Origami-Inspired Miniature Manipulator

Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, in which a surgeon uses tools and a tiny camera inserted into small incisions to perform operations, has made surgical procedures safer for both patients and doctors. Surgical robots further assist surgeons by allowing them to manipulate multiple tools at once with greater precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with traditional techniques. These robotic systems are extremely large, often taking up an entire room and their tools can be much larger than the delicate tissues and structures on which they operate.