AbstractPurposeCompliant mechanisms are commonly used in the design of manipulator and surgical robotic tools for minimally invasive surgery (MIS) thanks to their compactness, ability of miniaturization and lower part count. However, conventional compliant joint has higher internal stiffness, which limits the bending radius. To overcome this problem, a novel tendon-driven manipulator structure based on monolithic compliant rolling-contact joint (CRCJ) is proposed.MethodsThe proposed rolling-contact mechanism is used to prevent cable slack during actuation, which occurs in conventional compliant joint design. By means of selective laser sintering (SLS) technique, the CRCJ can be fabricated in a monolithic structure, thus granting the CRCJ both the advantages of compliant joints and rolling-contact mechanism. Simulations with nonlinear finite element analysis (FEA) and experiments were conducted to evaluate and compare the mechanical properties of the proposed CRCJ with conventional leaf-type compliant joint including the bending and compliant motion.ResultsExperimental results showed that the CRCJ has lower bending stiffness, higher maximum bending angle (over$$180^{\circ }$$180∘) and a higher compliance compared to conventional compliant hinges, which allows a larger workspace and reduces the possibility of tissue injury. Agreement was also found between the nonlinear FEA and experiments regarding the relation between actuation force and bending angle. A primary prototype of a 3-DOF handheld laparoscopic manipulator with a diameter of 7 mm was further developed.ConclusionA dexterous tendon-driven monolithic manipulator structure based on CRCJ for MIS is proposed. A preliminary prototype of a handheld laparoscopic manipulator demonstrates the capability of the CRCJ for steerable medical devices. However, design improvements based on FEA and application-orientated prototypes considering anatomical requirements still show room for improvements.