A Phase-Change-Material-Based Variable Stiffness Sheath Inspired by a Multi-Layer Wave Spring Structure for Flexible Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Robots
Continuum robots employed in flexible gastrointestinal endoscopy require the capability of transitioning between the flexible and the rigid states. Phase-change-material-based variable stiffness (VS) methods exhibit a significant stiffness change ratio but are typically time-consuming. Besides, thes…