Lester Su

Papers

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About

Lester Su is a researcher whose work lies at the intersection of tactile display technology and surgical robotics, with a particular focus on enhancing haptic feedback in minimally invasive procedures. His most-cited paper, "Characterization and Psychophysical Studies of an Air-Jet Lump Display" (2012, 26 citations), addresses a critical challenge in robot-assisted surgery: the difficulty of palpating lumps through small, lightweight surgical tools. Su pioneered a pneumatic actuation strategy to develop a tactile display that restores the sense of touch during surgery, enabling surgeons to detect tissue abnormalities remotely. His contributions include both the quantitative characterization of the air-jet display's performance and psychophysical validation of its effectiveness in conveying tactile information to human users. This work bridges engineering and human perception, demonstrating how novel actuation methods can overcome size and weight constraints in surgical instruments. Su's research has implications for improving surgical outcomes by restoring haptic feedback, a key sensory channel lost in current robotic systems. His approach—combining rigorous engineering analysis with human-subject studies—exemplifies user-centered design in medical device innovation.