Engineering#13 in July 2026 EditionBimodal soft robotic grippers for high-speed automated micro-manipulation in delicate surgical fields
Hiroshi Murata, Arthur Campbell, Francesca Bianchi et al.
OPENSTEM EDITORIAL SUMMARY
What the research examines
This paper reports a pneumatically driven elastomeric micro-gripper featuring embedded optical fiber tactile sensors that seamlessly alternates between gentle suction adhesion and mechanical pinch gripping, manipulating fragile organ tissues with sub-millinewton force control.
Why it may matter
Reduces tissue trauma and accidental rupture risks during minimally invasive robotic microsurgery.
What to examine carefully
Elastomeric chambers exhibit non-linear viscoelastic hysteresis that complicates high-frequency closed-loop control.
Editorial scope: This is a concise, independently written introduction based on the publisher information, not a full systematic review or independent replication. It must not replace reading the original methods, limitations and conclusions.
STUDENT RESEARCH LENS · ORIGINAL OPENSTEM NOTES
Try a small, reproducible follow-up
Model pressure-deflection relationships of an elastomeric pneumatic bending actuator using hyperelastic Yeoh material strain energy functions.
Questions to investigate
- How were fiber-optic Bragg gratings protected from mechanical delamination inside the elastomer matrix?
- What sterilizability tests (autoclaving, gamma radiation) were conducted to verify clinical compatibility?
These are independently proposed educational investigations, not activities that the original research authors claim to have completed.
Publication & researcher information
JournalScience Robotics
Published online2026-07-16
Authors (selected)Hiroshi Murata, Arthur Campbell, Francesca Bianchi et al.
University / laboratoryTokyo Institute of Technology
CountryJapan
Multi-author research may involve universities in several countries. Unverified institutions and contact addresses are not inferred from authors' names.