Three-axis tactile display using PDMS pneumatic actuator for robot-assisted surgery

This paper proposes and demonstrates the 3-axis tactile display actuator using PDMS pneumatic balloons for a robot assisted surgery system. Inflated balloons on the upper surface generate normal forces to a fingertip. In addition, the lateral actuation by side balloons in 2-axis generate shear force to an operator. This operation is suitable for mounting on the operator´s fingers for normal and shear force feedback from a surgical robot. All polymer lightweight pneumatic tactile actuator designed to display forces at a grasp mounted on a robot arm in the robot assisted surgery system. Through this actuator, we are able to solve the problem of physical isolation reported in previous references and provide virtual surgery environment to a surgeon.