CRAS2015 - 10-11-12 September 2015, Brussels, Belgium
CRAS2015 - 10-11-12 September 2015, Brussels, Belgium
Demonstrations and discussions with clinicians at the end of the 4th integration week
Demonstrations and discussions with clinicians at the end of the 4th integration week
Progress was made to integrate all algorithms into the CASCADE platform at the 3rd integration meeting in ZHAW. Also socially a succesfull event.
Progress was made to integrate all algorithms into the CASCADE platform at the 3rd integration meeting in ZHAW. Also socially a succesfull event.
CRAS 2014 Workshop Genoa, Italy
CRAS 2014 Workshop Genoa, Italy

Extended abstracts to be submitted for the 4thd Joint Workshop on new Technologies for Computer/Robot-assisted Surgery - Deadline 20 August '14

CASCADE researchers runner up at CoSUR workshop - IROS 2013
CASCADE researchers runner up at CoSUR workshop - IROS 2013
Pictures and press coverage of the CRAS 2013 workshop in Verona
Pictures and press coverage of the CRAS 2013 workshop in Verona

CASCADE's first workshop took place in Verona. The CRAS workshop co-organised with the University of Verona was a big success.

CASCADE 1st General Assembly, Leuven
CASCADE 1st General Assembly, Leuven

The first CASCADE General Assembly was held in the University Library, in Heverlee on 21 and 22 February 2013.

CASCADE kick-off in Hamlyn Center for Robotic Surgery, London
CASCADE kick-off in Hamlyn Center for Robotic Surgery, London

CASCADE successfully kicked off in two day event at Hamlyn Center for Robotic Surgery, London

KU Leuven - Department of Mechanical Engineering
KU Leuven - Department of Mechanical Engineering

The CASCADE project is coordinated by the department of mechanical engineering of KU Leuven

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Cognitive AutonomouS CAtheter operating in Dynamic Environments

by Emmanuel Vander Poorten — last modified May 06, 2014 02:22 PM
From 2013-02-01 to 2016-01-31

Objective

Recent efforts in robotics and automation research have fostered the development of a wide variety of bio-inspired snake-like continuum robots. These robots require radically different controllers and control schemes compared to conventional rigid robots, but continuum control has not received significant attention in the scientific community. Robotic catheters are a particularly challenging specialization of continuum robots because the vascular tree surrounding the catheter is complex, delicate, deformable and highly dynamic. This challenge is further complicated by the limited visibility during the procedure. CASCADE will develop a unified control framework for continuum robots that can operate in complex and deformable environments and specifically in the cardiovascular system. The project will construct general mathematical descriptions of the continuum robot and its surroundings while model parameters will be identified during clinical operation. In cases where fusing pre-operative data with intra-operative sensors does not provide sufficient information to allow reliable decision-making, active sensing techniques will be adopted. An interface to the supervising surgeon will enable cognitive links between the operator and the continuum robot, facilitating complementary assistance during autonomous execution of surgical tasks.

The interface will also be used for learning and robotic training and further for validation of techniques using identified clinical benchmarks. The resulting development will allow the control of local (interaction force / stiffness) and global (shape) robot states at an unprecedented level of detail. The developed skill analysis tools will be used to verify the achievable control performance of continuum robots in catheter procedures. In particular, CASCADE will advance the treatment of cardiovascular diseases by providing a new dexterous and intelligent instrument that is initially focused on endovascular aortic valve replacement.

Project Details