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Full-Text Articles in Mechanical Engineering
Design And Manufacture Of Mesoscale Robot-Actuated Surgical Instruments, Clayton L. Grames
Design And Manufacture Of Mesoscale Robot-Actuated Surgical Instruments, Clayton L. Grames
Theses and Dissertations
Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is a growing field including both laparoscopic androbotic operations. Surgeons and engineers are making continual efforts to reduce the negative effects of procedures on patients. Reducing the size of the surgical instruments is one effective method pursued in this effort. When the instruments approach 3 mm in diameter, they reach a threshold where the entry incisions can be small enough that no scar is left on the patient. Laparoscopic instruments on this scale exist but typically lack wrist articulation and only have 1 degree of freedom (DoF). Alternatively, robotic surgical instruments can achieve high levels of …
A Compliant Mechanism-Based Variable-Stiffness Joint, Jacob Marc Robinson
A Compliant Mechanism-Based Variable-Stiffness Joint, Jacob Marc Robinson
Theses and Dissertations
A review of current variable-stiffness actuators reveals a need for more simple, cost effective, and lightweight designs that can be easily incorporated into a variety of human-interactive robot platforms. This thesis considers the potential use of compliant mechanisms to improve the performance of variable-stiffness actuators. The advantages and disadvantages of various concepts using compliant mechanisms are outlined, along with ideas for further exploration. A new variable-stiffness actuator that uses a compliant flexure as the elastic element has been modeled, built, and tested. This new design involves a variable stiffness joint that makes use of a novel variable transmission. A prototype …