Surgical and Interventional Robotic Assistants (SIERRA)

This is a platform to develop and link robotic assistants to imaging and sensing devices and to the algorithm capabilities within the Centre.

Its core focus is:

• Assistive robotic arms - using the KUKA platforms in the CBH basement to begin with to support holding sensors, guiding instruments, and eventually leading to our own, low-cost, fully in house robotic arm and control box
• Developing low profile, custom actuated systems to intervene in difficult to access areas and potentially embed imaging or sensing technologies within flexible but actuated instruments.

It will initially support projects and clinical studies using the da Vinci platform for surgery - e.g. prostate/kidney - but will link to wider capability for example in supporting ablation needle guides or neuro-interventional work. It can also support the development of activity at animal facilities if a robot is placed there.

A key focus will be on utilising the WEISS infrastructure in robotic systems and building the needed interfaces for each one, control wrappers and messaging systems, and developing the framework for how regulation can be achieved for systems built from scratch (i.e. our own) or on top of existing platforms that are approved (e.g. KUKA, da Vinci). The internally built systems, our own devices, will be compliant to these considerations from the outset.

The platform will be intrinsically linked to other platforms in imaging and computational algorithm development by building systems to carry these capabilities. It will be supported by electronics capabilities developed within the Centre.

Platform lead:
Prof Danail Stoyanov