Research towards position control and touch sense in endoscopy

Abstract

Describes an experimental system under development to provide a teleoperated steerable tip endoscope than can be manipulated using a control skin placed over the users finger with force feedback to the user of forces encountered by the endoscope. The research has provided a method of building a tool with integral tactile sensing that can be manufactured from materials suitable for invasive operative use in surgery and can be sufficiently low-cost as to enable the device to be disposable. The system has shown promising results at this early stage in the work.