In this section

Human-Centred Automation, Robotics and Monitoring

We use perceptual methods, AI, and frugal robotics innovation to deliver transformative diagnostic and treatment solutions.

Head of Group

Dr George Mylonas

B415B Bessemer Building
South Kensington Campus

+44 (0)20 3312 5145

YouTube ⇒ HARMS Lab

What we do

The HARMS lab leverages perceptually enabled methodologies, artificial intelligence, and frugal innovation in robotics (such as soft surgical robots) to deliver transformative solutions for diagnosis and treatment. Our research is driven by both problem-solving and curiosity, aiming to build a comprehensive understanding of the actions, interactions, and reactions occurring in the operating room. We focus on using robotic technologies to facilitate procedures that are not yet widely adopted, particularly in endoluminal surgery, such as advanced treatments for gastrointestinal cancer.

Meet the team

Mr Amirhosein Alian
Research Postgraduate

Dr James P Avery
Honorary Lecturer

Mr Junhong Chen
Research Postgraduate

Mr Kaizhong Deng
Research Postgraduate

Mr Hanqi LOU
Research Postgraduate

Dr George Mylonas BEng, MSc, DIC, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Robotics and Technology in Cancer

Dr Adrian Rubio Solis
Research Associate in Sensing and Machine Learning

Dr Jianlin Yang
Research Associate

Mr Zhangxi Zhou
Research Postgraduate

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Yang:2024:10.3390/app14104095,
author = {Yang, J and Li, X and Runciman, M and Avery, J and Zhou, Z and Sun, Z and Mylonas, G},
doi = {10.3390/app14104095},
journal = {Applied Sciences},
title = {A novel, soft, cable-driven parallel robot for minimally invasive surgeries based on folded pouch actuators},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app14104095},
volume = {14},
year = {2024}
}

Download

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This paper introduces a soft, cable-driven parallel robot for minimally invasive surgeries. The robot comprises a pneumatic inflatable scaffold, six hydraulic, folded pouch actuators, and a hollow, cylindrical end-effector offering five degrees of freedom. A key development is the design of the pouch actuators, which are small, low-profile, simple structures, capable of a high stroke of 180° angular displacement. The scaffold, actuators, and plastic cables are economically and rapidly fabricated using laser cutting and welding techniques. Constructed primarily from soft plastic materials, the robot can be compactly folded into a cylinder measuring 110 mm in length and 14 mm in diameter. Upon inflation, the scaffold transforms into a hexagonal prism structure with side lengths of 34 mm and edge lengths of 100 mm. The kinematic model of the robot has been developed for workspace calculation and control purposes. A series of tests have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the actuator and the robot. Repeatability tests demonstrate the robot’s high repeatability, with mean and root mean square errors of 0.3645 mm and 0.4186 mm, respectively. The direct connection between the end-effector and the actuators theoretically eliminates cable friction, resulting in a hysteresis angle of less than 2°, as confirmed by the tracking results. In addition, simulated surgical tasks have been performed to further demonstrate the robot’s performance.
AU  - Yang,J
AU  - Li,X
AU  - Runciman,M
AU  - Avery,J
AU  - Zhou,Z
AU  - Sun,Z
AU  - Mylonas,G
DO  - 10.3390/app14104095
PY  - 2024///
SN  - 2076-3417
TI  - A novel, soft, cable-driven parallel robot for minimally invasive surgeries based on folded pouch actuators
T2  - Applied Sciences
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app14104095
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/112333
VL  - 14
ER  -