ABSTRACT To achieve the force sensing at the sub‐5 mm end effector of a continuum robot, optical fiber ‘nerves’ —incorporating the Fabry‐Pérot (FP) cavity and step‐etched fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) was proposed to sense the multimodal forces (clamping force, 3‐axis wrist force, and driving force) and shape awareness. The proposed laser‐welded package solved the problem of clinical application adaptability, enabling the robot to withstand sterilization (15 cycles) and maintain an error of <5% over 60 days of operation. Combined with the in situ calibration method, the surgical robot can maintain high force measurement accuracy in cadaver specimens and live animal experiments. The master‐slave teleoperation system with feedback of clamping and 3‐axis wrist force also reduces the operation force by 30%–40%, improving the safety of surgical operations. The proposed method opens new avenues for developing smart surgical instruments with inherent sensing capabilities.
Li et al. (Sun,) studied this question.