New Octopus Robot Arm May Help Conduct Surgeries in the Future

An octopus arm may have inspired the creation of a new surgical tool. Scientists have created a robotic arm that can bend stretch and squeeze through cluttered environments.

The new device was specifically designed for surgical operations. In theory, it may allow surgeons to easily access remote, confined regions of the body and, once there, manipulate soft organs without damaging them.

The new device holds a key advantage over traditional surgical tools. It has the ability to quickly transform from a bending, flexible instrument into a stiff and rigid instrument.

An octopus arm is highly versatile. The arm can change its length and bend in any direction at any point along the arm. In addition, the octopus can vary the stiffness of its arms temporarily by transforming the flexible limbs into stiffened segments. This allows the animal to move and interact with objects.

In order to achieve the same effect in the robotic arm, the researchers constructed a device that was made from two interconnecting identical modules. Each module could be made to move by the inflation of three cylindrical chambers that were equally spaced inside the module. By alternating and combining the inflation of the three chambers, the module could be made to bend and stretch in various directions.

"The human body represents a highly challenging and non-structured environment, where the capabilities of the octopus can provide several advantages with respect to traditional surgical tools," said Tommaso Ranzani, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "Generally, the octopus has no rigid structures and can thus adapt the shape of its body to its environment. Taking advantage of the lack of rigid skeletal support, the eight highly flexible and long arms can twist, change their length or bend in any direction at any point along the arm."

The researchers actually demonstrated that the robotic arm they created could manipulate organs while surgical tasks are performed in simulated scenarios where organs were represented by water-filled balloons.

"We believe our device is the first step to creating an instrument that is able to perform all of these tasks, as well as reach remote areas of the body and safely support organs around the target site," said Ranzani.

The findings are published in the journal Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

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