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A Bionic Multichannel Whisker System for Assisting Endoluminal Intervention
Zeyu Wang1,2, Frank P-W Lo1, Junhong Chen1
1Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Cyborg and Bionic Systems (Washington, D.C.)
|August 6, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a bionic whisker system for endoscopic interventions, enhancing tissue property assessment and providing real-time force feedback. This tactile sensing technology aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient safety in gastrointestinal procedures.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Robotics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Conventional endoscopic systems primarily rely on visual inspection, lacking the ability to assess critical mechanical tissue properties.
- Undetected mechanical signatures like stiffness and texture can lead to missed diagnoses, incomplete treatments, and adverse events in gastrointestinal interventions.
- There is a need for advanced sensing modalities to complement existing endoscopic tools for improved diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel bionic multichannel whisker system for endoluminal interventions.
- To enable precise measurement of tissue mechanical properties and provide real-time radial force feedback.
- To enhance the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of endoscopic procedures through tactile sensing.
Main Methods:
- Development of a bionic multichannel whisker system inspired by rat whiskers, integrating tactile sensing hardware and signal processing algorithms.
- Implementation of affine transformation for calibration, ensuring cross-channel consistency and compensating for variances.
- Validation of the system in both robotic and manual endoscopic settings.
Main Results:
- The bionic whisker system demonstrated accurate measurements of tissue properties, including texture and shape reconstruction.
- Real-time radial force feedback was successfully provided, enhancing the system's utility.
- The system showed reliable performance across various experimental conditions, validating its effectiveness.
Conclusions:
- The bionic multichannel whisker system offers a practical solution for augmenting endoluminal interventions with tactile sensing capabilities.
- This technology has the potential to improve the detection of gastrointestinal diseases and enhance surgical outcomes.
- The compact design supports integration with current endoscopic instruments, paving the way for advanced tactile sensing in surgical robotics.