CSSC 2023 Keynote
Alan Kuntz
Title:
The cutting edge of surgery: robots improving precision, efficiency, and accessibilityAbstract:
There is a shortage of medical providers in almost all types of medicine, from EMTs in the pre-hospital setting to specialized surgeons. Medical robots have the potential to help address this crisis. Improving the capabilities of robots in medicine requires innovation in both robot design and computational methods. In this talk, I will discuss recent research in the field and from my lab on both topics. I will present new continuum robot designs at both meso- and micro-scales intended for procedures in delicate tissues such as the brain and eyes. I will also present data-driven and model-driven algorithmic methods we have developed to model, control, and plan motions for continuum, deformable robots and deformable tissue in the human body.Bio:
Prof. Kuntz is an assistant professor in the Robotics Center and the Kahlert School of Computing at the University of Utah. He leads a highly interdisciplinary research lab consisting of computer scientists, mechanical engineers, electrical and computer engineers, and applied mathematicians. His research focuses on the design of automation and machine learning methods for robots and on the mechanical design and control of novel robotic systems with healthcare applications.Prior to joining the University of Utah, he was a postdoctoral research scholar at Vanderbilt University in the Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico and an MS and PhD in Computer Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.