Bioinspired handheld time-share driven robot with expandable dexterity

Abstract Handheld robots are welcome solutions with a short learning curve to extend operator capabilities. However, the controllable degree-of-freedoms are limited due to scarce space for actuators. Inspired by muscle movements stimulated by nerves, we report a handheld time-share driven robot composed of several motion modules powered by only one motor. The modules are connected to shape memory alloy wires as nerves for activation, to be actuated by the motor. The robot contains a 202-gram motor base and a 1.2 cm diameter manipulator consisting of serially socketed bending modules. The manipulator can be tailored in length and integrated with various instruments in situ, for non-invasive access and high-dexterous operation on remote surgical sites. The applicability was demonstrated in clinical scenarios, where a surgeon held the robot to perform transluminal experiments on a human stomach model and an ex vivo porcine stomach. The time-share driven mechanism provides a practical way to build a multi-degree-of-freedom robot for broader applications.