Page 355 - Flexible Robotics in Medicine

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was conducted in the oral and nasal cavities, which are typically difficult areas to reach.
Results demonstrated that the CTR could successfully navigate the constrained spaces, and
attached FBG sensors could recognize forces within a range of 0.1 mN. Being lightweight,
small, and flexible, FBGs carry great potential in the field of biomedical robotics. Other
advantages include electromagnetic inertness, low power consumption, and simple interface.
One drawback of the FBG lies in its fragility, as poor handling and wire management can
cause errors and introduce the possibility of breaking the connected fibers.

The FBGs were mounted onto the CTR in a crude fashion using an epoxy adhesive for
prototyping purposes. For potential industrial usage, they should be integrated into the tube
itself to avoid breakage and reduce inaccuracy during procedures. The concentric tube used
in this paper is also hollow-shafted and has the potential to carry essential equipment such
as light pipes or stents. The possibility of mounting the FBGs into the inner layer of the
tube can also be explored.

Acknowledgment

This work was in part supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, The Ministry of
Science and Technology (MOST) of China (No. 2018YFB1307703).

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