Ogle Rogers para una "Máquina Militar" en la que proponía "Uno o más globos conectados por una línea o líneas" en los que los globos llevaran bombas explosivas que debían ser descargadas desde el aire contra un enemigo y los globos también "propulsados por los explosivos, o disparando cohetes... ".
También debemos mencionar que en el mismo año, el vicealmirante ruso Nikolai Mikhailovich Sokovnin (1811-1984), presentó sus ideas en el número de diciembre de 1877 de la revista francesa L'Aeronaute.
1876 - 27 de Enero - Patente Británica de John Buchanan -nº 327- también tit...Champs Elysee Roldan
1876 – 27 de Enero: Patente Británica de John Buchanan (nº 327) también titulada "Propulsión y Dirección".
Un ejemplo más auténtico de propulsión por reacción directa en máquinas voladoras se encuentra en la patente británica de John Buchanan (nº 327) de 27 de enero de 1876, también titulada "Propulsión y dirección".
1871 - 9 de Septiembre: Primeros Intentos No Demostrados de Propulsión de Coh...Champs Elysee Roldan
Lo encontramos en un curioso artículo del diario británico The Graphic (Londres) del 9 de septiembre de 1871 bajo el título "Recortes transatlánticos".
"El paracaídas no es un invento nuevo", comienza el artículo, "pero un viejo filósofo de Delaware, ambicioso de fama aeronáutica, perdió recientemente la vida al intentar utilizar este artilugio de una manera un tanto novedosa. Erigió en su jardín un enorme cohete celeste [un cohete pirotécnico propulsado por pólvora], a cuya cabeza ató un paracaídas de tal manera que... mientras el cohete celeste se elevaba hacia arriba, permanecía cerrado, pero se abría como un paraguas al descender y así amortiguaba su caída al suelo. En consecuencia, se ató al extremo inferior del palo, con la espoleta [es decir, la mecha] vuelta hacia él, para que el fuego no le hiriera, aplicó una luz [encendió la espoleta], y se fue zumbando por el aire a una velocidad enorme. Pero, ¡ay! del filósofo y de su ciencia... porque el cohete y su paracaídas fueron vistos girar bruscamente en el aire y caer, mientras que el temerario aeronauta fue encontrado cerca de su laboratorio terriblemente quemado y destrozado".
Abstract
This chapter concludes our historical survey of concepts of reaction-propelled manned aircraft from 1670 to 1900. Part 1, covering 1670-1869, was a paper presented at the 47th History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) as part of the 64th International Astronautical Federation (1AF) Congress held in Beijing, China during 23-27 September 2013 (IAC-13- E4.2.2.).' The current chapter covers the period 1870 to 1900, and covers later pioneers including Thomas Griffiths, Russell Thayer, Sumter B. Battey, Edmund Pynchon, et al. As with the previous presentation, the present chapter helps fill gaps in the history of the earliest known concepts of manned, rocket-propelled flying craft. However, this survey does not cover reaction aircraft utilizing air-breathing concepts (precursors to jet planes), excluding de Louvrie's 1865 concept covered in Part I, nor the earliest reaction-propelled spacecraft concepts, nor fictional concepts. Rather, the emphasis is upon rocket or near rocket-propelled designs.
Resumen
Este capítulo concluye nuestro estudio histórico de los conceptos de aeronaves tripuladas propulsadas por reacción de 1670 a 1900. La parte 1, que abarca de 1670 a 1869, fue una ponencia presentada en el 47º Simposio de Historia de la Academia Internacional de Astronáutica (IAA) como parte del 64º Congreso de la Federación Astronáutica Internacional (1AF) celebrado en Pekín (China) del 23 al 27 de septiembre de 2013 (IAC-13- E4.2.2.).' El presente capítulo abarca el período comprendido entre 1870 y 1900, y cubre a pioneros posteriores como Thomas Griffiths, Russell Thayer, Sumter B. Battey, Edmund Pynchon, etc. Al igual que la presentación anterior, el presente capítulo ayuda a llenar lagunas en la historia de los primeros conceptos conocidos de naves voladoras tripuladas propulsadas por cohetes. Sin embargo, este estudio no abarca las aeronaves de reacción que utilizan conceptos de respiración aérea (precursores de los aviones a reacción), excluyendo el concepto de de Louvrie de 1865 tratado en la Parte I, ni los primeros conceptos de naves espaciales propulsadas por reacción, ni los conceptos ficticios. En cambio, se hace hincapié en los diseños propulsados por cohetes o casi cohetes.
Sin duda, una de las apariciones más insólitas e históricas de una máquina voladora propulsada por reacción tuvo su origen en el asesinato del zar ruso Alejandro II el 13 de marzo de 1881.
Nikolai Ivanovich Kibalchich (1583-1881), el fabricante de la bomba utilizada en el crimen, fue uno de los detenidos.
1880 – Julio: Sergei Sergeevich Nezhdanovsky avanzó por primera vez en la id...Champs Elysee Roldan
Sergei Sergeevich Nezhdanovsky (1850-1940) fue un científico e inventor soviético bastante conocido por sus investigaciones en el Campo de la Ciencia y la Tecnología Aeronáuticas. Sin embargo, sus investigaciones en el Campo del Vuelo Reactivo apenas se mencionan en la ciencia de la ingeniería, en la literatura científico-ingenieril o histórico-científica hasta la década de 1950.
Nezhdanovski comenzó a estudiar la posibilidad de utilizar el principio propulsión a chorro para para resolver el problema del vuelo humano en los 1880s.
1881 - El Médico Frances Louis Figuier describió el Mal de AlturaChamps Elysee Roldan
El Médico Frances Louis Figuier describió el mal de altura de los aeronautas con cierto detalle, pero la Aeromedicina como base de la Medicina Espacial empezó a desarrollarse en los años 30 con el vuelo de aviones a gran altitud.
Estos estudios y pruebas prácticas, constituyeron, como en el caso de investigaciones similares en los EE.UU. y la URSS, un punto de partida para el crecimiento de la ciencia bioastronáutica.
1872 - El Español Federico Gómez Arias presenta un trabajo sobre la propulsió...Champs Elysee Roldan
Federico Gómez Arias se interesó por la propulsión de máquinas voladoras.
En 1872 presentó un trabajo sobre la propulsión reactiva.
Aunque Gómez no mencionó los vuelos espaciales, su trabajo es importante para la astronáutica porque calculó las características de una nave voladora propulsada por un motor cohete muchos años antes que Kibaltchich, y sugirió la posibilidad de propulsores propuestos más tarde por Tsiolkovsky, y recomendó un sistema de alimentación de propulsante idéntico al descrito por Ganswindt.
Mission Definition:
Ÿ Flight demonstration and evaluation of Test Vehicle sub systems.
Ÿ Flight demonstration and evaluation of Crew Escape System including various
separation systems.
Ÿ Crew Module characteristics & deceleration systems demonstration at higher
altitude & its recovery
Un ingeniero de la Royal Navy, el Sr. Quick, consiguió convencer a las autoridades para que probaran una nueva idea suya de torpedo propulsado por cohete. Se ataron cuatro cohetes Hale de 24 libras y se colocó una carga de algodón en la parte delantera, inmediatamente detrás de la sección puntiaguda del morro. Para probarlo, la Marina tomó un cañón de 10 pulgadas y lo colocó en la playa de Shoeburyness (Inglaterra). El cohete-torpedo se disparó con la marea alta, pero al salir del cañón sumergido, el conjunto estalló y un cohete salió disparado en una trayectoria casi vertical, mientras que los demás salieron disparados en direcciones separadas, pero incontroladas. Se dice que el Duque de Cambridge, uno de los espectadores, "maldijo" ante la aparente estupidez de la idea.
El torpedo impulsado por cohetes Hale, también conocido como el "Hale Rocket Torpedo", es una parte importante de la historia de los torpedos y la tecnología de cohetes. Fue desarrollado por el Teniente John Adolphus Bernard Dahlgren de la Marina de los Estados Unidos en la década de 1870 y recibió su nombre en honor al Teniente Robert Hale, quien había trabajado en proyectos similares antes de su muerte.
Seminar of U.V. Spectroscopy by SAMIR PANDASAMIR PANDA
Spectroscopy is a branch of science dealing the study of interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy refers to absorption spectroscopy or reflect spectroscopy in the UV-VIS spectral region.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy is an analytical method that can measure the amount of light received by the analyte.
Nutraceutical market, scope and growth: Herbal drug technologyLokesh Patil
As consumer awareness of health and wellness rises, the nutraceutical market—which includes goods like functional meals, drinks, and dietary supplements that provide health advantages beyond basic nutrition—is growing significantly. As healthcare expenses rise, the population ages, and people want natural and preventative health solutions more and more, this industry is increasing quickly. Further driving market expansion are product formulation innovations and the use of cutting-edge technology for customized nutrition. With its worldwide reach, the nutraceutical industry is expected to keep growing and provide significant chances for research and investment in a number of categories, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and herbal supplements.
Introduction:
RNA interference (RNAi) or Post-Transcriptional Gene Silencing (PTGS) is an important biological process for modulating eukaryotic gene expression.
It is highly conserved process of posttranscriptional gene silencing by which double stranded RNA (dsRNA) causes sequence-specific degradation of mRNA sequences.
dsRNA-induced gene silencing (RNAi) is reported in a wide range of eukaryotes ranging from worms, insects, mammals and plants.
This process mediates resistance to both endogenous parasitic and exogenous pathogenic nucleic acids, and regulates the expression of protein-coding genes.
What are small ncRNAs?
micro RNA (miRNA)
short interfering RNA (siRNA)
Properties of small non-coding RNA:
Involved in silencing mRNA transcripts.
Called “small” because they are usually only about 21-24 nucleotides long.
Synthesized by first cutting up longer precursor sequences (like the 61nt one that Lee discovered).
Silence an mRNA by base pairing with some sequence on the mRNA.
Discovery of siRNA?
The first small RNA:
In 1993 Rosalind Lee (Victor Ambros lab) was studying a non- coding gene in C. elegans, lin-4, that was involved in silencing of another gene, lin-14, at the appropriate time in the
development of the worm C. elegans.
Two small transcripts of lin-4 (22nt and 61nt) were found to be complementary to a sequence in the 3' UTR of lin-14.
Because lin-4 encoded no protein, she deduced that it must be these transcripts that are causing the silencing by RNA-RNA interactions.
Types of RNAi ( non coding RNA)
MiRNA
Length (23-25 nt)
Trans acting
Binds with target MRNA in mismatch
Translation inhibition
Si RNA
Length 21 nt.
Cis acting
Bind with target Mrna in perfect complementary sequence
Piwi-RNA
Length ; 25 to 36 nt.
Expressed in Germ Cells
Regulates trnasposomes activity
MECHANISM OF RNAI:
First the double-stranded RNA teams up with a protein complex named Dicer, which cuts the long RNA into short pieces.
Then another protein complex called RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex) discards one of the two RNA strands.
The RISC-docked, single-stranded RNA then pairs with the homologous mRNA and destroys it.
THE RISC COMPLEX:
RISC is large(>500kD) RNA multi- protein Binding complex which triggers MRNA degradation in response to MRNA
Unwinding of double stranded Si RNA by ATP independent Helicase
Active component of RISC is Ago proteins( ENDONUCLEASE) which cleave target MRNA.
DICER: endonuclease (RNase Family III)
Argonaute: Central Component of the RNA-Induced Silencing Complex (RISC)
One strand of the dsRNA produced by Dicer is retained in the RISC complex in association with Argonaute
ARGONAUTE PROTEIN :
1.PAZ(PIWI/Argonaute/ Zwille)- Recognition of target MRNA
2.PIWI (p-element induced wimpy Testis)- breaks Phosphodiester bond of mRNA.)RNAse H activity.
MiRNA:
The Double-stranded RNAs are naturally produced in eukaryotic cells during development, and they have a key role in regulating gene expression .
Observation of Io’s Resurfacing via Plume Deposition Using Ground-based Adapt...Sérgio Sacani
Since volcanic activity was first discovered on Io from Voyager images in 1979, changes
on Io’s surface have been monitored from both spacecraft and ground-based telescopes.
Here, we present the highest spatial resolution images of Io ever obtained from a groundbased telescope. These images, acquired by the SHARK-VIS instrument on the Large
Binocular Telescope, show evidence of a major resurfacing event on Io’s trailing hemisphere. When compared to the most recent spacecraft images, the SHARK-VIS images
show that a plume deposit from a powerful eruption at Pillan Patera has covered part
of the long-lived Pele plume deposit. Although this type of resurfacing event may be common on Io, few have been detected due to the rarity of spacecraft visits and the previously low spatial resolution available from Earth-based telescopes. The SHARK-VIS instrument ushers in a new era of high resolution imaging of Io’s surface using adaptive
optics at visible wavelengths.
Multi-source connectivity as the driver of solar wind variability in the heli...Sérgio Sacani
The ambient solar wind that flls the heliosphere originates from multiple
sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described
as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal
holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are
under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter mission is to identify
solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the
heliosphere. By combining magnetic feld modelling and spectroscopic
techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show
that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March
2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to
multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic feld footpoints
connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole
to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This
is refected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast
to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of
a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au
but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.
(May 29th, 2024) Advancements in Intravital Microscopy- Insights for Preclini...Scintica Instrumentation
Intravital microscopy (IVM) is a powerful tool utilized to study cellular behavior over time and space in vivo. Much of our understanding of cell biology has been accomplished using various in vitro and ex vivo methods; however, these studies do not necessarily reflect the natural dynamics of biological processes. Unlike traditional cell culture or fixed tissue imaging, IVM allows for the ultra-fast high-resolution imaging of cellular processes over time and space and were studied in its natural environment. Real-time visualization of biological processes in the context of an intact organism helps maintain physiological relevance and provide insights into the progression of disease, response to treatments or developmental processes.
In this webinar we give an overview of advanced applications of the IVM system in preclinical research. IVIM technology is a provider of all-in-one intravital microscopy systems and solutions optimized for in vivo imaging of live animal models at sub-micron resolution. The system’s unique features and user-friendly software enables researchers to probe fast dynamic biological processes such as immune cell tracking, cell-cell interaction as well as vascularization and tumor metastasis with exceptional detail. This webinar will also give an overview of IVM being utilized in drug development, offering a view into the intricate interaction between drugs/nanoparticles and tissues in vivo and allows for the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in a variety of tissues and organs. This interdisciplinary collaboration continues to drive the advancements of novel therapeutic strategies.
2. ISO
9001
ISO
17025
ANSI
Z540-1
ISO
13485 U.S. Manufacturer
Giving robots
a sense of touch
FUTEK's miniaturized sensor technology
allows surgeons to perform as if they had
virtual fingertips. The sensors’ precise
measurement and feedback allow the
machine to emulate the dexterity and
haptics of human hands.
go.futek.com/medtech
LSB205
2 Miniature S-Beam Jr. Load Cell
Dimensions: 19 mm × 18 mm × 6.6 mm
Provides critical force feedback.
QLA401
3 Load Cell Built for Autoclave
Dimensions: Ø 14 mm × 3.28 mm
Designed to withstand the autoclave sterilization process.
QLA414
4 Nano Force Sensor
Dimensions: 4mm × 5mm
Enables direct measurement that eliminates any drift
in the output.
1
2
3
4
1
QTA143
1 Micro Reaction Torque Sensor
Dimensions: 14 mm × 10 mm × 26 mm
Provides closed-loop feedback on torque measurement.
Conceptual rendering of the
multi-jointed robotic arm of a
surgical system.
3. SEPTEMBER 2021 1
MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
CONTENTS
ONTHECOVER
Minu
scule, self-propelled particles
called “nanoswimmers” can
escape from mazes as much as
20 times faster than other passive
particles. These particles could
navigate and permeate spaces
as microscopic as human tissue
to carry cargo and deliver drugs.
See page 20 to learn more.
(Image: Haichao Wu/University of
Colorado, Boulder)
FEATURES
2
Designing Rugged Myoelectric
Interfaces for Highly
Functional Prosthetics
7
Is a Medical Robot Really a
Robot?
10
Surgical Robotics: The Art of
Saving Costs with Cables
APPLICATION BRIEFS
14
Advancements in Robotic Magnetic
Navigation Technology Enhance Surgical
Processes
TECH BRIEFS
16
Ultra-Thin, Highly Sensitive Strain
Sensors Improve Robotic Arms
18
Dynamic Hydrogel Makes Soft Robot
Components and Building Blocks
20 Self-Propelled Nanorobots
21
Laser Jolts Microscopic Electronic
Robots into Motion
22
Low-Cost, High-Accuracy GPS-Like
System for Flexible Medical Robots
23
Smart Artificial Hand for Amputees
4. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
2 SEPTEMBER 2021
Designing
Rugged
Myoelectric
Interfaces
for
Highly Functional
Prosthetics
T
o use the laptops and
cellphones in today’s world,
modern prosthetic devices
connect signals from the brain
via surface-mounted sensors and
detectors. New sensor technologies
combined with high-performance micro-
wiring is extending the performance
and reliability of active myoelectric
prosthetics. The evolution of newly
developed microprocessor chip sensors
offers advanced communication
Implanted transducers that provide
kinesthetic communications of
force and vibration feedback are
particularly helpful in full leg and arm
prosthetics where activating multiple
muscles simultaneously is necessary.
(Credit: AdobeStock)
5. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 3
from the brain to the prosthetic
devices. Myographic chips monitor
and measure the force produced
by muscles as they move from
relaxed mode to contractions and
can deliver intensity and muscle
signal speed. The surface-mounted
electromyographic sensors with
isolated micro-wiring receive analog
signals sent from the brain to be
captured and converted to digital
signals. They are then connected
to newly adapted prosthetic
devices that enhance the life and
capability of amputee patients.
Keys to quality human-to-machine
interface systems are extensive but
exacting and quite well defined.
Depending upon each circumstance,
options for directing prosthetic
movements include using body
power, electric assisted power, and
for simpler applications, passive or
pneumatic devices. The prostheses
method selected should optimize
the prosthetic device utilization for
patients and their life
styles. For
a number of years, industry has
focused on deep electromyography
(EMG) for collecting muscular
signaling from areas inside the
forearm for use with the prosthetic
hand. Today, however, surface level
electromyograms (sEMGs) have
significantly improved data-acquisition
capabilities, are noninvasive, and
have evolved to eclipse the surgical-
related prosthesis process.
Improving the Human-Machine
Interface
The data-processing system
consists of an electrode interface, a
signal conditioning unit, and a power
source designed into a small sealed
device. Getting a reliable and useful
signal from the sensors that drive
the machine in
struments requires
several steps. Two to three sensor
pads are carefully placed externally
on the arm at that point determined
to exhibit strong muscular signal
activity. Sensor placement must be
near the tendon bulge entering the
muscle to collect the best signals. This
ideal position of electrode placement
is between the innervation zone (or
motor unit) and where the muscle
tissue is attached to the tendons.
When the brain directs muscle
activity, the sensor pads detect
minute analog electrical signals that
result within the muscular system.
Those signals are filtered at both the
high and low frequencies to remove
electrical noise and to isolate the
signals from potential power supply
interference. In some cases, a variable
resistor is employed to act as a digital
potentiometer to help control signal
gain stability, as signals sometimes
bounce up and down during excited
use. The cleaned signals are then
rectified to offer a digital signal
that exhibits definable shifts in
voltage in typical range of 5–12 V.
In some cases, an amplifier is used
to set the signal levels and gain to
optimize wiring impedance and drive
mechanisms in the prosthetic unit. By
design, most prosthetic motor/driver
systems operate and provide more
precision in responding to low-level
digital stepping signal technology.
The complexity of this human-
to-machine interface increases
significantly the need to drive process
controls for multiple degrees of
freedom
in the prosthetic device.
Fortunately, these sEMGs are
improving and offering opportunities
for use beyond the older intramuscular
EMG prosthesis method. Surface-
style electrodes easily form a reliable
electrochemical state between the
detection surface and the skin of
the body so that current can flow
The National Institutes of Health supports additional development
of various EMG sensor devices and systems. (Credit: NIH)
6. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
4 SEPTEMBER 2021
into the electrodes. Because sensor
design and signal collection remains
the key element in the challenge, skin
preparation is critical, specifically in
the area of the sensor. One needs to
ensure good data acquisition
and clean signal transfer
to the amplifiers. Prior to
attachment, skin and hair
must be scrubbed to reduce
epidermis buildup and then
dried thoroughly before
application of the sensors.
To this end, neurological
signal detection electrodes
are being tested in a number
of formats. Both dry and
gel surface sensors have
been studied. Gel electrodes
use an electrolytic paste of
silicone imbedded with silver
chloride. This increases signal
conductivity and prevents
oxidation of the metal-to-skin
interface. When clean, the
electrical resistance is low
and the conduction is strong
enough to block outside
and surface-generated
signal noise as well. Dry
electrode sensors often use
small pre-amplifier modules
with multiple collection
dots and don’t use gels
between skin and device.
Though electronically
better, dry electrode
sensors are more vulnerable
to shock and vibration
and even sweat can
challenge circuit stability.
In many cases, the EMG
system assists the patient
in neurologically moving
parts using electrically
driven micro motors and/
or gears that can rotate
wrists, open and close
fingers, and pick up objects.
But beyond muscular
signal transmission,
newer prosthetics are
also employing sensory
feedback to the system
or the patient. Grip strength
and touch as well as pressure are
key elements required in mimicking
the natural use of the human limb.
Transducer electronics are included
to offer the classic control of picking
up an egg and not crushing it.
Implantable myoelectric sensors
(IMES) again paved the way to
improve limb control and detect
footing position and pressure. These
implanted transducers provide
great kinesthetic communications
of three-dimensional feel of
force and vibration feedback
to the patient. They are
particularly helpful in full leg
and arm prosthetics where
activating multiple muscles
simultaneously is necessary.
Simultaneous interaction
between multiple parts of the
operator became a significant
advance in prosthetic
applications such as hand and
arm control. The skin contains
biosensor chips that detect
variations in capacitance
and/or pressure, similar to
pressure sensors used in
robotic equipment. Nanoscale
microelectromechanical
systems (MEMS), chips, or
electrical capacitive sensing
field-effect transistors (FETs)
New sensor technologies enable the development of
prosthetic devices that enhance the life of amputee
patients. (Credit: AdobeStock)
Highly Functional Prosthetics
Future surface EMGs. (Credit: AdobeStock)
Specialized wire and cable designs are required
to protect and isolate the minute digital signals of
the EMGs from power wiring the motors. (Credit:
AdobeStock)
8. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
6 SEPTEMBER 2021
are used to provide haptic sense of feel
to reflect the pressure, touch, and pain
receptors in human skin. The skin is
electronically connected to the nerves
in the arm that are involved in relaying
sensations of touch and pain to the
brain. This process allows patients to
operate their new prosthetic hand in a
fashion similar to their original hand.
The Future of EMG Sensors
The National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the National Institute of
Biomedical and Bioengineering have
continued to support additional
development of various EMG
sensor devices and systems. Two
evolving technologies use skin-
mountable systems and advanced
electronics. Beginning with the use
of pattern plated or 3D printing of
conductive circuitry on polyimide
thin-film sheets, there will likely be an
evolutionary development of rugged,
wearable, thin-film circuitry mounted
externally on the patient’s skin.
Sensor and motion control systems
for prosthetics have continued to
expand rapidly in both precision
capability and in operating more
extensive components. Compact
hand and foot control designs are
being extended to serve full leg
devices and exoskeleton systems.
Signal detection and data-processing
systems are somewhat extensions
of previous designs but routing of
directional signaling and response
information quickly becomes a
more detailed task because of the
distance they must travel. Physical
size of some prosthetic systems also
requires higher voltage or current
levels to operate devices like hip
and knee motors. The wiring and
interconnection physics of these
systems can become a challenge.
Specialized wire and cable designs
are required to protect and isolate
the minute digital signals of the
EMGs from the power wiring of the
motors. Electromotive interference
from outside environments
can confuse digital data
being routed to portions
of the prosthetic device.
Wire and cable must remain
relatively small and flexible
throughout constant use
and offer signal integrity
when exposed to elevated
temperatures, high humidity,
and sudden shock. Special
polarized-nano (PZN) and
circular nano-connectors
assist in connecting wire
to electronic elements
within the system.
Electromyography
and prosthetic device
development technology
has changed significantly.
From research centers to
medical device industry, the
process is well developed
and can rapidly develop
customized devices for
individual applications.
When designing intercon
nections for prosthetics, one
can begin by developing a
detailed list of personal use, physical
applications, and environmental
exposure. Working with experienced
electronic circuit designers and
using fast-turn prototyping systems
can rapidly enhance a system. By
employing the use of solid-modeling
software and working hand-in-glove
online with designers, OEMs can
develop the exact form and fit to
meet their specific function. When
the solid-model software appears
correct, they can be realized in 3D
built devices of each element and
a polymer mockup of the complete
prosthetic device can be constructed.
This would then allow preplanning the
signal routing system that best serves
a particular device system. Specialty
cable and connectors can be assembled
to match the needs of the device.
This article was written by Bob
Stanton, Director of Technology,
Omnetics Connector Corp., Minneapolis,
MN. For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/ 79409-341.
Highly Functional Prosthetics
When the brain directs muscle activity, the EMG sensor pads detect minute analog electrical signals that result
within the muscular system. (Credit: AdobeStock)
9. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 7
F
irst of all, there are
no true medical
robots; none of the
systems out there
called medical robots are
autonomous with regard
to duplicating human
activity and few are even
semi-autonomous. They are
arguably bionic constructs;
that is, enhancing the
healthcare provider’s
performance by electronic or
electromechanical devices.
The key here is that these
devices en
hance the abilities
of the user but do not replace
them. It is reasonably too
late to change the vernacular
and it is just a matter of
semantics anyway. But why
is this distinction important
to design and development?
This article addresses two
of the reasons why the
distinction is important:
•
The regulatory strategy
can be significantly
different from other
medical devices, especially
regarding the level of
autonomy, team usability
validation, and training.
•
Understanding that these systems
are an extension of a clinician’s
current ability and that they enhance
an activity that clinicians may
also do manually, thereby having
an important impact on the user
interface design and development.
Strategic Regulatory Impact
Even though many of the current
robotic systems are based on
technology that could very well execute
a procedure autonomously, the scope
of validating the safety and efficacy for
FDA approval would be cost prohibitive.
This is be
cause you would have to
demonstrate that the robot can safely
manage contingencies that are often
unpredictable during a procedure.
This would require validation trials
of a scale similar to pharmaceutical
clinical trials, where hundreds, if not
thousands of patients are required.
Unlike a medication, which is a high-
volume consumable that is reimbursed
by a payee, a piece of capital equipment
marketed to a healthcare facility does
not have the same return on investment
that could justify such an investment
in validation. However, by keeping
the clinician in control and the system
relegated to an extension of their
abilities, the human is still responsible
for the outcome. Now, with the clinician
as the decision-maker, the validation
process is a function of the clinician’s
interaction with the robotic system’s
user interface. In other words, the
manufacturer doesn’t have to validate
the user’s clinical abilities, just that the
robotic system meets expectations
for efficacy, safety, and performance.
That said, both the design and usability
validation can still be significantly more
complex than conventional
medical devices.
Using a surgical robotic
system as an example and
being an extension of the
surgeon’s abilities, the
robotic system impacts the
rest of the surgical workflow
as well — all the other actors
involved in the surgical
procedure. It is important
to note that a conventional
surgery, be it open or
laparoscopic, is typically a
symphony of interactions
between a team of clinicians.
These clinicians may include
lead surgeon, first assist,
sterile nurse/tech, circulating
nurse, anesthesiologist,
and possibly others (e.g.,
perfusionist) or duplicates
of some of the actors listed.
In addition, if it is a teaching
hospital, there are interns
and fellows on the team.
Understanding all the
people involved in order
to result in a favorable
outcome for the patient
is important because now
we are introducing a new
actor into the operating room: the robot.
Oftentimes, this impacts the manner
in which the lead surgeon interacts
with the team as well as requiring a
physical footprint for the robotic system
in an already congested environment.
Moreover, once you remove the team
leader from the sterile field and isolate
that participant in a control console, the
team dynamics are profoundly impacted.
Although the intention is often to make
the robot an optimized instrument(s)
for the surgeon, in application, it can
affect the responsibilities of the extended
surgical team and their responsibilities.
For example, there may be a requirement
to exchange end effectors over the
course of the procedure, which requires
team members to interact with each
other and the robot, while the lead is
interacting with them without face-to-
face communication. Keep in mind that
IS A MEDICAL ROBOT
REALLY A ROBOT?
Robotic systems are an extension of a clinician’s current ability and enhance
an activity that they may also do manually.
Design and usability validation of robots can be significantly more complex
than conventional medical devices. (Credit: Sompong Sriphet)
10. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
8 SEPTEMBER 2021
a significant portion of communication
is nonverbal. Granted, the actors are
wearing masks, but they have learned
to read facial expressions inclusive of
the mask in addition to body posture.
The point of understanding these team
dynamics is that when it comes time to
validate the user interface of the robotic
system, the team has to be considered
and often included in the validation test.
Moreover, the teams may or may not be
cohesive; that is, in a teaching hospital,
the team members may change often,
whereas in a private institution, they
may be a seasoned, cohesive team. For
usability validation, both team types
would need to evaluate the design.
Even more important is that upstream
usability engineering research must be
conducted in order to inform the design
and regulatory team of the requirements
for future validation based on well-
understood, use-related risk assessments.
The use-related risk assessment
can impact yet another regulatory
path strategy for a robotic system,
complicating risk mitigation and the
subsequent validation. This specifically
involves training models for the robotic
system. Legacy manual surgical devices
typically do not require formal training;
i.e., training beyond orientation or an
“in service.” The difference between
orientation and formal training is
that orientation is not considered
a risk mitigation from a regulatory
perspective. In order for training to be
a risk mitigation or design control, it
has to have robust documentation that
demonstrates to the regulatory bodies
the degree of control and repeatability
the manufacturer maintains.
This means that under the design
control process, there is a protocol
for how the trainer is trained, a record
of who was trained, when they were
trained, if and when subsequent training
is required, and what qualifications
for use of the system the training
results in. The definition of system may
include the robot proper, the control
console, the robot drapes and the end
effector’s instrument attachments.
It may even include the cleaning
and reusability of the instrument
attachments. Obviously, formal training
is a far greater ongoing burden and
responsibility for the manufacturer.
User Interface Design Impact
The team dynamics and the impact
of the introduction of a robotic
system into a surgical procedure have
comparable influence to the regulatory
impact with regard to the design and
development of all the system’s user
interfaces — virtual and physical. The
same user research insights that can
inform the use-related risk assessment
and regulatory strategy apply to
the design and development of the
robotic system’s user interface.
Consider the example of the lead
surgeon’s user interface: there is first
the understanding of negative and
positive transfer bias in the physical
user interface. This also applies to
the cognitive load requirements of
the system, especially if the system is
expecting the surgeon to be responsible
for what was previously a team effort.
Then there is the accommodation of
team dynamics and communication
as discussed in the regulatory strategy
impact. These considerations also apply
to the other user interfaces such as
end effector access to the anatomy,
instrument attachment and draping.
Returning to the surgeon’s user
interface example and the associated
biases, the manner in which the
surgeon executes a manual procedure,
the variety of instruments and their
specific user interfaces, the instruments’
capabilities, kinematics, and feedback
can result in either a positive or negative
transfer bias, depending on how the
new control interface is designed.
Negative transfer bias can introduce
a potentially hazardous condition and
use error that could lead to harm —
changing the rote manner in which
a task is performed relative to how it
was learned and practiced previously.
Conversely, the user interface design
can afford positive transfer bias by
emulating or carefully transitioning from
a norm behavior and interface to the new
user interface and workflow experience.
Depending on training to convert the
user’s previously learned skills and
behavior is not a viable strategy. A pro
active approach to understanding the
user’s expectation and aspiration with an
in-depth understanding of the perceived
attributes that afford the intended
behavior is a more robust approach.
This article was written by Sean Hägen,
Founding Principal and Director of
Research Synthesis at BlackHägen
Design, Dunedin, FL. He focuses on the
user research and synthesis phases of
product development including usability
engineering, user-centric innovation tech-
niques, and establishing user require-
ments. For more information, visit
http://info.hotims.com/79411-343.
The definition of system may include the robot proper, the control console, the robot drapes, and
the end effector’s instrument attachments.
Medical Robot
11.
12. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
10 SEPTEMBER 2021
E
ver hear of the respected
bicycle manufacturer known
as Can
non
dale? You probably
have. Perhaps you even own
one of their bikes. I actually do.
Since 1971, Cannondale has produced
among the most well-recognized and
trusted high-performance bicycle
brands in the United States. But
they don’t make gear systems.
For that matter, Cannondale
doesn’t produce hand grips, seats,
rims, spokes, hubs, sprockets, or
chains. Even the paint used to
beautify their venerated machines
isn’t actually made by Can
nondale.
The truth is that Cannondale makes
bike frames. Everything else is
sourced from a trusted stable of
suppliers that Cannondale
has carefully vetted to ensure
that every component their
bikes are made from meets
the maker’s rigid standards.
And even though Cannondale
does not manufacture more
than the bike frame itself, we
still turn to Cannondale to
sell us a whole bike — well,
unless one is a cycling purest
that assembles bicycles one
part at a time. For the rest
of us though, we’d prefer to
just be given the entire bike.
The da Vinci Surgical
System, currently among the
world’s most popular surgical
robots, is a veritable labyrinth
of components. From plastics
to wires, and from pulleys to
cables, their robot is made up
of countless parts. And just
like Can
nondale, the surgical
robot’s maker, Intuitive, does
not actually manufacture the
smorgasbord of components
contained within a single
da Vinci robot. Similarly,
as a manufacturer of
some of the key motion
control components of
surgical robots, Carl
Stahl Sava Industries
likewise does not actually
manufacture everything that a
cable assembly may comprise.
In each of these scenarios — the
bike and the shifters, or the surgical
robot and the cables — turning to
a single source for the completed
product is the way these products
are typically sold. So, like one buys
a whole bike from Cannondale,
one buys a whole robot from
Intuitive. Unless one does not.
You see, unlike the aforementioned
deeply respected bike and surgical
robot makers, too often, customers
purchasing precision components
do not use a single source. Rather
frequently actually, the makers
of today’s most modern surgical
robots, for instance, will use multiple
component makers and have
each section shipped to multiple
sources and leave assembly to,
well, multiple manufacturers. While
necessary in some workflows,
the objective should always be to
limit the number of components
changing hands in an urgent effort
to outpace global competitors.
Said plainly, the more turnkey
a supplier can be, the lower the
exposure to increased costs, a lack of
accountability, and ultimately painful
delays. Taken individually, any of the
three — cost, liability, or delay — is
enough to put a device maker at
the back of the line, because make
no mistake, in the world of surgical
robots, the market is proliferating,
Surgical Robotics:
THE ART OF SAVING COSTS WITH CABLES
Plasma-welded 7x37 tungsten mechanical cable used to power a motion control system in the miniature
actuators of a surgical robotics application. (Credit: Carl Stahl Sava Industries)
13. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 11
and how fast a robot goes to
market is directly tied to how
quickly a source can produce
and assemble components.
Cost, Accountability,
Delays: The Three
Killers of Competitive
Advantage
“If a tree falls in a forest
and no one is around to
hear it, does it make a
sound?” This well-known
metaphysical question has
popularized a centuries-
old debate. If the tree
is capable of making a
sound as it falls, then yes,
the tree made a sound. If,
however, no one is there to
hear the sound of it falling,
philosophically speaking,
the tree didn’t actually
make a peep. And were the
tree a pint-sized sapling or
perhaps a mighty sequoia,
the debate would rage on
regardless. The point is, if a
company is making the most
revolutionary surgical robot the
world has ever seen — the sequoia
— but is mired in holdups, who
cares? The possibly more pressing
question is, who should care?
Surgical robotics is a booming
and fast-paced marketplace. There
is quite literally no time to wait. As
a mechanical cable components
manufacturer, customers order
individual parts all the time — say, a
fixed length of cable, cut to specific
size, along with 1,000 of this and
500 of that. And if no questions
are asked during these early and
seemingly commonplace sourcing
conversations, the parts are made,
packed, shipped, and the transaction
completed. In this case, however, the
buyer is charged à la carte piece part
pricing and leaves the robot maker’s
procurement teams to manage
multiple vendors, multiple quality
apparatuses, multiple deliveries,
and consequently, multiple points
of potential failure. Worse, when
components don’t fit properly
with mating parts or there’s a burr
in a fitting, who’s to blame?
Perhaps another party damaged
delicate end-fittings meant to
be crimped to a length of wire
rope. Maybe parts were damaged
in a press, revealing microscopic
imperfections that prevent the
smooth joining of components.
While working without the benefit
of a single point of accountability,
prices start to soar, fingers start
to point, and production starts
to stop. When these are the
prevailing characteristics of a
sourcing transaction, the tree
may have fallen in the woods but
no one’s going to hear a thing.
Vet the Whole Source
Surgical robots take years to
bring to market and even when
they do become widely available,
makers like Intuitive are unrelenting
in their focus on rolling out the
next model. So, the production of
tomorrow’s version is perpetually
underway, while consumption
of the current one grows.
Add to the lengthy exercise in
simply advancing the prevailing
technology, and there is the
ocean of regulatory and quality
certifications these sophisticated
surgical instruments require. The
fact is, it is easy to imagine how
long it takes to produce a single
prototype, let alone an entire family
of robots, and get them into the
hands of awaiting surgeons around
the world. With such an interminable
production cycle baked into the
entire surgical robotics industry, any
go-to-market delay can irreversibly
damage market share potential.
These prodigious innovations
in modern medicine therefore
benefit from equally impressive
7x37 tungsten mechanical cable with swaged stop plug on the ends. This cable assembly is used to support
motion in a surgical robotics application. (Credit: Carl Stahl Sava Industries)
14. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
12 SEPTEMBER 2021
innovations in the actual production
of the devices themselves. Surgical
robotics makers, for example,
often ask component makers
like Sava about the potential to
deploy a cellular manufacturing
environment surrounding the
making of key components.
So, not only are components makers
asked, “Can you make it?” but as
critically, albeit less ceremoniously,
they are also asked tough questions
like, “how will you do it, who will
do it, and how many can you do?”
The list goes on and on and maybe
surprisingly so, these are among the
most frequently asked questions
on which components makers are
pressed — and with good reason.
Production can’t take a sick day
because someone got the sniffles.
A burr in a cable fitting cannot hold
up the entire day’s productivity.
A dedicated manufacturing cell
pledges materials and equipment
along with key and redundant
skilled operations, finishing and
quality personnel to production. As
cellular production is streamlined,
time is recovered and production
tempos improve. The coalescing
of talent, technology, speed,
and accountability represents an
arrant recovery of time getting
a surgical robot to market.
Seeing the Big Picture
There are many ways to do many
things. No one is arguing that there
is a single right and wrong way to
source components for the latest in
surgical robotics technology. Sources
abound in a global economy now
designed to offer surgical robotics
makers the freedom to choose
from a massive pool of suppliers.
The question is therefore not
necessarily what options are
available but rather what options
give the robot maker a wider stride
than their competitors. As a maker
of the very motion control cable
going inside these marvels, there
is no single metaphor that should
better characterize the speed of a
robot maker’s go-to-market strategy
than a “gazelle’s stride.” And if
sourcing from multiple suppliers
gets components purchased and
assembled, yet at the hindrance
of that stride, well then, a sequoia
just came tumbling down without
a sound. Where years have been
spent, millions invested, and billions
at stake, a case can be made for
reducing variability in every facet
of production, despite the alluring
availability of ubiquitous sourcing
alternatives and methodologies.
This article was written by Scott
Dailey, Vice President of Sales and
Marketing, Carl Stahl Sava Industries,
Riverdale, NJ. For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/79409-
345.
0.035 diameter balls being swaged to 0.024 7x19 stainless steel mechanical cable used in a surgical implantable instrument. (Credit: Carl Stahl Sava
Industries)
Surgical Robotics
15. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 13
Make your machine move
• 10mm-300mm stroke
• 25kg+ available force
• 6v-12v power supply
• 15g-100g net weight
ACTUONIX.COM
MICRO LINEAR ACTUATORS
CTU
16. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
14 SEPTEMBER 2021
APPLICATIONBRIEFS
Advancements in Robotic Magnetic Navigation Technology Enhance
Surgical Processes
Robots are revolutionizing
the field of medicine. From
critical procedures to routine
tasks, physicians and hospitals are
adopting the use of this advanced
technology to reduce costs, enhance
precision, and increase safety. The
use of Robotic Magnetic Navigation
(RMN) in electrophysiology was
introduced a decade ago and
continues to evolve. One surgical
robot company, St. Louis–based
Stereotaxis, recently received
FDA approval for its Genesis RMN
system. Stereotaxis is a global
leader in innovative robotic technologies
designed to enhance the treatment of
arrhythmias and perform endovascular
procedures. The Genesis is the first
system to treat cardiac arrhythmias.
The innovative Genesis system
offers the proven benefits of RMN in
a design that is faster, smaller, lighter,
and more flexible. The system consists
of two robotically controlled magnets
positioned on flexible and rugged
robotic arms that are located next
to the operating table. During the
procedure, a physician uses a computer
interface to adjust the magnetic field
around the patient, directing and
steering the magnetic catheter inside
of the patient with extreme precision.
The system’s small size improves
the patient experience while on the
operating table and provides medical
personnel with greater access to
the patient during the procedure.
Committed to optimizing overall
operating performance of the machine
and providing an enhanced experience
for the patient, Stereotaxis initiated an
assessment of the Genesis. THK, a
linear motion component supplier to
Stereotaxis, analyzed and identified
linear motion components that could
be replaced by dropping in the THK
component and eliminating any
need for a redesign of the Genesis.
THK experienced sales and design
engineers collaborated to make
determinations and validate their
findings. A roller bearing inside the
robotic arms of the machine was
replaced with a THK Type RB cross
roller ring. Data indicated that the
Type RB offers increased accuracy,
the ability to bear heavier loads, and
improved rigidity. This upgrade resulted
in a more robust design with a greatly
enhanced life expectancy compared
to the original bearing. The Type
RB features inner ring rotation. The
outer ring is separable while the inner
ring is integrated with main body.
On the linear axis of the machine,
THK suggested replacing the current
component with the THK Type SHS25
linear motion guide. The Type SHS
utilizes patented THK Caged Ball
technology that eliminates friction
between balls, achieves low noise,
offers long-term maintenance-free
operation, and provides a high-
speed response. The Type SHS also
features four-way equal load. The
Type SHS LM block can receive a
well-
balanced preload, increasing
the rigidity in the four directions
(radial, reverse-radial, and lateral
directions) while maintaining a
constant, low friction coefficient.
With the low sectional height and
the high rigidity design of the
LM block, the Type SHS achieves
highly accurate and stable linear motion.
A third component, the THK Type
BNT precision ground ball screw, was
recommended as a replacement. The
Type BNT is a high-efficiency feed
screw with the ball making a rolling
motion between the screw axis and
the nut. Compared with a conventional
sliding screw, this product has drive-
torque of one-third or less, resulting in
drive motor power savings. Mounting
screw holes are drilled on the square
ball screw nut of the Type BNT,
allowing it to be compactly mounted
on a machine without a housing.
Having successfully incorporated
THK into other designs, Stereotaxis
was confident that these components
would not only bring longer life and
higher accuracy to its design, but
most importantly, they would help
to provide a superior experience for
patients being treated in hospitals
and clinics with Stereotaxis Genesis
technology. A key advantage to using
THK components in the Genesis was
that THK was able to provide improved
solutions using components that fit
into the existing design, rather than
requiring Stereotaxis to go back to
the drawing board and spend valuable
resources on an already proven design.
To learn more about Stereotaxis,
visit www.stereotaxis.com. For more
information about THK America, Inc.,
Schaumburg, IL, call (847) 310-1111 or visit
http://info.hotims.com/79415-345.
The Stereotaxis Genesis robotic magnetic navigation system.
Left:THKTypeSHSLMguidewithpatentedCagedBalltechnologyachieveshighlyaccurateandstablelinear
motion.Center:THKTypeRBcrossrollerringoffersincreasedaccuracy,theabilitytobearheavierloads,and
improvedrigidity.Right:THKTypeBNTprecisiongroundballscrewprovidesdrivemotorpowersavings.
18. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
16 SEPTEMBER 2021
TECHBRIEFS
Assistant Professor Chen Po-Yen
has taken the first step toward
improving the safety and precision of
industrial robotic arms by developing
a new range of nanomaterial strain
sensors that are 10 times more sensitive
when measuring minute movements,
compared to existing technology.
Fabricated using flexible,
stretchable, and electrically conductive
nanomaterials called MXenes, these
novel strain sensors are ultra-thin
and battery-free, and they can
transmit data wirelessly. With these
desirable properties, the novel strain
sensors can potentially be used for
a wide range of applications.
“Performance of conventional
strain sensors has always been
limited by the nature of sensing
materials used, and users have
limited options of customizing the
sensors for specific applications,”
says Chen, who is from NUS Chemical
and Biomolecular Engineering. “In
this work, we have developed a
facile strategy to control the surface
textures of MXenes, and this enabled
us to control the sensing performance
of strain sensors for various soft
exoskeletons. The sensor design
principles developed in this work will
significantly enhance the performance
of electronic skins and soft robots.”
Precision Manufacturing
One area where the novel strain
sensors could be put to good use is in
precision manufacturing, where robotic
arms are used to carry out intricate
tasks such as fabricating fragile
electronic products like microchips.
These strain sensors can be coated
on a robotic arm like an electronic
skin to measure subtle movements as
they are stretched. When placed along
the joints of robotic arms, the strain
sensors allow the system to understand
precisely how much the robotic
arms are moving and their current
position relative to the resting state.
Current off-the-shelf strain sensors do
not have the required accuracy and
sensitivity to carry out this function.
Conventional automated robotic
arms used in precision manufacturing
require external cameras aimed at
them from different angles to help
track their
positioning and movement.
The ultra-
sensitive strain sensors will
help improve the overall safety of
robotic arms by providing automated
feedback on precise movements with
an error margin below one degree and
remove the need for external cameras
as they can track positioning and
movement without any visual input.
“Our co-developed wireless sensors
with customer-designated sensing
performance allow the robots to
conduct high-precision motions and
the feedback sensing data can be
transmitted wirelessly, which cohere to
the approaches of Realtek Singapore
in wireless smart factory. Realtek
will continue to build up a strong
collaboration with NUS, and we look
forward to bringing the technologies
from the lab to market,” says Dr. Yeh
Po-Leh, chairman of Realtek Singapore.
Customizable, Ultra-Sensitive
Sensors
The technological breakthrough
is the development of a production
process that allows the NUS researchers
to create highly customizable ultra-
sensitive sensors over a wide working
window with high signal-to-noise
ratios. A sensor’s working window
determines how much it can stretch
while still maintaining its sensing
qualities and having a high signal-to-
noise ratio means greater accuracy
as the sensor can differentiate
between subtle vibrations and minute
movements of the robotic arm.
This production process allows
the team to customize their sensors
to any working window between 0
and 900 percent while maintaining
high sensitivity and signal-to-noise
ratio. Standard sensors can typically
achieve a range of up to 100 percent.
By combining multiple sensors
with different working windows,
NUS researchers can create a single
Ultra-Thin, Highly Sensitive Strain Sensors Improve Robotic Arms
The sensors improve the safety and precision of industrial robotic arms.
National University of Singapore
Ten times more sensitive than conventional technologies, these lightweight strain sensors can be
incorporated into rehabilitation gloves to improve their sensitivity and performance. (Credit: NUS)
19. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 17
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20. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
18 SEPTEMBER 2021
Using a new type of dual-polymer
ma
terial capable of responding
dynamically to its environment, re
searchers have developed a set of
modular hydrogel components that
could be useful in a variety of soft
robotic and biomedical applications.
The components, which are
patterned by a 3D printer, are
capable of bending, twisting, or
sticking together in response to
treatment with certain chemicals. The
researchers created a soft gripper
capable of actuating on demand
to pick up small objects, as well as
LEGO-like hydrogel building blocks
that can be carefully assembled
then tightly sealed together to
form customized microfluidic
devices — “lab-on-a-chip” systems
used for drug screening, cell
cultures, and other applications.
The key to the new material’s
functionality is its dual-polymer
composition; one polymer provides
structural integrity while the other
enables the dynamic behaviors
like bending or self-adhesion.
Hydrogels solidify when the polymer
strands within them become tethered
to each other — a process called
crosslinking. There are two types of
bonds that hold crosslinked polymers
together: covalent and ionic. Covalent
bonds are quite strong but irreversible.
Ionic bonds are not quite as strong
but can be reversed. Adding ions will
cause the bonds to form and removing
ions will cause the bonds to fall apart.
For the new material, the researchers
combined one polymer that’s covalently
crosslinked (called PEGDA) and one
that’s ionically crosslinked (PAA).
PEGDA’s strong covalent bonds hold
the material together while the PAA’s
ionic bonds make it responsive. Putting
the material in an ion-rich environment
causes the PAA to crosslink, meaning
it becomes more rigid and contracts.
Take those ions away, and the material
softens and swells as the ionic bonds
break. The same process also enables
the material to be self-adhesive when
desired. Put two separate pieces
together, add some ions, and the
pieces attach tightly together.
That combination of strength
and dy
namic behavior enabled the
researchers to make a soft gripper.
Each of the gripper’s “fingers” was
ultra-sensitive sensor that would
otherwise be impossible to achieve.
The research team took two years
to develop this breakthrough and
have since published their work in
the scientific journal ACS Nano. They
also have a working prototype of the
application of the soft exoskeletons
in a soft robotic rehabilitation glove.
“These advanced flexible sensors
give our soft wearable robots an
important capability in sensing
patient’s motor performance,
particularly in terms of their range
of motion. This will ultimately enable
the soft robot to better understand
the patient’s ability and provide the
necessary assistance to their hand
movements,” says Associate Professor
Raye Yeow, who heads a soft robotics
lab in NUS Biomedical Engineering
and leads the soft and hybrid
robotics program under the National
Robotics RD Programme Office.
Robotic Surgery
The team is also looking to
improve the sensor’s capabilities
and is working with Singapore
General Hospital to explore
the application of the sensors
in soft exoskeleton robots for
rehabilitation and in surgical robots
for transoral robotic surgery.
“As a surgeon, we rely on not
just our sight but also our sense
of touch to feel the area inside the
body where we operate. Cancerous
tissues, for instance, feel different
from normal, healthy tissue. By
adding ultra-thin wireless sensing
modules to long robotic tools, we
can reach and operate in areas where
our hands can’t reach and potentially
feel the tissue stiffness without the
need for open surgery,” says Dr.
Lim Chwee Ming, senior consultant,
Otorhinolaryngology-Head Neck
Surgery, Singapore General Hospital.
For more information, visit https://
news.nus.edu.sg.
Dynamic Hydrogel Makes Soft Robot Components and Building Blocks
The hydrogel material could make assembling complex microfluidic or soft robotic devices as
simple as putting together a LEGO® set.
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
A new kind of hydrogel material has the
ability to react dynamically to its environment
— bending, twisting, and self-adhering on
demand. The self-adhering behavior is shown
on the tail of a 3D-printed hydrogel salamander.
The self-adhering behavior was also used to
make hydrogel building blocks that fit together
like LEGO bricks. (Wong Lab/Brown University)
TECH BRIEFS
21.
22. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
20 SEPTEMBER 2021
patterned to have pure PEGDA on
one side and a PEGDA-PAA mixture
on the other. Adding ions caused
the PEGDA-PAA side to shrink and
strengthen, which pulled the two
gripper fingers together. The setup
was strong enough to lift small
objects weighing about a gram
and hold them against gravity.
The new material — and the LEGO
block concept it enables — allows
complex microfluidic architectures
to be incorporated into each block.
Those blocks can then be assembled
using a socket configuration much
like that of real LEGO blocks.
Adding ions to the assembled
blocks makes a water-tight seal.
For more information, contact Kevin
Stacey at kevin_stacey@brown.edu;
401-863-3766.
Self-Propelled Nanorobots
The “nanoswimmers” could be used to remediate contaminated soil, improve water filtration,
or even deliver drugs to targeted areas of the body.
University of Colorado, Boulder
Researchers have discovered
that minu
scule, self-propelled
particles called “nanoswimmers”
can escape from mazes as
much as 20 times faster than
other passive particles. The tiny
synthetic nanorobots are incredibly
effective at escaping cavities
within maze-like environments.
The nanoswimmers came to the
attention of the theoretical physics
community about 20 years ago and
people imagined a wealth of real-
world applications. Unfortunately,
these tangible applications have not
yet been realized, in part because
it’s been quite difficult to observe
and model their movement in
relevant environments until now.
These nanoswimmers, also
called Janus particles, are tiny
spherical particles composed
of polymer or silica, engineered
with different chemical properties
on each side of the sphere. One
hemisphere promotes chemical
reactions to occur but not the
other. This creates a chemical field
that allows the particle to take
energy from the environment and
convert it into directional motion,
also known as self-propulsion.
In contrast, passive particles that
move about randomly (a kind of
motion known as Brownian motion)
are known as Brownian particles.
The researchers converted these
passive Brownian particles into
Janus particles (nanoswimmers)
for this research. Then they made
these self-propelled nanoswimmers
try to move through a maze made
of a porous medium and compared
how efficiently and effectively they
found escape routes compared to
the passive, Brown
ian particles.
The Janus particles were effective
at escaping cavities within the maze
— as much as 20 times faster than
the Brownian particles — because
they moved strategically along the
cavity walls searching for holes,
which allowed them to find the exits
very quickly. Their self-propulsion
also appeared to give them a boost
of energy needed to pass through
the exit holes within the maze.
While the particles are incredibly
small — about 250 nanometers
or just wider than a human hair
(160 nanometers) but still much
smaller than the head of a pin (1-2
millimeters) — the work is scalable.
This means that these particles
could navigate and permeate
spaces as microscopic as human
tissue to carry cargo and deliver
drugs as well as through soil
underground or beaches of sand
to remove unwanted pollutants.
The next step is to understand
how nanoswimmers behave in
groups within confined environ
ments or in combination with
passive particles. One of the main
obstacles to reaching this goal is
the difficulty involved in being able
to observe and understand the 3D
Top: A schematic diagram showing the
observation of particles moving through a generic
porous material. Bottom: A representative
scanning electron microscopy image of inverse
opals, the porous medium used in this research.
Large circular patterns indicate the close packed
cavities and small elliptical patterns indicate the
holes connecting adjacent cavities. Every cavity
was connected to its adjacent cavities through 12
holes. (Credit: Haichao Wu)
1 µm
TECH BRIEFS
23. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2021 21
Laser Jolts Microscopic Electronic Robots into Motion
Incorporating semiconductor components, microscopic robots are made to walk with
standard electronic signals.
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Ateam has created microscopic
robots that incorporate semi
conductor com
ponents, allowing them
to be controlled — and made to walk
— with standard electronic signals.
The robots are about 5 microns thick,
40 microns wide, and range from 40
to 70 microns in length — roughly
the same size as mi
croorganisms like
paramecium. These robots provide
a template for building even more
complex versions that utilize silicon-
based intelligence, can be mass-
produced, and may someday travel
through human tissue and blood.
The new robots each consist of
a simple circuit made from silicon
photovoltaics — which essentially
functions as the torso and brain
— and four electrochemical
actuators that function as legs.
Since there were no small,
electrically activatable actuators
that could be used, the team had
to invent them and then combine
them with the electronics.
Using atomic layer deposition and
lithography, they constructed the
legs from strips of platinum only
a few dozen atoms thick, capped
on one side by a thin layer of inert
titanium. Upon applying a positive
electric charge to the platinum,
negatively charged ions adsorb
onto the exposed surface from the
surrounding solution to neutralize
the charge. These ions force the
exposed platinum to expand, making
the strip bend. The ultra-thinness
of the strips enables the material to
bend sharply without breaking. To
help control the 3D limb motion, the
researchers patterned rigid polymer
panels on top of the strips. The
gaps between the panels function
like a knee or ankle, allowing the
legs to bend in a controlled manner
and thus generate motion.
The robots are about 5 microns thick, 40
microns wide, and range from 40 to 70
microns in length — roughly the same size as
microorganisms like paramecium. (Image:
Cornell University)
The microscopic robots consist of a simple circuit made from silicon photovoltaics — essentially
the torso and brain — and four electrochemical actuators that function as legs. When laser light is
shined on the photovoltaics, the robots walk. (Image: Cornell University)
movement of these tiny particles
deep within a material comprising
complex interconnected spaces.
This hurdle was overcome by
using refractive index liquid in
the porous medium — liquid that
affects how fast light travels
through a material. This made
the maze essentially invisible
while allowing the observation
of 3D particle motion using a
technique known as double-helix
point spread function microscopy.
This enabled the team to track
three-dimensional trajectories
of the particles and create visual
representations, without which it
would not be possible to better
understand the movement and
behavior of either individuals
or groups of nanoswimmers.
For more information, contact the
Media Relations team at cunews@
colorado.edu; 303-735-0122.
24. MEDICAL ROBOTICS SPECIAL REPORT
22 SEPTEMBER 2021
Low-Cost, High-Accuracy, GPS-Like System for Flexible Medical Robots
This easy-to-use system tracks the location of flexible surgical robots inside the human body.
University of California, San Diego
The GPS-like system includes the robot, magnets, and magnet localization setup. (Credit: David Baillot/
University of California San Diego)
The researchers control the robots
by flashing laser pulses at different
photovoltaics, each of which charges
up a separate set of legs. By toggling
the laser back and forth between
the front and back photovoltaics, the
robot walks. The robots are compatible
with standard microchip fabrication
and operate with low voltage
(200 millivolts) and low pow
er (10
nanowatts). Because they are made
with standard lithographic pro
cesses,
they can be fabricated in parallel: about
1 million bots fit on a 4 silicon wafer.
The researchers are exploring
ways to equip the robots with more
complicated electronics and onboard
computation — improvements that
could one day result in swarms
of microscopic robots crawling
through and restructuring materials,
suturing blood vessels, or being
dispatched en masse to probe
large swaths of the human brain.
For more information, contact
Jeff Tyson at jeff.tyson@cornell.edu;
607-793-5769.
Roboticists have developed an
affordable system to track
the location of flexible surgical
robots inside the human body.
The system performs as well as
current state-of-the-art methods
but is much less expensive.
Many current methods also
require exposure to radiation,
while this system does not.
Continuum medical robots
work well in highly constrained
environments inside the body.
They are inherently safer and
more compliant than rigid tools;
however, it becomes more
difficult to track their location
and their shape inside the body.
The researchers embedded a
magnet in the tip of a flexible
robot that can be used in delicate
places inside the body such as
arterial passages in the brain.
They worked with a growing robot,
which is a robot made of a very thin
nylon that is inverted and pressurized
with a fluid that causes the robot to
grow. Because the robot is soft and
moves by growing, it has very little
impact on its surroundings, making
it ideal for use in medical settings.
They then used existing magnet
localization methods, which work
very much like GPS, to develop a
computer model that predicts the
robot’s location. GPS satellites ping
smartphones and based on how
long it takes for the signal to arrive,
the GPS receiver in the smartphone
can determine where the cellphone
is. Similarly, researchers know how
strong the magnetic field should
be around the magnet embedded
in the robot. They rely on four
sensors carefully spaced around
the area where the robot operates
to measure the magnetic field
strength. Based on how strong the
field is, they are able to determine
where the tip of the robot is.
The system — including the robot,
magnets, and magnet localization
setup — costs around $100.
The team trained a neural network
to learn the difference between
what the sensors were reading and
what the model said the sensors
should be reading. As a result, they
improved localization accuracy
to track the tip of the robot.
For more information, contact
Ioana Patringenaru at ipatrin@eng.
ucsd.edu; 619-253-4474.
TECH BRIEFS