Model-less control of a flexible robotic catheter

Flexible robotics are capable of navigating through unstructured environments such as a human body, where it can safely conform around environmental obstacles and constraints due to its compliant body. Because these environmental disturbances can affect the configuration of the robot in an unknown and unpredictable manner, conventional kinematicsand mechanics-based control methods can be inaccurate and can lead to robot singularities and controller instabilities. Using model-less control, we demonstrate control of a flexible robot manipulator without requiring a model. Furthermore, we show its application in a tissue ablation task using a flexible catheter. Model-less control provides a robust control strategy for flexible manipulators in unstructured environments, and offers a simple and effective alternative for controlling robots with complex kinematics and mechanics.