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The FLEXMIN haptic robotic system is a single-port tele-manipulator for robotic surgery in the small pelvis. Using a transanal approach it allows bi-manual tasks such as grasping, monopolar cutting, and suturing with a footprint of Ø 160 x 240 mm³. Forces up to 5 N in all direction can be applied easily. In addition to provide low latency and highly dynamic control over its movements, high-fidelity haptic feedback was realised using built-in force sensors, lightweight and friction-optimized kinematics as well as dedicated parallel kinematics input devices. After a brief description of the system and some of its key aspects, first evaluation results will be presented. In the second half of the talk the Institute of Medical Device Technology will be presented. The institute was founded in July 2017 and has ever since started a number of projects in the field of biomedical actuation, medical systems and robotics and advanced light microscopy. To illustrate this a few snapshots of bits and pieces will be presented that are condensation nuclei for the future.
Prof. Peter Pott (Institute of Medical Device Technology, University of Stuttgart)
Director
Peter P. Pott received his Dipl. Ing. (FH) in mechanical engineering in 2000 from Mannheim University of Applied Sciences in Germany in 2000. While working as a research assistant in the Laboratory for Biomechanics and Experimental Orthopaedics at the University Medical Centre (part of the University of Heidelberg, Germany) he did his Ph.D. in automatic control and finally received it in 2008 at the Automation Lab at Mannheim University. He spent the time between 2009 and 2011 as a PostDoc at the Institute of Electromechanic Design at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany and held the position of the Scientific Director of this institute between 2011 and 2016. Here, he was head of the Actuation & Kinematics group and in charge of the Actuation & Sensors group within the framework project AdRIA in Darmstadt. This mainly dealt with adaptronics and vibration control and new actuation technologies. During these years he focussed on the field of medical robotics and actuation. He has developed and influenced a number of medical robots for orthopaedic and minimally invasive surgery. Between summer 2016 and 2017 he spent exactly 365 days at Leica Microsystems in Mannheim, Germany developing high-end confocal microscopes and accessories. Finally, since July 2017, he is Director of the Institute of Medical Device Technology at Stuttgart University.