Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Minimally invasive surgery relies on tools that can access deep into delicate anatomy without causing harm, but traditional rigid instruments often struggle in these environments. Soft‐growing, or “vine” robots, minimize tissue stress by extending from the tip instead of translating. However, their continuously changing tip material makes steering while carrying distal payloads such as cameras or sensors challenging. This work introduces a 7 mm soft‐growing robot with a permanent magnet‐based tip mount for wireless magnetic steering while preserving a 3 mm internal channel for tool deployment. The compact internal–external ring magnet (IRM–ERM) assembly accommodates a 1 mm RGB camera and 0.5 mm LED for live imaging. A systematic design study balanced growing pressure, P g ≈ 20 kPa, and magnetic attachment force, F ≈ 0.3 N, across magnet geometries and separations, achieving stable operation. Workspace analysis demonstrated ±90° magnetic steering at varied lengths, and a 34 mm bending radius. Five target areas in the upper bronchial tree of a phantom were reached in an average of 35 ± 13 s per bifurcation. Compared with recent studies, this millimeter‐scale platform combines miniaturization, magnetic control, onboard visualization, and working channel preservation. The selected steerable magnetic tip mount advances compact, multifunctional systems for endoluminal navigation.
Source: Advanced Robotics Research
Institution: University of Leeds
Language: English
Subfield: Biomedical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,610
Funders: National Institute for Health and Care Research, Leverhulme Trust, Royal Academy of Engineering, European Commission, Lloyd's Tercentenary Research Foundation, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, European Research Council, Leeds Biomedical Research Centre, H2020 European Research Council
Awards: Novel Lifesaving Magnetic Tentacles, Terabotics - terahertz robotics for surgery and medicine, G1949475607, RoboMRI: Future Cardiovascular Healthcare via MRI-driven Robotics, G3352540755, G434337789, New minimally invasive technologies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, G6697820746, G7729546050, G8824110272
OpenAlex ID: W7129664482