The mechanics of continuum robots: Model-based sensing and control

To my darling Sarah Beth, who endured and encouraged me throughout the creation of this dissertation. ii Acknowledgments Before beginning this dissertation, I want to first acknowledge and thank the many people that have made it possible by contributing their support in many different ways. First, my advisor Bob Webster has invested an enormous amount of time and energy in me as his first graduate student. Without his brilliant intellectual guidance and support, I would have achieved far less in graduate school. Bob is one of the most patient and optimistic people I know, and his ability to humbly view situations from the perspective of others has made a significant impact on me. As a mentor and a friend, his selfless attitude and work-ethic are contagious, and I hope that I can follow his model of how to be an excellent researcher and teacher while simultaneously building meaningful relationships inside and outside of work. I would like to thank my dissertation committee, Bob Webster, Nabil Simaan, Mike Miga, Michael Goldfarb, and George Cook, for patiently reading this work and giving me extremely valuable feedback as well as career advice. In addition, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and Intuitive Surgi-cal, Inc. have all provided essential funding for the research, and many anonymous reviewers of my publications have contributed valuable insights that improved the content throughout this dissertation. I give my heartfelt thanks to Myrtle, Jean, and Suzanne who have made my life much easier by helping with important logistical matters (morning coffee, travel arrangements, reimbursements, orders, registration) that an absent-minded person iii like me has trouble juggling all at once. In addition to this, their many kind words to me and friendly conversations have been very encouraging. I am grateful to the many other people who have directly contributed to the idea