Flexible tendon-actuated endoscopes are used in minimally invasive surgery and can be robotically controlled to improve accuracy. Long and slender endoscopes are susceptible to external forces and moments, and for reliable control, the deformation that is caused needs to be predicted and compensated for. A flexible tendon-actuated endoscopic system that can be robotically controlled while compensating for external load-deformation was developed in this study.
The designed actuation system shows successful basic functionality according to the design goal, with limitations regarding fine movements and tensioning of tendons. Additionally, control issues arise that call for control of each individual tendon's tension. Secondly, using a Cosserat based model, deformation prediction of external loads was experimentally validated by comparison to the physical case. Significant prediction errors are observed for model-based compensation, therefore it is chosen to instead perform additional model evaluations that hint towards significant friction in the tendons.
In conclusion, the design and development-oriented aspects of the thesis were successfully carried out for the most part, while deformation prediction and compensation first require more insight into the friction during actuation.
Meeting ID
473 384 623