title: A continuum body force sensor designed for flexible surgical robotics devices.
abstract: This paper presents a novel three-axis force sensor based on optical photo interrupters and integrated with the robot arm STIFF-FLOP (STIFFness controllable Flexible and Learnable Manipulator for Surgical Operations) to measure external interacting forces and torques. The ring-shape bio-compatible sensor presented here embeds the distributed actuation and sensing system of the STIFF-FLOP manipulator and is applicable to the geometry of its structure as well to the structure of any other similar soft robotic manipulator. Design and calibration procedures of the device are introduced: experimental results allow defining a stiffness sensor matrix for real-time estimation of force and torque components and confirm the usefulness of the proposed optical sensing approach.
authors.forename: Yohan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noh
authors.forename: Emanuele Lindo
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Secco
authors.forename: Sina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sareh
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wurdemann
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faragasso
authors.forename: Junghwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sklar
authors.forename: Kaspar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Althoefer
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D004867:Equipment Design; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012371:Robotics; D019415:Torque