Miniaturized Version of the STIFF-FLOP Manipulator for Cadaver Tests

The previous version of the STIFF-FLOP manipulator (reported in Chapters 2 and 3) has demonstrated to have all the capabilities to perform an effective surgical operation, being able to bend in any direction, to sense the external forces, and to elongate and to change its stiffness. On the other hand, its size is not yet compatible with standard tools used for minimally invasive surgery (i.e., standard trocar ports). The work described in this chapter has focused on the development of a miniaturized version of the STIFF-FLOP manipulator, with limited sensing and stiffening abilities. This manipulator has been equipped with a camera and used in a realistic scenario, such as cadaver tests. The STIFF-FLOP robotic optic arm seemed to acquire superior angles of vision of the surgical field and neither intraoperative complications nor technical failures were recorded.