- Researchers at the University of Florida and the University of Tennessee are developing technology to improve surgical outcomes.
- Shuai Li, Ph.D., and his colleagues have developed a soft, magnetically driven, AI-powered, nature-inspired robotic device that mimics the human eye.
- The device also has implications for lunar construction.
What do laparoscopic surgery and robotic lunar construction have in common? Plenty, as it turns out, for Shuai Li, Ph.D., associate professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering.
Li and the lead investigator on the project, the University of Tennessee’s Jindong Tan, Ph.D., are working to create technology that could improve surgical outcomes while paving the way for more efficient and safer remote construction—by mimicking the human eye.
Imagine a surgeon performing laparoscopic surgery in the abdomen of a patient in critical condition. A camera is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen, which is inflated with carbon dioxide to move the abdominal wall away from organs, thereby improving visibility. So far, so good. The surgical team can see and perform the procedure with confidence.
But what happens if the camera lens is suddenly obscured by blood or something else? The camera has to come out to be cleaned, and precious time is lost.
Supported by funding from the National Science Foundation, Li and his team have developed a soft, magnetically driven, AI-powered, nature-inspired robotic device that operates much like the human eye — blinking, using tears to clean away contaminants and automatically moving around to get the best view.