Follow-the-Leader Deployment

The particular architecture of concentric tube robots leads to lateral motions of their bodis while their tips are controlled. Such behavior can be undesired for deployment in constrained areas. In order to overcome this challenge, we worked on the follow-the-leader deployment of those robots, during which the robot body follows the path taken by its tip.

The planning of continuum robots is generally based on the patient’s anatomy using pre-operative images. However, their practical deployment can be challenging. Open-loop approaches are prone to errors due to modeling accuracy or physiological motions of the patient during the procedure, and human-in-the-loop approaches require specific skills from the surgeon.