Design of a Spring Backbone Micro Endoscope

Abstract

This work introduces a modified endoscope structure that employs a spring as its backbone. This design allows backdrivability of the mechanism due to the flexibility of the spring structure. Furthermore, the full 3 DOF motion including compression and two rotational motions can be realized. The geometric analysis, kinematic modeling, and actuator sizing for this device are conducted. Both simulation and experiment have been performed to show the effectiveness of this device.