New surgical tool inspired by octopus arm

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

Many mechanical engineers are turning to nature for inspiration, and the latest animal-influenced development is a robotic arm that can bend and stretch like the arm of an octopus.

In a new study published by the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, Italian engineers who designed the device described how it could help surgeons access remote, constricted areas of the body, and work on soft organs without harming them.

“The human body represents a highly challenging and non-structured environment, where the capabilities of the octopus can provide several advantages with respect to traditional surgical tools,” study author Tommaso Ranzani, from The Biorobotics Institute Livorno, Italy, said in a press release.

“Generally, the octopus has no rigid structures and can thus adapt the shape of its body to its environment,” Ranzani continued. “Taking advantage of the lack of rigid skeletal support, the eight highly flexible and long arms can twist, change their length, or bend in any direction at any point along the arm.”

How does it work?

The novel robotic device is made up of two interconnecting identical modules. Each module is moved by the inflation of three cylindrical compartments that were similarly spaced inside the module. By switching and merging the inflation of the three chambers, the module is able to bend and stretch in numerous directions.

The rigidity of the two modules could also be manipulated with a “granular jamming phenomenon” involving a versatile membrane within the module stuffed with a granular medium. When a vacuum is placed to the membrane, its density rises and the entire membrane gets rigid.

According to their report, the Italian team conducted several tests on their robotic device, saying that it could bend to angles of up to 255 degrees and stretch to up to 62 percent of its initial length. The device’s stiffening system could offer rigidity increases from 60 percent up to 200 percent.

The researchers also said they used water-filled balloons to simulate the arm’s manipulative abilities.

“Traditional surgical tasks often require the use of multiple specialized instruments such as graspers, retractors, vision systems, and dissectors to carry out a single procedure,” Ranzani said. “We believe our device is the first step to creating an instrument that is able to perform all of these tasks, as well as reach remote areas of the body and safely support organs around the target site.”

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