Discussion on the Feasibility of Soft Actuator as an Assistive Tool for Seniors in Minimally Invasive Surgery

Abstract

The research and development of soft actuators for supporting Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) in the elderly have been attracting a lot of interest in recent years. However, most of them contain rigid structures, such as cable driving mechanisms. Moreover, their Range of Motion (RoM) and bi-directional control of motion is quite limited. This work presents a new elastomeric pneumatic actuator with air chambers for the purpose of MIS support. A prototype of the actuator was made for a comparison with a traditional cable driven structure. The prototype could be equipped with some medical devices in its central silicone tube. The outer diameter of the designed actuator was about 8.5 mm. The results showed that the proposed actuator achieved a 180° bending angle readily, with a small sweeping area when going through a narrow cavity.