On the use of soft continuum robots for remote measurement tasks in constrained environments: a brief overview of applications

Abstract

Soft continuum robots provide high dexterity in constrained spaces, while guaranteeing a compliant interaction with the surrounding environment. Over the last years, they have been used to improve many manipulation tasks, going from maintenance, inspection and repair in industrial–related environments to minimally invasive surgery in the medical field. This paper investigates the use of soft continuum robots for remote measurement tasks, and focuses on the following application scenarios where they have already demonstrated their benefits: space, aerospace, nuclear, marine and medical fields. The limitations of existing applications and perspectives of future directions are also discussed.