Mobility, Dexterity, and Insertion Improvements of Current Miniature In Vivo Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques

Advancements in minimally-invasive surgical (M.I.S.) techniques continue to combat the major drawbacks of open surgery. Lengthy recovery times, increased chance of postoperative infection, and distinct cosmetic remnants are a few of the many issues that implore the engineering community for technological intervention. Conversion of open surgery to minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery has gained popularity in recent years. Laparoscopic surgery consists of the insertion of thin profiled tools and accessories into a gas-inflated abdominal region, eliminating the need for a large incision; however, these procedures have introduced an entirely new set of limitations such as increased duration of surgery, reduction in visibility of the surgical site, and greater dexterity requirements of the surgeon. Accordingly, robotic platform integration has been introduced to the surgical field of medicine and looks to challenge these limitations. The goal of this thesis is to examine the accumulation of past designs for miniature in vivo robotics and to expand and innovate upon the strengths that each design has to offer. Various novel designs are presented to address numerous limitations of current techniques in miniature in vivo surgical robotics, including the insertion interface, mobility, and dexterity of the robot. This thesis also investigates the contribution to increased wound morbidity by larger, single-incision techniques to further strengthen the case for smaller, multiple incisions. The JoeyBot prototype design features a 3 degree-of-freedom compact, in-line joint, allowing for a slimmer overall profile of the robot. It is an independently fixated manipulator capable of insertion through a custom prototyped trocar. This is advantageous in that trocars are a proven technology, offering various advantages in comparison to devices such as the GelPort®, used in previous designs. The design also offers increased mobility with independently actuated gross positioning systems. Also presented is an additional design for implementing a 3 degree-of-freedom end-effector wrist joint to increase dexterity in performing complex surgical tasks

Mobility, Dexterity, and Insertion Improvements of Current Miniature In Vivo Robotic Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques

Advancements in minimally-invasive surgical (M.I.S.) techniques continue to combat the major drawbacks of open surgery. Lengthy recovery times, increased chance of postoperative infection, and distinct cosmetic remnants are a few of the many issues that implore the engineering community for technological intervention. Conversion of open surgery to minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery has gained popularity in recent years. Laparoscopic surgery consists of the insertion of thin profiled tools and accessories into a gas-inflated abdominal region, eliminating the need for a large incision; however, these procedures have introduced an entirely new set of limitations such as increased duration of surgery, reduction in visibility of the surgical site, and greater dexterity requirements of the surgeon. Accordingly, robotic platform integration has been introduced to the surgical field of medicine and looks to challenge these limitations. The goal of this thesis is to examine the accumulation of past designs for miniature in vivo robotics and to expand and innovate upon the strengths that each design has to offer. Various novel designs are presented to address numerous limitations of current techniques in miniature in vivo surgical robotics, including the insertion interface, mobility, and dexterity of the robot. This thesis also investigates the contribution to increased wound morbidity by larger, single-incision techniques to further strengthen the case for smaller, multiple incisions. The JoeyBot prototype design features a 3 degree-of-freedom compact, in-line joint, allowing for a slimmer overall profile of the robot. It is an independently fixated manipulator capable of insertion through a custom prototyped trocar. This is advantageous in that trocars are a proven technology, offering various advantages in comparison to devices such as the GelPort®, used in previous designs. The design also offers increased mobility with independently actuated gross positioning systems. Also presented is an additional design for implementing a 3 degree-of-freedom end-effector wrist joint to increase dexterity in performing complex surgical tasks

Golf Swing Performance using Specific Prosthetic Terminal Device

Studying the biomechanics of a golf swing is a good way to examine and improve motion and technique. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the swing of an amateur golfer and two transradial prosthesis users, one with a right arm amputation, and one with a left arm amputation. Data were collected using Vicon motion analysis system. Subjects using a prosthesis wore 24 infrared reflecting markers, while the control subject wore 26 (no prosthesis). Data of each subject performing 10 golf swings in 4 positions (left and right handed with standard and cross grip) were collected after a one-time training session with a professional golf coach. After collection, data shows that the control subject was able to achieve a maximum club head speed of 37.2 m/s while the prosthesis users achieved club head speeds of 22.2 and 29.2 m/s each (using preferred golf stances). Also, during the preferred stance, the control subject had a torso rotation of 98.3˚, while the prosthesis users exhibited torso rotations of 68.3˚ and 82.7˚ at their preferred stances. Although the prosthesis users performed at a slightly lower ability then an amateur golfer, they were still able to perform a safe and successful swing

RedWater: Water Mining System for Mars

Water ice in the form of debris covered glaciers or ice sheets that could be up to hundreds of meters thick has been discovered and mapped in the mid latitude of Mars. This presents a unique opportunity for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of water, where the location could be favorable for a future human base. Under NASA funding, Honeybee Robotics developed and demonstrated water extraction from subsurface ice with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 RedWater system in a Mars-simulated environment that utilizes 2 proven terrestrial technologies: coiled tubing (CT) and the Rodriguez well (a.k.a. RodWell). CT is a continuous length of tube (metal or composite) that is unspooled from the surface and can be used to advance a bottom hole assembly through the overburden layer and into the underlying ice. The RodWell is a method of melting a well in subsurface ice and pumping the liquid water to the surface, which has been demonstrated and used to support polar operations in both Greenland and Antarctica. The aim of this article is to report the results of end-to-end testing of the TRL-5 RedWater system in −60°C ice and at Mars ambient pressure (and compare the results obtained in an Earth ambient environment). The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of drilling with pneumatic cuttings clearing, melting a well, and extracting the water from the well to a tank at the surface. After performance evaluation, the validated figures of merit may serve as input to higher level efforts, such as the design and development of integrated, water-rich habitat system architectures that rely on ISRU-derived water

Redwater: Extraction of water from mars’ ice deposits

Honeybee Robotics has designed, built, and tested a TRL4/5 system known as RedWater, intended to drill into the surface of Mars and melt/extract water from locations identified by the Shallow Subsurface Radar, SHARAD. RedWater combines proven terrestrial technologies to extract water from the subsurface Martian ice. Rodriguez Wells, or RodWells, are a type of water well employed in Antarctica to maintain large pools of liquid water within an ice sheet and pumping water to the surface while heating and recirculating a portion to facilitate continuous well growth. RedWater also repurposes coiled tube drilling technology, which uses a thin-walled metal or composite tube to drive a bottom hole assembly into a borehole; the coiled tube itself is wound onto a drum and deployed by an injector system which transmits the required drilling forces through the tube as it is driven down. The combination of these two technologies with Honeybee’s existing rotary percussive drilling and pneumatic transport technologies make for an efficient means of producing large quantities of liquid water on Mars. Honeybee is currently working on evolving this technology to TRL6 and will be conducting end-to-end TVAC testing in 2022

RedWater: Water Mining System for Mars

Water ice in the form of debris covered glaciers or ice sheets that could be up to hundreds of meters thick has been discovered and mapped in the mid latitude of Mars. This presents a unique opportunity for in situ resource utilization (ISRU) of water, where the location could be favorable for a future human base. Under NASA funding, Honeybee Robotics developed and demonstrated water extraction from subsurface ice with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 RedWater system in a Mars-simulated environment that utilizes 2 proven terrestrial technologies: coiled tubing (CT) and the Rodriguez well (a.k.a. RodWell). CT is a continuous length of tube (metal or composite) that is unspooled from the surface and can be used to advance a bottom hole assembly through the overburden layer and into the underlying ice. The RodWell is a method of melting a well in subsurface ice and pumping the liquid water to the surface, which has been demonstrated and used to support polar operations in both Greenland and Antarctica. The aim of this article is to report the results of end-to-end testing of the TRL-5 RedWater system in -60°C ice and at Mars ambient pressure (and compare the results obtained in an Earth ambient environment). The performance of the system was evaluated in terms of drilling with pneumatic cuttings clearing, melting a well, and extracting the water from the well to a tank at the surface. After performance evaluation, the validated figures of merit may serve as input to higher level efforts, such as the design and development of integrated, water-rich habitat system architectures that rely on ISRU-derived water