Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Swee Chuan Tjin is a leading figure in surgical robotics and fiber-optic sensing, renowned for pioneering force and motion sensing in flexible endoscopic surgical robots. His major contributions center on overcoming the critical lack of haptic feedback and precise control in minimally invasive surgery—challenges posed by the tiny scale and nonlinear friction of tendon-sheath mechanisms. Tjin’s work introduces novel Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors that measure distal compression forces, enabling accurate force sensing with sub-millimeter footprints (e.g., 1 mm sensors). His highly cited papers—including two with 78 citations each—demonstrate how these sensors provide real-time haptic feedback and joint rotation angle sensing, directly addressing the hysteresis and shape-dependency that plague traditional model-based approaches. By integrating sensor data with advanced models, Tjin has paved the way for safer, more efficient teleoperated and autonomous robotic surgery. His research not only advances surgical robot dexterity but also sets a foundation for future autonomous systems, making him a key innovator at the intersection of optics, robotics, and biomedical engineering.