Continuum Robot Segments With High Output Stiffness via Diagonal Backbones
Continuum robots offer unique advantages for applications such as minimally invasive surgery, navigation through confined environments, and safe human-robot interaction. However, while most continuum robot segments are designed to exhibit constant curvature over their length, they passively deform i...
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| Published in: | IEEE robotics and automation letters Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 490 - 497 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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Piscataway
IEEE
01.01.2026
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) |
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| ISSN: | 2377-3766, 2377-3766 |
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| Abstract | Continuum robots offer unique advantages for applications such as minimally invasive surgery, navigation through confined environments, and safe human-robot interaction. However, while most continuum robot segments are designed to exhibit constant curvature over their length, they passively deform into a non-constant curvature s-shape when holding payloads at the tip, and their dynamic movement is often subject to unwanted vibration of the passive non-constant curvature modes. In this letter, we propose a simple solution to dramatically improve these issues: a continuum robot segment design that utilizes a diagonal backbone and flexible push-pull actuation rods. This simple modification to common continuum-robot construction enables us to eliminate the passive s-shaped mode, creating a bending segment that can handle large loads without significant deformation or vibration while requiring no more actuation force than conventional designs. We show that a modified version of 1-DOF constant-curvature kinematics accurately describes the structure when actuator translations are equal and opposite. We also develop and validate a 2-DOF model that predicts tip position and orientation resulting from more general actuation inputs. The models and increased output stiffness were verified experimentally and the concept was demonstrated on a multi-segment robot following a 3D trajectory with minimal disturbance from added loads. |
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| AbstractList | Continuum robots offer unique advantages for applications such as minimally invasive surgery, navigation through confined environments, and safe human-robot interaction. However, while most continuum robot segments are designed to exhibit constant curvature over their length, they passively deform into a non-constant curvature s-shape when holding payloads at the tip, and their dynamic movement is often subject to unwanted vibration of the passive non-constant curvature modes. In this letter, we propose a simple solution to dramatically improve these issues: a continuum robot segment design that utilizes a diagonal backbone and flexible push-pull actuation rods. This simple modification to common continuum-robot construction enables us to eliminate the passive s-shaped mode, creating a bending segment that can handle large loads without significant deformation or vibration while requiring no more actuation force than conventional designs. We show that a modified version of 1-DOF constant-curvature kinematics accurately describes the structure when actuator translations are equal and opposite. We also develop and validate a 2-DOF model that predicts tip position and orientation resulting from more general actuation inputs. The models and increased output stiffness were verified experimentally and the concept was demonstrated on a multi-segment robot following a 3D trajectory with minimal disturbance from added loads. |
| Author | Rucker, Caleb Eisenhauer, Ethan Milam, Eli Gaston, Joshua |
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| SubjectTerms | Actuation Actuators and learning for soft robots Bending Confined spaces Continuum robots control Curvature Deformation Degrees of freedom Design End effectors flexible robotics Human engineering Image segmentation Kinematics modeling Motion segmentation Payloads Prototypes Robot dynamics Robots Segments Soft robot materials and design Solid modeling Stiffness tendon/wire mechanism Translations Vibration |
| Title | Continuum Robot Segments With High Output Stiffness via Diagonal Backbones |
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