Selectively Actuated Fiberbots for High-precision Minimally Invasive Surgery

What happened

arXiv:2610.12636v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Long, slender instruments are essential for minimally invasive surgery (MIS), but achieving precise distal manipulation becomes increasingly difficult when actuation extends along the entire instrument. A phantom demonstration combining the robotic fiber with a da Vinci instrument conceptually demonstrated its compatibility with existing endoscopic systems for clinical applications.

The fiber is fabricated using a thermal drawing process and operates with embedded metallic wires for thermal actuation. This robotic fiber, 1.9 mm in diameter and 1.2 m in length, can precisely manipulate surgical laser fibers with positional precision below 100 $\mu$m. The compact size of the fiber robot allows it to pass through the working channel of a flexible endoscope, while keeping both devices mechanically uncoupled to allow independent motion.