Development of a cobotic assistant for percutaneous interventions
The PercuCob project aims to design a collaborative robot capable of assisting practitioners during percutaneous procedures, such as biopsies or thermo-ablations. Its goal is to make these gestures safer, more precise, and more comfortable for both the patient and the clinician.
Percutaneous interventions involve inserting a needle or instrument through the skin, often guided by ultrasound. Widely used in radiology, anaesthesiology and vascular surgery, these procedures require exceptional precision. Yet, repeated or inaccurate movements may lead to complications for patients and increased fatigue for practitioners.
PercuCob proposes an innovative approach: a co-manipulated robotic assistant, or cobot, designed as a true partner in the medical gesture. Rather than replacing the practitioner, it works in direct cooperation with them, reducing physical effort while improving stability and precision.
The main objective is to develop the first versatile cobot dedicated to percutaneous interventions, particularly those guided by ultrasound: liver biopsies, vascular punctures, regional anaesthesia, thermos-ablations, and urological procedures.
The team is designing a “macro–mini” robotic architecture: a large-scale (macro) structure for global positioning and a fine (mini) module combining the ultrasound probe and puncture needle for precise guidance.
On the control side, impedance/admittance control strategies are being developed to ensure smooth and safe human–robot collaboration. In the long term, the platform may also serve as a training simulator, using virtual anatomical models or 3D-printed models that replicate real human tissues.
Hosted by the laboratory of Digital Sciences of Nantes (LS2N) at Centrale Nantes, PercuCob brings together expertise from several teams: RoMaS (medical robotics), SIMS (ultrasound image processing) and PACCE (human factors and ergonomics). The project is developed in close partnership with the Nantes University Hospital, involving departments in radiology, urology, nephrology, vascular and endovascular surgery.
By merging robotics, medical imaging and human-centred design, PercuCob aims to redefine the role of technology in the operating room: a tool that enhances, not replaces, human skills.
Juan Sebastián Sandoval Arévalo is an Associate Professor at Centrale Nantes and a researcher at the LS2N Laboratory (Laboratoire des Sciences du Numérique de Nantes) within the RoMaS team (Robots and Machines for Manufacturing, Society and Services). A specialist in medical robotics and physical human–robot interaction, his work focuses on designing safe, precise and intuitive collaborative robots to assist clinicians during medical procedures.
A graduate in mechatronics engineering from the National University of Colombia, he completed a double Master’s degree between Colombia and France at the École Nationale d’Ingénieurs du Val de Loire (now INSA Centre-Val de Loire). He earned his PhD in Robotics from the University of Orléans in 2017 (PRISME Laboratory), with a dissertation on torque-controlled redundant robots for minimally invasive surgery.
He became a temporary Teaching and Research Associate, then an Associate Professor at the University of Poitiers, within the Pprime Institut, where he joined the CoBRA team (Cobotics, Bio-Engineering & Robotics for Assistance). His work there focused on the development of collaborative robots for surgery and rehabilitation, particularly within international ANR and CNRS-funded projects (France-Taiwan, Tunisia).
Co-author of more than 20 peer-reviewed journal papers and around 30 conference publications, he is an active contributor to the scientific community: regular reviewer for major journals (IEEE T-RO, RA-L, Robotica), co-editor of Springer volumes, and collaborator with several European laboratories.
Since 2023, Juan Sandoval has been leading the NExT PercuCob interdisciplinary programme at Centrale Nantes, bringing together robotics, medical imaging and human factors. His ambition is clear: to make robotics a true partner in medical gestures, improving safety and quality of care without ever replacing the clinician’s expertise.
Project funded as part of the Connect Talent call for projects. The Connect Talent call for projects, supported by the Pays de la Loire Region and the European Union's ERDF fund, aims to help internationally-renowned scientific leaders, arriving on their own or with a team, to set up and establish themselves in the region, with ground-breaking projects designed to meet the major scientific or technological challenges of our time, with undeniable societal and economic impact.
