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Dr. Thanh Nho Do
Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

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0 Capsule Endoscopy
0 Haptics
0 soft robotics
0 control
0 soft actuators

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control
Capsule Endoscopy
Surgical Robotics
soft actuators
Haptics
soft robotics
Wearable Devices
Artificial muscles

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Journal article
Published: 06 March 2021 in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical
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Fluid-driven soft grippers possess conformable grasping characteristics that differ from their rigid counterparts. Despite advances, their inherent low-stiffness due to constituent materials causes them to be inferior in many high-load applications. Existing fabrication methods of soft grippers that mostly rely on molding silicone elastomers, despite being simple, are not easily scalable. This article presents the design of a soft robotic fabric gripper that can be fabricated by a facile and highly scalable process of apparel engineering. The proposed robotic gripper features a multi-fingered design that comprises hydraulic-driven, sheet-shaped fabric bending actuators. Its performance is enhanced by incorporating a bio-inspired gecko adhesive and a thermo-responsive variable stiffness filament. Experimental studies demonstrate that adding the variable stiffness filament and gecko adhesive improves the holding force of the gripper up to 655 % and 507 % in the gripping and pull-out configurations, respectively. The variable stiffness filament features a relatively good cooling speed of only 31 s by ambient cooling. A simple analytical model was also developed to characterize the deformation of the fabric bending actuators. To monitor the gripper bending motion, a new soft fabric sensor comprising a conductive composite of liquid metal and carbon particles was developed. The sensor was configured in a sheet-like shape and can be easily integrated into the gripper, which has been usually absent for other fabric grippers. The materials employed by this gripper design are commercially available for a reasonable budget, enabling the gripper to be both cost-effective and have potential applications where both gentle grasping and high load capacity are required.

ACS Style

Trung Thien Hoang; Jason Jia Sheng Quek; Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. Soft robotic fabric gripper with gecko adhesion and variable stiffness. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 2021, 323, 112673 .

AMA Style

Trung Thien Hoang, Jason Jia Sheng Quek, Mai Thanh Thai, Phuoc Thien Phan, Nigel Hamilton Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. Soft robotic fabric gripper with gecko adhesion and variable stiffness. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. 2021; 323 ():112673.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trung Thien Hoang; Jason Jia Sheng Quek; Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2021. "Soft robotic fabric gripper with gecko adhesion and variable stiffness." Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 323, no. : 112673.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2020 in IEEE Access
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The use of soft artificial muscles (SAMs) is rapidly increasing in various domains such as haptics, robotics, and medicine. There is a huge need for a SAM that is highly compliant and facile to fabricate with performance characteristics similar to human muscles. This paper introduces bio-inspired soft hydraulic filament artificial muscles (HFAMs) that can be extended and contracted under fluid pressures. The HFAMs, which have a high aspect ratio of at least 5000, use a simple and low-cost fabrication method of insertion, enabling scalability and mass-production while increasing its generated force via a stiff constrained helical layer and an adjustable stretch ratio of their inner silicone microtube. The developed muscles can produce a high elongation of 246.8% and a high energy efficiency of 62.7%. In addition, the HFAMs can generate a higher contraction force compared to existing state-of-the-art devices via their constrained hollow layer and the adjustable stretch ratio of the inner microtube, enabling a tunable force capability. Experiments are carried out to validate the HFAM performance including durability, lifting, frequency response and energy efficiency tests. The HFAM capabilities are demonstrated via various experiments, offering a potential substitute for the conventional tendon-driven mechanisms with less friction loss and stable energy efficiency while working against long and tortuous paths. A HFAMs-driven soft exoskeleton glove that could assist in grasping multiple objects is developed and evaluated. The new muscles open great opportunities for research and commercial sectors including emerging applications such as soft wearable devices and flexible surgical robots.

ACS Style

Phuoc Thien Phan; Mai Thanh Thai; Trung Thien Hoang; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. HFAM: Soft Hydraulic Filament Artificial Muscles for Flexible Robotic Applications. IEEE Access 2020, 8, 226637 -226652.

AMA Style

Phuoc Thien Phan, Mai Thanh Thai, Trung Thien Hoang, Nigel Hamilton Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. HFAM: Soft Hydraulic Filament Artificial Muscles for Flexible Robotic Applications. IEEE Access. 2020; 8 ():226637-226652.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Phuoc Thien Phan; Mai Thanh Thai; Trung Thien Hoang; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2020. "HFAM: Soft Hydraulic Filament Artificial Muscles for Flexible Robotic Applications." IEEE Access 8, no. : 226637-226652.

Full paper
Published: 05 November 2020 in Advanced Materials Technologies
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There are many instances in nature where continuum, helical manipulators are used to efficiently grasp different objects with various shapes and sizes. Inspired by nature, this paper introduces a continuum, flat, scalable, helical soft‐fabric robotic gripper that is thin and lightweight with stiffness tunability and sensory feedback. The gripper is fabricated by a facile method of simple insertion using a computerized technique from apparel engineering and controlled by a miniature hydraulic source to grasp different objects at different scales and weights. It uses a thermally activated variable stiffness structure (VSS) for high load capacity that can complete a softening‐stiffening cycle within 24 s, which is among the fastest results reported so far. In addition, a highly stretchable liquid metal‐based soft sensor with an enhanced sensing sensitivity (15 times more sensitive compared to conventional designs) is embedded into the gripper to provide real‐time touch sensing. The gripper successfully grasped various objects of different geometries and weights (up to 220 times of its mass) and retrieved them from confined hollow spaces. Its excellent performance and versatility make it an ideal candidate for various domains, including industry, exploration, rescue, and other applications in confined and hazardous environments such as gas/oil or drainage sectors.

ACS Style

Trung Thien Hoang; Phuoc Thien Phan; Mai Thanh Thai; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. Bio‐Inspired Conformable and Helical Soft Fabric Gripper with Variable Stiffness and Touch Sensing. Advanced Materials Technologies 2020, 5, 1 .

AMA Style

Trung Thien Hoang, Phuoc Thien Phan, Mai Thanh Thai, Nigel H. Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. Bio‐Inspired Conformable and Helical Soft Fabric Gripper with Variable Stiffness and Touch Sensing. Advanced Materials Technologies. 2020; 5 (12):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trung Thien Hoang; Phuoc Thien Phan; Mai Thanh Thai; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2020. "Bio‐Inspired Conformable and Helical Soft Fabric Gripper with Variable Stiffness and Touch Sensing." Advanced Materials Technologies 5, no. 12: 1.

Journal article
Published: 27 August 2020 in IEEE Access
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In the real world, people heavily rely on haptic or touch to manipulate objects. In emerging systems such as assistive devices, remote surgery, self-driving cars and the guidance of human movements, visual or auditory feedback can be slow, unintuitive and increase the cognitive load. Skin stretch devices (SSDs) that apply tangential force to the skin via a tactor can encode a far richer haptic space, not being limited to force, motion, direction, stiffness, indentation and surface geometry. This paper introduces novel hand-worn hydraulic SSDs that can induce 3-axis tangential forces to the skin via a tactor. The developed SSDs are controlled by new soft microtubule muscles (SMMs) which are driven by hydraulic pressure via custom miniature syringes and DC micromotors. An analytical model is developed to characterize the responses of SMM output in terms of force and elongation. A kinematic model for the motion of the 3-axis SSD is also developed. We evaluate the capability of the tactor head to track circular reference trajectories within different working spaces using an optical tracking system. Experimental results show that the developed SSDs have good durability, high-speed, and can generate omnidirectional shear forces and desired displacement up to 1.8 N and 4.5 mm, respectively. The developed SMMs and SSDs created in this paper will enable new forms of haptic communication to augment human performance during daily activities such as tactile textual language, motion guidance and navigational assistance, remote surgical systems, rehabilitation, education, training, entertainment, or virtual and augmented reality.

ACS Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Trung Thien Hoang; Phuoc Thien Phan; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. Soft Microtubule Muscle-Driven 3-Axis Skin-Stretch Haptic Devices. IEEE Access 2020, 8, 157878 -157891.

AMA Style

Mai Thanh Thai, Trung Thien Hoang, Phuoc Thien Phan, Nigel Hamilton Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. Soft Microtubule Muscle-Driven 3-Axis Skin-Stretch Haptic Devices. IEEE Access. 2020; 8 (99):157878-157891.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Trung Thien Hoang; Phuoc Thien Phan; Nigel Hamilton Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2020. "Soft Microtubule Muscle-Driven 3-Axis Skin-Stretch Haptic Devices." IEEE Access 8, no. 99: 157878-157891.

Review
Published: 11 June 2020 in Advanced Intelligent Systems
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Surgical robots have had clinical use since the mid‐1990s. Robot‐assisted surgeries offer many benefits over the conventional approach including lower risk of infection and blood loss, shorter recovery, and an overall safer procedure for patients. The past few decades have shown many emerging surgical robotic platforms that can work in complex and confined channels of the internal human organs and improve the cognitive and physical skills of the surgeons during the operation. Advanced technologies for sensing, actuation, and intelligent control have enabled multiple surgical devices to simultaneously operate within the human body at low cost and with more efficiency. Despite advances, current surgical intervention systems are not able to execute autonomous tasks and make cognitive decisions that are analogous to those of humans. Herein, the historical development of surgery from conventional open to robotic‐assisted approaches with discussion on the capabilities of advanced intelligent systems and devices that are currently implemented in existing surgical robotic systems is reviewed. Also, available autonomous surgical platforms are comprehensively discussed with comments on the essential technologies, existing challenges, and suggestions for the future development of intelligent robotic‐assisted surgical systems toward the achievement of fully autonomous operation.

ACS Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Thien Hoang; Shing Wong; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics. Advanced Intelligent Systems 2020, 2, 1 .

AMA Style

Mai Thanh Thai, Phuoc Thien Phan, Thien Hoang, Shing Wong, Nigel H. Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics. Advanced Intelligent Systems. 2020; 2 (8):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Thien Hoang; Shing Wong; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2020. "Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics." Advanced Intelligent Systems 2, no. 8: 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2020 in Soft Robotics
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Conformable robotic systems are attractive for applications in which they may actuate structures with large surface areas, provide forces through wearable garments, or enable autonomous robotic systems. We present a new family of soft actuators that we refer to as Fluidic Fabric Muscle Sheets (FFMS). They are composite fabric structures that integrate fluidic transmissions based on arrays of elastic tubes. These sheet-like actuators can strain, squeeze, bend, and conform to hard or soft objects of arbitrary shapes or sizes, including the human body. We show how to design and fabricate FFMS actuators via facile apparel engineering methods, including computerized sewing techniques that determine the stress and strain distributions that can be generated. We present a simple mathematical model that proves effective for predicting their performance. FFMS can operate at frequencies of 5 Hz or more, achieve engineering strains exceeding 100%, and exert forces >115 times their weight. They can be safely used in intimate contact with the human body even when delivering stresses exceeding 106 Pascals. We demonstrate their versatility for actuating a variety of bodies or structures, and in configurations that perform multiaxis actuation, including bending and shape change. As we also show, FFMS can be used to exert forces on body tissues for wearable and biomedical applications. We demonstrate several potential use cases, including a miniature steerable robot, a glove for grasp assistance, garments for applying compression to the extremities, and devices for actuating small body regions or tissues via localized skin stretch.

ACS Style

Mengjia Zhu; Thanh Nho Do; Elliot Hawkes; Yon Visell. Fluidic Fabric Muscle Sheets for Wearable and Soft Robotics. Soft Robotics 2020, 7, 179 -197.

AMA Style

Mengjia Zhu, Thanh Nho Do, Elliot Hawkes, Yon Visell. Fluidic Fabric Muscle Sheets for Wearable and Soft Robotics. Soft Robotics. 2020; 7 (2):179-197.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mengjia Zhu; Thanh Nho Do; Elliot Hawkes; Yon Visell. 2020. "Fluidic Fabric Muscle Sheets for Wearable and Soft Robotics." Soft Robotics 7, no. 2: 179-197.

Preprint
Published: 02 January 2020
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Surgical robots have had clinical use since the mid 1990s. Robot-assisted surgeries offer many benefits over the conventional approach including lower risk of infection and blood loss, shorter recovery, and an overall safer procedure for patients. The past few decades have shown many emerging surgical robotic platforms that can work in complex and confined channels of the internal human organs and improve the cognitive and physical skills of the surgeons during the operation. Advanced technologies for sensing, actuation, and intelligent control have enabled multiple surgical devices to simultaneously operate within the human body at low cost and with more efficiency. Despite advances, current surgical intervention systems are not able to execute autonomous tasks and make cognitive decisions that are analogous to that of humans. This paper will overview a historical development of surgery from conventional open to robotic-assisted approaches with discussion on the capabilities of advanced intelligent systems and devices that are currently implemented in existing surgical robotic systems. It will also revisit available autonomous surgical platforms with comments on the essential technologies, existing challenges, and suggestions for the future development of intelligent robotic-assisted surgical systems towards the achievement of fully autonomous operation.

ACS Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Shing Wong; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Mai Thanh Thai, Phuoc Thien Phan, Shing Wong, Nigel H. Lovell, Thanh Nho Do. Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mai Thanh Thai; Phuoc Thien Phan; Shing Wong; Nigel H. Lovell; Thanh Nho Do. 2020. "Advanced Intelligent Systems for Surgical Robotics." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2018 in Mechatronics
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In Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), a surgical robot that can access the human colon or stomach via natural orifices should have sufficient flexibility to pass through tortuous paths and to be operated in a confined space. In addition, the robot should possess an acceptable stiffness level to hold payloads during the surgery. This paper presents a new design concept for variable stiffness manipulators using thermoplastic material Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and a flexible stainless steel sheath as a heating media. The stiffness phases of PET can be actively adjusted through temperature. Experiments at different conditions showed that the proposed design was at least as flexible as a typical commercial endoscope in compliant mode and at least 9 times stiffer than the endoscope in stiff mode. In addition, flexural modulus of the proposed manipulator with respect to temperature, current, and time was modeled and validated through both simulation and experiments. A tendon-driven flexible robotic arm integrated with a variable stiffness spine was also developed, and ex vivo tests on fresh porcine tissue were conducted. The manipulator in compliant mode can be easily controlled through the tendons, and it is able to hold its shape against considerably large loads in stiff mode. The results demonstrate not only the high potential of the design concept for the future medical application but also the first steps toward building a complete surgical robotic system with fully controlled variable stiffness.

ACS Style

Huu Minh Le; Lin Cao; Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. Design and modelling of a variable stiffness manipulator for surgical robots. Mechatronics 2018, 53, 109 -123.

AMA Style

Huu Minh Le, Lin Cao, Thanh Nho Do, Soo Jay Phee. Design and modelling of a variable stiffness manipulator for surgical robots. Mechatronics. 2018; 53 ():109-123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Huu Minh Le; Lin Cao; Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. 2018. "Design and modelling of a variable stiffness manipulator for surgical robots." Mechatronics 53, no. : 109-123.

Cover picture
Published: 02 May 2018 in Advanced Functional Materials
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Yon Visell and co‐workers describe miniature soft electromagnetic actuators for applications in robotics. The devices, presented in article number 1800244, are based on fine helical inductors fabricated from silicone polymer colloids, eutectic Gallium Indium alloy, and magnetic (NdFeB) powder. Intrinsically deformable actuators are demonstrated for high frequency motion control, including a tactile display and a miniature soft robotic gripper.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Hung Phan; Thuc-Quyen Nguyen; Yon Visell. Soft Electromagnetic Actuators: Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications (Adv. Funct. Mater. 18/2018). Advanced Functional Materials 2018, 28, 1 .

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Hung Phan, Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, Yon Visell. Soft Electromagnetic Actuators: Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications (Adv. Funct. Mater. 18/2018). Advanced Functional Materials. 2018; 28 (18):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Hung Phan; Thuc-Quyen Nguyen; Yon Visell. 2018. "Soft Electromagnetic Actuators: Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications (Adv. Funct. Mater. 18/2018)." Advanced Functional Materials 28, no. 18: 1.

Conference paper
Published: 17 April 2018 in Structures Conference 2018
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This paper presents a new beam-column element model based on stress-resultant plasticity and damage mechanics for the collapse simulations and damage assessment of steel columns subjected to a variable axial force. The element formulation adopts a resultant-plasticity model with linear kinematic and isotropic hardening and utilizes a yield envelope to account for the axial-flexure interaction. The element model adopts a recent 1D damage hysteretic model to describe the strength and stiffness deterioration in the column response. The proposed element is able to capture the main characteristics of steel columns with softening response, including the strength and stiffness deterioration under monotonic and cyclic loading, the more severe strength deterioration under high axial compression, and the non-symmetrical flexural response under a variable axial force. The excellent accuracy is confirmed by the agreement with experimental results from a collection of steel column specimens under monotonic and cyclic loading. A case study of a multi-story steel special moment-resisting frame under a strong ground motion further showcases the capabilities of the proposed model. The dynamic response of the archetype structure suggests that if element damage is not accounted for in the structural model, both global collapse behavior and local element response are inaccurately described.

ACS Style

Thanh N. Do; Filip C. Filippou. Deterioration Modeling of Steel Columns under Variable Axial Forces. Structures Conference 2018 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Thanh N. Do, Filip C. Filippou. Deterioration Modeling of Steel Columns under Variable Axial Forces. Structures Conference 2018. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh N. Do; Filip C. Filippou. 2018. "Deterioration Modeling of Steel Columns under Variable Axial Forces." Structures Conference 2018 , no. : 1.

Article
Published: 05 March 2018 in Advanced Functional Materials
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Electromagnetic actuators (EMAs) serve the majority of motion control needs in fields ranging from industrial robotics to automotive systems and biomedical devices, due to their unmatched combination of speed, precision, force, and scalability. This paper describes the design and fabrication of miniature soft EMAs that operate based on the Lorentz force principle. The actuators are fabricated from silicone polymer, liquid metal (LM) alloy (eutectic gallium indium, EGaIn), and magnetic (NdFeB) powder. They are small, intrinsically deformable, and can be fabricated using simple techniques. The central elements of the actuators are fine, 3D helical coil conductors, which are used as electromagnetic inductors. The coils are formed from stretchable filaments that are filled with a LM alloy. To achieve high power densities, the filaments themselves may be fabricated from colloids of EGaIn microdroplets in a silicone polymer matrix, allowing them to dissipate heat and accommodate high currents, and thus high forces. Millimeter-scale cylindrical actuators are demonstrated for linear high frequency motion and articulated devices for bending motion. These actuators are applied in a vibrotactile feedback display and in a miniature soft robotic gripper.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Hung Phan; Thuc‐Quyen Nguyen; Yon Visell. Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications. Advanced Functional Materials 2018, 28, 1 .

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Hung Phan, Thuc‐Quyen Nguyen, Yon Visell. Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications. Advanced Functional Materials. 2018; 28 (18):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Hung Phan; Thuc‐Quyen Nguyen; Yon Visell. 2018. "Miniature Soft Electromagnetic Actuators for Robotic Applications." Advanced Functional Materials 28, no. 18: 1.

Chapter
Published: 03 February 2018 in Clinical Gastroenterology
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Robotics enables a variety of unconventional actuation strategies to be used for endoscopes, resulting in reduced trauma to the GI tract. For transmission of force to distally mounted endoscopic instruments, robotically actuated tendon-sheath mechanisms are the current state of the art. Robotics in surgical endoscopy enables an ergonomic mapping of the surgeon movements to remotely control the slave arms as well as to facilitate tissue manipulation. The learning curve for difficult procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection and full-thickness resection can be significantly reduced. Improved surgical outcomes are also observed from clinical and preclinical trials. The technology behind master-slave surgical robotics will continue to mature, with the addition of position and force sensors enabling better control and tactile feedback. More robotic-assisted gastrointestinal (GI) luminal and natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) systems are expected to be conducted in future, and gastroenterologists will have a key collaborative role to play.

ACS Style

Tian En Timothy Seah; Thanh Nho Do; Nobuyoshi Takeshita; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems and the Future Ahead. Clinical Gastroenterology 2018, 521 -536.

AMA Style

Tian En Timothy Seah, Thanh Nho Do, Nobuyoshi Takeshita, Khek Yu Ho, Soo Jay Phee. Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems and the Future Ahead. Clinical Gastroenterology. 2018; ():521-536.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tian En Timothy Seah; Thanh Nho Do; Nobuyoshi Takeshita; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. 2018. "Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems and the Future Ahead." Clinical Gastroenterology , no. : 521-536.

Journal article
Published: 11 May 2017 in Scientific Reports
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Stretchable and flexible multifunctional electronic components, including sensors and actuators, have received increasing attention in robotics, electronics, wearable, and healthcare applications. Despite advances, it has remained challenging to design analogs of many electronic components to be highly stretchable, to be efficient to fabricate, and to provide control over electronic performance. Here, we describe highly elastic sensors and interconnects formed from thin, twisted conductive microtubules. These devices consist of twisted assemblies of thin, highly stretchable (>400%) elastomer tubules filled with liquid conductor (eutectic gallium indium, EGaIn), and fabricated using a simple roller coating process. As we demonstrate, these devices can operate as multimodal sensors for strain, rotation, contact force, or contact location. We also show that, through twisting, it is possible to control their mechanical performance and electronic sensitivity. In extensive experiments, we have evaluated the capabilities of these devices, and have prototyped an array of applications in several domains of stretchable and wearable electronics. These devices provide a novel, low cost solution for high performance stretchable electronics with broad applications in industry, healthcare, and consumer electronics, to emerging product categories of high potential economic and societal significance.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Yon Visell. Stretchable, Twisted Conductive Microtubules for Wearable Computing, Robotics, Electronics, and Healthcare. Scientific Reports 2017, 7, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Yon Visell. Stretchable, Twisted Conductive Microtubules for Wearable Computing, Robotics, Electronics, and Healthcare. Scientific Reports. 2017; 7 (1):1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Yon Visell. 2017. "Stretchable, Twisted Conductive Microtubules for Wearable Computing, Robotics, Electronics, and Healthcare." Scientific Reports 7, no. 1: 1-12.

Conference paper
Published: 01 May 2017 in 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
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Variable stiffness for robotics is attracting increasing attention from researchers in the field of surgical robots. A surgical robot that can access the human colon or stomach via natural orifices must be flexible enough to pass through tortuous paths and to work in a confined space. Meanwhile, the robot must also be stiff enough to ensure pushability and to hold high payloads during the surgery. Thus, surgical robots with variable stiffness are desirable. This paper presents a new design concept for variable stiffness manipulators using a thermoplastic material - Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) - and a flexible stainless steel sheath as a heating solution. The stiffness of PET can be flexibly adjusted through temperature. Experiments and validations were carried out at different conditions. The results showed that our proposed design is at least as flexible as a typical commercial endoscope when flexibility is desired and meanwhile at least 9 times stiffer than the endoscope when stiffness is desired (Flexural modulus was compared). A tendon-driven manipulator based on the proposed concept was also developed. Validation tests showed that the manipulator in compliant mode can be significantly bent through cable actuation, and the manipulator in stiff mode is able to maintain its shape against considerably large loads.

ACS Style

Huu Minh Le; Thanh Nho Do; Lin Cao; Soo Jay Phee. Towards active variable stiffness manipulators for surgical robots. 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2017, 1766 -1771.

AMA Style

Huu Minh Le, Thanh Nho Do, Lin Cao, Soo Jay Phee. Towards active variable stiffness manipulators for surgical robots. 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). 2017; ():1766-1771.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Huu Minh Le; Thanh Nho Do; Lin Cao; Soo Jay Phee. 2017. "Towards active variable stiffness manipulators for surgical robots." 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) , no. : 1766-1771.

Conference paper
Published: 04 April 2017 in Structures Congress 2017
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ACS Style

Thanh N. Do; Filip C. Filippou; J. G. (Greg) Soules. A Damage Model for the Simulation and Assessment of Structures with Degrading Element Behavior. Structures Congress 2017 2017, 315 -327.

AMA Style

Thanh N. Do, Filip C. Filippou, J. G. (Greg) Soules. A Damage Model for the Simulation and Assessment of Structures with Degrading Element Behavior. Structures Congress 2017. 2017; ():315-327.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh N. Do; Filip C. Filippou; J. G. (Greg) Soules. 2017. "A Damage Model for the Simulation and Assessment of Structures with Degrading Element Behavior." Structures Congress 2017 , no. : 315-327.

Preprint
Published: 15 March 2017
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Robotics enables a variety of unconventional actuation strategies to be used for endoscopes, resulting in reduced trauma to the GI tract. For transmission of force to distally mounted endoscopic instruments, robotically actuated tendon sheath mechanisms are the current state of the art. Robotics in surgical endoscopy enables an ergonomic mapping of the surgeon movements to remotely controlled slave arms, facilitating tissue manipulation. The learning curve for difficult procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection and full-thickness resection can be significantly reduced. Improved surgical outcomes are also observed from clinical and pre-clinical trials. The technology behind master-slave surgical robotics will continue to mature, with the addition of position and force sensors enabling better control and tactile feedback. More robotic assisted GI luminal and NOTES surgeries are expected to be conducted in future, and gastroenterologists will have a key collaborative role to play.

ACS Style

Tian En Timothy Seah; Thanh Nho Do; Nobuyoshi Takeshita; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. Future of Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems. 2017, 1 .

AMA Style

Tian En Timothy Seah, Thanh Nho Do, Nobuyoshi Takeshita, Khek Yu Ho, Soo Jay Phee. Future of Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems. . 2017; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tian En Timothy Seah; Thanh Nho Do; Nobuyoshi Takeshita; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. 2017. "Future of Flexible Robotic Endoscopy Systems." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2016 in Scientific Reports
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Overweight and obesity have been identified as a cause of high risk diseases like diabetes and cancer. Although conventional Intragastric Balloons (IGBs) have become an efficient and less invasive method for overweight and obesity treatment, the use of conventional tools such as catheter or endoscope to insert and remove the IGBs from the patient’s body causes nausea, vomiting, discomfort, and even gastric mucous damage. To eliminate these drawbacks, we develop a novel magnetic soft capsule device with gas-filled balloon inflation. The balloon is made from a thin and biocompatible material that can be inflated to a desired volume using biocompatible effervescent chemicals. In addition, both the outer balloon and inner capsule are designed to be soft and chemical resistance. The soft capsule shell is fabricated using scaffold-solvent approach while the outer balloon utilizes a novel fabrication approach for 3D spherical structure. A prototype of the proposed capsule and balloon is given. Experiments are successfully carried out in stimulated gastric environment and fresh porcine stomach to validate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed approach.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. A Magnetic Soft Endoscopic Capsule-Inflated Intragastric Balloon for Weight Management. Scientific Reports 2016, 6, 39486 .

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Khek Yu Ho, Soo Jay Phee. A Magnetic Soft Endoscopic Capsule-Inflated Intragastric Balloon for Weight Management. Scientific Reports. 2016; 6 (1):39486.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. 2016. "A Magnetic Soft Endoscopic Capsule-Inflated Intragastric Balloon for Weight Management." Scientific Reports 6, no. 1: 39486.

Conference paper
Published: 01 December 2016 in 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)
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Obesity is defined as an unhealthy excess of body fat, which increases the risks of medical illness and premature mortality. There are multiple health risks linked to obesity such as heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancers, gallbladder disease and gallstones, osteoarthritis, gout, and breathing problems like sleep apnea, and asthma. Intragastric balloons (IGBs) have become an efficient and less invasive method for obesity treatment. However, the use of traditional IGBs requires complex insertion tools and flexible endoscopes to place and remove the balloon inside patient's stomach. This causes abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, and gastric mucous damage. To overcome these limitations, we designed a novel magnetic soft capsule robot for obesity treatment with magnetically actuated inflatable IGB. The balloon is made from a thin, flexible, biocompatible material, and is inflated to a desired volume using biocompatible effervescent chemicals. Instead of using complex deflation mechanism, a biodegradable material is developed to automatically deflate the balloon after a predetermined period of treatment. In addition, multiple capsules can be simultaneously swallowed. As the source of actuation is provided via external magnetic fields, the magnetic soft capsule size can be significantly reduced with no limitations on the power consumption. A prototype of magnetic soft capsule is developed. Experiments are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Phuoc Thien Phan; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. A magnetic soft endoscopic capsule for non-surgical overweight and obese treatments. 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) 2016, 2388 -2393.

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Phuoc Thien Phan, Khek Yu Ho, Soo Jay Phee. A magnetic soft endoscopic capsule for non-surgical overweight and obese treatments. 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). 2016; ():2388-2393.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Phuoc Thien Phan; Khek Yu Ho; Soo Jay Phee. 2016. "A magnetic soft endoscopic capsule for non-surgical overweight and obese treatments." 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) , no. : 2388-2393.

Journal article
Published: 01 August 2016 in Sensors and Actuators A: Physical
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ACS Style

Huu Minh Le; Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. A survey on actuators-driven surgical robots. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 2016, 247, 323 -354.

AMA Style

Huu Minh Le, Thanh Nho Do, Soo Jay Phee. A survey on actuators-driven surgical robots. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical. 2016; 247 ():323-354.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Huu Minh Le; Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. 2016. "A survey on actuators-driven surgical robots." Sensors and Actuators A: Physical 247, no. : 323-354.

Preprint
Published: 24 June 2016
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Flexible tendon sheath mechanism is commonly used in NOTES systems because it offers high flexibility, light weight, and easy transmission. Due to the size constraints and sterilization problems, traditional sensors like force/torque sensor are extremely difficult to place at the tool tips of surgical arms. In addition, nonlinear dynamic friction and backlash cause challenges to provide haptic feedback to the surgeons when the robotic arms are inside the patient's body. Hence, it is extremely difficult to provide the force information to haptic devices and subsequently to the surgeons. To deal with these problems, in this paper we propose a new approach of friction model in the tendon-sheath mechanism to provide the force at distal end of endoscopic system. In comparison with current approaches in the literature, the proposed model is able to provide force information at zero velocity and it is smooth. In addition, the model is independent configuration and able to capture friction force with any complex sheath shapes. A suitable experimental setup is established to validate the proposed approach using the two degrees of freedom Master-Slave system. The validity of the proposed approach is confirmed with a good agreement between the estimated model and real experimental data. Finally, a force feedback structure is also given for use in flexible endoscopic systems.

ACS Style

Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. Haptic Feedback in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). 2016, 1 .

AMA Style

Thanh Nho Do, Soo Jay Phee. Haptic Feedback in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). . 2016; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Thanh Nho Do; Soo Jay Phee. 2016. "Haptic Feedback in Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES)." , no. : 1.