Soft actuators with accurate and real-time motion perception are of great importance for flexible machines and artificial intelligence robotics to enable an autonomic response to surroundings. To enhance the sensing-signal reliability and calibration, synchronous motion perception with multiplex feedback signals is desired but has not been sufficiently explored. Herein, we present a soft bimorph actuator that has electrical and visual dual channel signal feedback functions for real-time multiplex motion perception. Cellulose paper and polyimide tape were assembled together as bimorph actuation layers on which an MXene/graphene bilayer was coated for electrothermal function and electrical signal feedback and a thermochromic interlayer was used for real-time visual signal feedback. Based on the proposed actuators, three kinds of bionic robotics and an electro-puppetry robot, "Wu Song Fights the Tiger", with motion-programmable

The world was unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, and recovery is likely to be a long process. Robots have long been heralded to take on dangerous, dull, and dirty jobs, often in environments that are unsuitable for humans. Could robots be used to fight future pandemics? We review the fundamental requirements for robotics for infectious disease management and outline how robotic technologies can be used in different scenarios, including disease prevention and monitoring, clinical care, laboratory automation, logistics, and maintenance of socioeconomic activities. We also address some of the open challenges for developing advanced robots that are application oriented, reliable, safe, and rapidly deployable when needed. Last, we look at the ethical use of robots and call for globally sustained efforts in order for robots to be ready for future outbreaks.

Dexterous continuum manipulators (DCMs) have been widely adopted for minimally- and less-invasive surgery. During the operation, these DCMs interact with surrounding anatomy actively or passively. The interaction force will inevitably affect the tip position and shape of DCMs, leading to potentially inaccurate control near critical anatomy. In this paper, we demonstrated a 2D mechanical model for a tendon actuated, notched DCM with compliant joints. The model predicted deformation of the DCM accurately in the presence of tendon force, friction force, and external force. A partition approach was proposed to describe the DCM as a series of interconnected rigid and flexible links. Beam mechanics, taking into consideration tendon interaction and external force on the tip and the body, was applied to obtain the deformation of each flexible link of the DCM. The model results were compared with experiments for free bending as well as bending in the presence of external forces acting at either the tip or body of the DCM. The overall mean error of tip position between model predictions and all of the experimental results was 0.62±0.41mm. The results suggest that the proposed model can effectively predict the shape of the DCM.

This paper proposes a master-slave catheterisation system including a steerable catheter with positioning function and an insertion mechanism with force feedback. The steerable catheter is integrated with two magnetic tracking sensors for positioning. The distal shape of catheter is displayed with virtual vascular model to generate 3D guiding image to provide the relative relationship between the catheter and its surrounding vessels. The master-slave insertion mechanism with differential gear structure is designed with force feedback to assist surgeons to manipulate the catheter. It can implement pulling/pushing, rotating and bending/recovering the catheter. Based on this system, surgeons in the control room can utilise the master handle to operate the insertion mechanism for positioning the distal end of catheter with the assistance of 3D guiding image. The stability and accuracy of the system is validated in-vitro.