Development of a new cable-driven soft robot for cardiac ablation

Abstract

A new cable-driven soft endoscopic system is designed for cardiac ablation in a minimally invasive manner in this paper. The system is totally made of soft materials and has no rigid structures inside. In order to perform operation in the limited pericardium, a modified behavior-based control method inspired from animals is applied in this system. Experiments are performed to demonstrate the concept of prototype and manipulation approaches are feasible. As showed in these experimental results, the cable-driven soft endoscopic system has a strong potential in cardiac surgery.