Soft Hybrid Actuated Hierarchical Bronchoscope Robot for Deep Lung Examination

Lung diseases account for approximately one in six deaths globally, highlighting the urgent need for advanced diagnostic and examination methods. Conventional bronchoscopes face limitations, such as a single driving method, large size, and inadequate flexibility, hindering the examination of deep lung diseases. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of the current design methodologies for bronchoscope robots, along with their limitations. Subsequently, we introduce a novel hybrid actuated hierarchical design paradigm aimed at achieving miniaturization of the bronchoscope robot. The experimental results demonstrate the proposed robot’s ability to easily access various bronchioles while maintaining exceptional positioning control. This study investigates the potential of hierarchical design paradigm in lung disease examination and aims to further the development of the medical field.