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...
Uloženo v:
| Vydáno v: | IEEE robotics and automation letters Ročník 11; číslo 1; s. 490 - 497 |
|---|---|
| Hlavní autoři: | , , , |
| Médium: | Journal Article |
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Vydáno: |
Piscataway
IEEE
01.01.2026
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) |
| Témata: | |
| ISSN: | 2377-3766, 2377-3766 |
| On-line přístup: | Získat plný text |
| Tagy: |
Přidat tag
Žádné tagy, Buďte první, kdo vytvoří štítek k tomuto záznamu!
|
| 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. |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Author_xml | – sequence: 1 givenname: Ethan orcidid: 0009-0007-0699-1270 surname: Eisenhauer fullname: Eisenhauer, Ethan organization: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA – sequence: 2 givenname: Eli orcidid: 0009-0005-4623-670X surname: Milam fullname: Milam, Eli organization: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA – sequence: 3 givenname: Joshua surname: Gaston fullname: Gaston, Joshua organization: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA – sequence: 4 givenname: Caleb orcidid: 0000-0001-7181-1933 surname: Rucker fullname: Rucker, Caleb email: caleb.rucker@utk.edu organization: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA |
| BookMark | eNpNkEFPAjEQhRuDiYjcPXho4nmxnbLt7hERRUNCghqPTbe0UIQtbrsm_ntLINHTTPLem7z5LlGn9rVB6JqSAaWkvJstRgMgkA8Yh7IcwhnqAhMiY4Lzzr_9AvVD2BBCaA6ClXkXvYx9HV3dtju88JWP-NWsdqaOAX-4uMZTt1rjeRv3bVKis7Y2IeBvp_CDUytfqy2-V_qzSnXCFTq3ahtM_zR76P1x8jaeZrP50_N4NMs05RCzQmsjiqXIh8UwVa5KWxBQwBjRvAJjWaVpElRudQHL9BVdgqJc21IwBUBZD90e7-4b_9WaEOXGt02qEiQDwQmDosyTixxduvEhNMbKfeN2qvmRlMgDNJmgyQM0eYKWIjfHiDPG_NkpMJLzgv0Czwpogg |
| CODEN | IRALC6 |
| Cites_doi | 10.1109/IROS.2012.6385696 10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9871310 10.1109/TRO.2013.2256313 10.1109/TRO.2015.2489500 10.1109/TMECH.2023.3266873 10.1126/sciadv.abm7834 10.1109/ICRA.2012.6225373 10.1115/1.4033808 10.1016/j.precisioneng.2021.03.002 10.3389/frobt.2021.629871 10.1177/0278364910368147 10.1109/SAI.2017.8252274 10.1089/soro.2020.0026 10.1109/LRA.2023.3264869 10.1109/LRA.2024.3349813 10.1109/M2VIP62491.2024.10746206 10.3390/biomimetics9070398 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2891952 10.1109/TRO.2013.2287975 10.1126/scirobotics.ads0548 10.3389/frobt.2022.1059026 10.1109/LRA.2025.3539084 10.1109/TRO.2018.2885923 10.1109/LRA.2024.3352359 10.1109/JPROC.2022.3141338 10.1126/scirobotics.adf9001 10.1109/JSEN.2021.3140002 10.1109/LRA.2024.3430648 10.1109/LRA.2023.3330055 |
| ContentType | Journal Article |
| Copyright | Copyright The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 2026 |
| Copyright_xml | – notice: Copyright The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) 2026 |
| DBID | 97E RIA RIE AAYXX CITATION 7SC 7SP 8FD JQ2 L7M L~C L~D |
| DOI | 10.1109/LRA.2025.3629942 |
| DatabaseName | IEEE Xplore (IEEE) IEEE All-Society Periodicals Package (ASPP) 1998–Present IEEE Electronic Library (IEL) CrossRef Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Electronics & Communications Abstracts Technology Research Database ProQuest Computer Science Collection Advanced Technologies Database with Aerospace Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Academic Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Professional |
| DatabaseTitle | CrossRef Technology Research Database Computer and Information Systems Abstracts – Academic Electronics & Communications Abstracts ProQuest Computer Science Collection Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Advanced Technologies Database with Aerospace Computer and Information Systems Abstracts Professional |
| DatabaseTitleList | Technology Research Database |
| Database_xml | – sequence: 1 dbid: RIE name: IEEE Electronic Library (IEL) url: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ sourceTypes: Publisher |
| DeliveryMethod | fulltext_linktorsrc |
| Discipline | Engineering |
| EISSN | 2377-3766 |
| EndPage | 497 |
| ExternalDocumentID | 10_1109_LRA_2025_3629942 11230568 |
| Genre | orig-research |
| GrantInformation_xml | – fundername: NSF grantid: EFMA-1935278 – fundername: NIH grantid: R01-EB032385 |
| GroupedDBID | 0R~ 97E AAJGR AASAJ AAWTH ABQJQ ABVLG ACGFS AGQYO AGSQL AHBIQ AKJIK AKQYR ALMA_UNASSIGNED_HOLDINGS ATWAV BEFXN BFFAM BGNUA BKEBE BPEOZ EBS EJD IFIPE IPLJI JAVBF KQ8 M43 M~E O9- OCL RIA RIE AAYXX CITATION 7SC 7SP 8FD JQ2 L7M L~C L~D |
| ID | FETCH-LOGICAL-c162t-8cce78d75484025b9f802a2330c6b2ef3bc1402a5fc82d2021d2a16cf973a2213 |
| IEDL.DBID | RIE |
| ISSN | 2377-3766 |
| IngestDate | Thu Nov 27 09:41:45 EST 2025 Thu Nov 27 00:18:19 EST 2025 Wed Dec 10 09:47:12 EST 2025 |
| IsPeerReviewed | true |
| IsScholarly | true |
| Issue | 1 |
| Language | English |
| License | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/Xplorehelp/downloads/license-information/IEEE.html https://doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 https://doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 |
| LinkModel | DirectLink |
| MergedId | FETCHMERGED-LOGICAL-c162t-8cce78d75484025b9f802a2330c6b2ef3bc1402a5fc82d2021d2a16cf973a2213 |
| Notes | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 14 |
| ORCID | 0009-0007-0699-1270 0009-0005-4623-670X 0000-0001-7181-1933 |
| PQID | 3276032895 |
| PQPubID | 4437225 |
| PageCount | 8 |
| ParticipantIDs | proquest_journals_3276032895 ieee_primary_11230568 crossref_primary_10_1109_LRA_2025_3629942 |
| PublicationCentury | 2000 |
| PublicationDate | 2026-Jan. 2026-1-00 20260101 |
| PublicationDateYYYYMMDD | 2026-01-01 |
| PublicationDate_xml | – month: 01 year: 2026 text: 2026-Jan. |
| PublicationDecade | 2020 |
| PublicationPlace | Piscataway |
| PublicationPlace_xml | – name: Piscataway |
| PublicationTitle | IEEE robotics and automation letters |
| PublicationTitleAbbrev | LRA |
| PublicationYear | 2026 |
| Publisher | IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) |
| Publisher_xml | – name: IEEE – name: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) |
| References | ref13 ref12 ref15 ref14 ref11 ref10 ref2 ref1 ref17 ref16 ref19 ref18 ref24 ref23 ref26 ref25 ref20 ref22 ref21 ref28 ref27 ref29 ref8 ref7 ref9 ref4 ref3 ref6 ref5 |
| References_xml | – ident: ref13 doi: 10.1109/IROS.2012.6385696 – ident: ref16 doi: 10.1109/EMBC48229.2022.9871310 – ident: ref12 doi: 10.1109/TRO.2013.2256313 – ident: ref2 doi: 10.1109/TRO.2015.2489500 – ident: ref18 doi: 10.1109/TMECH.2023.3266873 – ident: ref23 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abm7834 – ident: ref11 doi: 10.1109/ICRA.2012.6225373 – ident: ref26 doi: 10.1115/1.4033808 – ident: ref29 doi: 10.1016/j.precisioneng.2021.03.002 – ident: ref22 doi: 10.3389/frobt.2021.629871 – ident: ref1 doi: 10.1177/0278364910368147 – ident: ref5 doi: 10.1109/SAI.2017.8252274 – ident: ref21 doi: 10.1089/soro.2020.0026 – ident: ref17 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2023.3264869 – ident: ref19 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3349813 – ident: ref7 doi: 10.1109/M2VIP62491.2024.10746206 – ident: ref15 doi: 10.3390/biomimetics9070398 – ident: ref3 doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2891952 – ident: ref25 doi: 10.1109/TRO.2013.2287975 – ident: ref6 doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.ads0548 – ident: ref8 doi: 10.3389/frobt.2022.1059026 – ident: ref27 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2025.3539084 – ident: ref28 doi: 10.1109/TRO.2018.2885923 – ident: ref10 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3352359 – ident: ref4 doi: 10.1109/JPROC.2022.3141338 – ident: ref14 doi: 10.1126/scirobotics.adf9001 – ident: ref9 doi: 10.1109/JSEN.2021.3140002 – ident: ref24 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2024.3430648 – ident: ref20 doi: 10.1109/LRA.2023.3330055 |
| SSID | ssj0001527395 |
| Score | 2.3135862 |
| Snippet | Continuum robots offer unique advantages for applications such as minimally invasive surgery, navigation through confined environments, and safe human-robot... |
| SourceID | proquest crossref ieee |
| SourceType | Aggregation Database Index Database Publisher |
| StartPage | 490 |
| 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 |
| URI | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11230568 https://www.proquest.com/docview/3276032895 |
| Volume | 11 |
| hasFullText | 1 |
| inHoldings | 1 |
| isFullTextHit | |
| isPrint | |
| journalDatabaseRights | – providerCode: PRVIEE databaseName: IEEE Electronic Library (IEL) customDbUrl: eissn: 2377-3766 dateEnd: 99991231 omitProxy: false ssIdentifier: ssj0001527395 issn: 2377-3766 databaseCode: RIE dateStart: 20160101 isFulltext: true titleUrlDefault: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ providerName: IEEE – providerCode: PRVHPJ databaseName: ROAD: Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources customDbUrl: eissn: 2377-3766 dateEnd: 99991231 omitProxy: false ssIdentifier: ssj0001527395 issn: 2377-3766 databaseCode: M~E dateStart: 20160101 isFulltext: true titleUrlDefault: https://road.issn.org providerName: ISSN International Centre |
| link | http://cvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwlV05T8MwFH6iFQMM3IhyVB5YGNK6dhLHI0cRQuUQZ7fIduwSIdqqTRj57dhuKkCIgS2SE8v6kjy_7x2fAQ5NFmrBXdlgZrlqSLEMEqOygGVY8cgwLH2i_anHrq-Tfp_fVs3qvhdGa-2Lz3TLXfpcfjZSpQuVta1v4DzepAY1xuJZs9ZXQMVJifFonorEvN27O7YEkEQta6Q5D8mPrcefpfLLAPtd5Xz1n-tZg5XKfUTHs_e9Dgt6uAHL30QFN-HSCU7lw7J8Q3cjOSrQvR74Pjb0nBcvyBV2oJuyGJd2pMiNcbYOvecCneVi4PxydCLUq3Qa_lvweN59OL0IqhMTAtWJSREkSmmWZMzSEMsLI8lNgokglGIVS6INlcoSKiJc4RbJLDadjIhOrAxnVBDSodtQH9r5dwDFkVTC0JDFxlJIyQXWThwQh0xLRjVpwNEczHQ8E8ZIPaHAPLXApw74tAK-AVsOvK_7KtwasD-HP61-nWlKCYudyB-Pdv94bA-W7OxVIGQf6sWk1AewqN6LfDppQu3qo9v038YnALu23A |
| linkProvider | IEEE |
| linkToHtml | http://cvtisr.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/link/0/eLvHCXMwlV3JTsMwEB2xScCBHVFWH7hwSOvaSRwfyyaWUlBZb5Ht2BAhWtQmfD-2mwoQ4sAtUla92ON5szwD7Jss1IK7ssHMctWQYhkkRmUBy7DikWFY-kT7Q5t1OsnTE7-pmtV9L4zW2hef6bo79Ln8rK9KFyprWN_AebzJJExHYUjwqF3rK6TixMR4NE5GYt5od1uWApKobs005yH5sfj43VR-mWC_rpwu_vOLlmChciBRa_THl2FC91Zg_pus4CpcOMmpvFeWb6jbl_0C3epn38mGHvPiBbnSDnRdFu-lPVPkxjhrhz5ygY5z8ew8c3Qo1Kt0Kv5rcH96cnd0FlR7JgSqGZMiSJTSLMmYJSKWGUaSmwQTQSjFKpZEGyqVpVREuNItkllsmhkRzVgZzqggpEnXYapnn78BKI6kEoaGLDaWREousHbygDhkWjKqSQ0OxmCm7yNpjNRTCsxTC3zqgE8r4Guw5sD7uq7CrQbbY_jTavIMU0pY7GT-eLT5x217MHt2d9VO2-edyy2Ys2-qwiLbMFUMSr0DM-qjyIeDXT9CPgFb9rjy |
| openUrl | ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fsummon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Continuum+Robot+Segments+With+High+Output+Stiffness+via+Diagonal+Backbones&rft.jtitle=IEEE+robotics+and+automation+letters&rft.au=Eisenhauer%2C+Ethan&rft.au=Milam%2C+Eli&rft.au=Gaston%2C+Joshua&rft.au=Rucker%2C+Caleb&rft.date=2026-01-01&rft.issn=2377-3766&rft.eissn=2377-3766&rft.volume=11&rft.issue=1&rft.spage=490&rft.epage=497&rft_id=info:doi/10.1109%2FLRA.2025.3629942&rft.externalDBID=n%2Fa&rft.externalDocID=10_1109_LRA_2025_3629942 |
| thumbnail_l | http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/lc.gif&issn=2377-3766&client=summon |
| thumbnail_m | http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/mc.gif&issn=2377-3766&client=summon |
| thumbnail_s | http://covers-cdn.summon.serialssolutions.com/index.aspx?isbn=/sc.gif&issn=2377-3766&client=summon |