Body Contact Estimation of Continuum Robots With Tension-Profile Sensing of Actuation Fibers

Cable-driven continuum robots are widely used for endoluminal intervention because of their dexterity and shape conforming steerability. However, body contact between the continuum robot and its surrounding anatomy is unavoidable, which imposes a potential safety risk, including vessel wall damage or even perforation. This article presents an approach for body contact estimation of continuum robots with tension-profile sensing of actuation fibers. First, tension-sensing optical fibers with multiple inscribed fiber Bragg grating sensors are used for both actuation and in-situ sensing of the continuum robot. Second, a beam theory-based mechanical model considering segmental differences, multiple fiber interactions, and external force interactions is established, followed by robust estimation of contact positions and forces. Finally, detailed simulations are conducted to validate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. Experiments on a notched continuum robot are carried out, and the results show that the proposed approach can effectively recover in-situ segmental actuation forces without the need of explicit modeling of the friction between the fibers and guiding channels. The method enables the estimation of the number of contact points, as well as contact positions and contact forces along the body of the continuum robot.