This National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) project grant award of $731,541 to the Regents of the University of California at Riverside (UC Riverside) will create a new class of microfabricated mesoscale surgical robots with shape-memory alloy (SMA) actuators, integrated sensors, and advanced control algorithms. The goal is to develop soft robots capable of safely navigating within the human body and performing dexterous manipulation of soft tissue for minimally invasive surgery. Key research thrusts include fabricating soft SMA bimorphs, implementing data-driven control and model-based estimation, and creating multi-degree-of-freedom mesoscale SMA robots. This project will advance the capabilities of surgical robots to improve the safety and efficacy of endovascular catheterization and tissue ablation procedures, with the potential to benefit an aging population. The award period is from Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2029.
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