Flexible Endoscope

Flexible endoscopes are robotic devices designed to improve minimally invasive surgeries by providing greater dexterity and control within confined spaces. Current research focuses on enhancing their adaptability and autonomy through advanced control algorithms, such as model predictive control and deep reinforcement learning, often integrated with visual servoing and sensor feedback from fiber Bragg gratings to enable precise shape and force estimation. These advancements aim to increase the safety and efficiency of procedures like colonoscopy and neurosurgery, reducing patient discomfort and improving surgical outcomes.