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Mechatronics in Medicine

The MIM Lab develops robotic and mechatronics surgical systems for a variety of procedures.

Head of Group

B415C Bessemer Building
South Kensington Campus

+44 (0)20 7594 7046

What we do

The Mechatronics in Medicine Laboratory develops robotic and mechatronics surgical systems for a variety of procedures including neuro, cardiovascular, orthopaedic surgeries, and colonoscopies. Examples include bio-inspired catheters that can navigate along complex paths within the brain (such as EDEN2020), soft robots to explore endoluminal anatomies (such as the colon), and virtual reality solutions to support surgeons during knee replacement surgeries.

Meet the team

Mr Ayhan Aktas
Casual - Student demonstrator - lower rate

Dr Daniel Bautista Salinas
Research Associate

Dr Kaiwen Chen
Research Associate

Mr Zejian Cui
Research Assistant

Mr Connor Daly
Research Postgraduate

Emeritus Professor Brian L Davies FREng
Emeritus Professor

Mr Zhaoyang Jacopo Hu
Research Postgraduate

Dr Hisham M Iqbal
Research Associate

Mr Alex Ranne
Research Postgraduate

Professor Ferdinando M Rodriguez y Baena
Co-Director of Hamlyn Centre, Professor of Medical Robotics

Dr Jialei Shi
Research Associate

Mr Spyridon Souipas
Casual - Other work

Ms Emilia Zari
Research Postgraduate

Citation

BibTex format

@inproceedings{Zari:2024:10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10521980,
author = {Zari, E and Grillo, D and Tan, Z and Swiatek, N and Linfoot, JD and Borvorntanajanya, K and Nasca, L and Pierro, E and Florea, L and Dini, D and Rodriguez, Y Baena F},
doi = {10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10521980},
pages = {270--275},
title = {A Reinforced Light-Responsive Hydrogel for Soft Robotics Actuation},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10521980},
year = {2024}
}

Download

RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Light-responsive hydrogels are intelligent materials that respond to external light stimuli. When exposed to light, they shrink by releasing water, enabling non-invasive, cost-effective, and remotely controllable actuation. Their adaptability to light parameters such as intensity, direction, wavelength, and irradiation time makes these materials ideal for developing soft robotic actuators. However, hydrogel-based actuators face several challenges due to poor mechanical properties, complex fabrication, and biocompatibility concerns. To address these limitations, this study presents a light-driven 3D-printed elastomer/hydrogel composite actuator. The soft photo-actuator combines TangoPlus, a flexible 3D printing material, with a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel copolymerized with the photochromic molecule spiropyran. The study's key contributions include an investigation into prototypes that demonstrate enhanced mechanical integrity, where hydrogel thickness and curing time are shown to affect the actuator's shrinkage response in a predictable manner. Furthermore, a proof-of-concept of a 3D gripping mechanism is proposed to demonstrate the actuator's potential applicability.
AU  - Zari,E
AU  - Grillo,D
AU  - Tan,Z
AU  - Swiatek,N
AU  - Linfoot,JD
AU  - Borvorntanajanya,K
AU  - Nasca,L
AU  - Pierro,E
AU  - Florea,L
AU  - Dini,D
AU  - Rodriguez,Y Baena F
DO  - 10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10521980
EP  - 275
PY  - 2024///
SP  - 270
TI  - A Reinforced Light-Responsive Hydrogel for Soft Robotics Actuation
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/RoboSoft60065.2024.10521980
ER  -