Medical Robotics for Engineering Undergraduates Through an Affordable Hands-on Lab Experiment

Despite the increasing importance of medical robotics in modern healthcare, these complex, precise, and costly systems are nearly absent in practical teaching environments for engineering and technology students. We present a scalable and affordable hands-on experiment for undergraduates to address this gap, which teaches the fundamentals of this essential and rapidly growing technology through the example of a robotassisted liver biopsy. Using a custom 3D-printed robotic arm with parts costing less than USD1,000, students are guided through tasks that begin with navigating the robotic arm’s workspace and understanding its kinematics. They explore how rotational joint movement creates linear motion at the end-effector before using a biopsy needle with force measurement capabilities. Students program the robotic arm to perform a controlled needle insertion into a liver phantom, recording forces to distinguish between tissue layers and locate a tumor model. During the experiment, students are encouraged to experiment with different programming and data analysis methods. We conducted a transfer test to assess the effectiveness of our educational approach, in which students who completed the experiment performed the task 21% faster than those who did not, despite 27% of the students having less prior experience in programming or robotics. This suggests increased engagement and improved application of the skills learned. By significantly reducing costs, this lab experiment enhances accessibility to medical robotics training, preparing students to address future challenges in healthcare.