Mariana C. Bernardes

About

Mariana C. Bernardes is a robotics researcher whose work sits at the intersection of surgical robotics, autonomous needle steering, and medical image-guided interventions. Her research has made significant contributions to minimally invasive surgery, particularly in developing intelligent systems for precise needle placement and robotic manipulation. Her most cited work, "Robot-assisted automatic insertion of steerable needles with closed-loop imaging feedback and intraoperative trajectory replanning" (2013, 80 citations), established her as a leading voice in autonomous surgical needle control, demonstrating how real-time imaging feedback can dramatically improve procedural accuracy. She has further advanced the field through innovative applications of dual quaternion frameworks for remote center-of-motion control and by championing cost-effective general-purpose serial-link manipulators as viable alternatives to specialized surgical robots. More recently, her data-driven approaches to needle trajectory correction in MRI-guided transperineal prostate interventions reflect a forward-looking embrace of machine learning in clinical robotics, with promising in vivo validation results. Beyond the operating room, Bernardes has shown a commitment to science education through the Edubot project, bringing robotics and programming into public high schools. With over 180 cumulative citations, her career reflects both technical rigor and a genuine dedication to broadening the impact of robotics research.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Robot-assisted automatic insertion of steerable needles with closed-loop imaging feedback and intraoperative trajectory replanning

   80 citations · 2013
2. 2
   A programmable remote center-of-motion controller for minimally invasive surgery using the dual quaternion framework

   25 citations · 2014
3. 3
   Using General-Purpose Serial-Link Manipulators for Laparoscopic Surgery with Moving Remote Center of Motion

   25 citations · 2016
4. 4
   Semi-automatic needle steering system with robotic manipulator

   21 citations · 2012
5. 5
   Data-driven adaptive needle insertion assist for transperineal prostate interventions

   13 citations · 2023
6. 6
   In Vivo Feasibility Study: Evaluating Autonomous Data-Driven Robotic Needle Trajectory Correction in MRI-Guided Transperineal Procedures

   10 citations · 2024
7. 7
   Project Edubot: Teaching Robotics to High School Students

   5 citations · 2018
8. 8
   Robotics Teaching and Tools to Promote Better Didactic in Public High-Schools

   3 citations · 2019

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links