Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy
This paper presents a bio-inspired rigid–flexible continuum robot driven by flexible shaft tension–torsion synergy, tackling the trade-off between actuation complexity and flexibility in continuum robots. Inspired by the muscular arrangement of octopus arms, enabling versatile multi-degree-of-freedo...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Biomimetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/301 |
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| author | Jiaxiang Dong Quanquan Liu Peng Li Chunbao Wang Xuezhi Zhao Xiping Hu |
| author_facet | Jiaxiang Dong Quanquan Liu Peng Li Chunbao Wang Xuezhi Zhao Xiping Hu |
| author_sort | Jiaxiang Dong |
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| description | This paper presents a bio-inspired rigid–flexible continuum robot driven by flexible shaft tension–torsion synergy, tackling the trade-off between actuation complexity and flexibility in continuum robots. Inspired by the muscular arrangement of octopus arms, enabling versatile multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) movements, the robot achieves 6-DoF motion and 1-DoF gripper opening and closing movement with only six flexible shafts, simplifying actuation while boosting dexterity. A comprehensive kinetostatic model, grounded in Cosserat rod theory, is developed; this model explicitly incorporates the coupling between the spinal rods and flexible shafts, the distributed gravitational effects of spacer disks, and friction within the guide tubes. Experimental validation using a physical prototype reveals that accounting for spacer disk gravity diminishes the maximum shape prediction error from 20.56% to 0.60% relative to the robot’s total length. Furthermore, shape perception experiments under no-load and 200 g load conditions show average errors of less than 2.01% and 2.61%, respectively. Performance assessments of the distal rigid joint showcased significant dexterity, including a 53° grasping range, 360° continuous rotation, and a pitching range from −40° to +45°. Successful obstacle avoidance and long-distance target reaching experiments further demonstrate the robot’s effectiveness, highlighting its potential for applications in medical and industrial fields. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ec0cf3f51ebd460fb40e9d36d7225b8d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2313-7673 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Biomimetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-ec0cf3f51ebd460fb40e9d36d7225b8d2025-08-20T03:47:52ZengMDPI AGBiomimetics2313-76732025-05-0110530110.3390/biomimetics10050301Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion SynergyJiaxiang Dong0Quanquan Liu1Peng Li2Chunbao Wang3Xuezhi Zhao4Xiping Hu5School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory, Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523083, ChinaSchool of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, ChinaGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory, Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen 518172, ChinaThis paper presents a bio-inspired rigid–flexible continuum robot driven by flexible shaft tension–torsion synergy, tackling the trade-off between actuation complexity and flexibility in continuum robots. Inspired by the muscular arrangement of octopus arms, enabling versatile multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) movements, the robot achieves 6-DoF motion and 1-DoF gripper opening and closing movement with only six flexible shafts, simplifying actuation while boosting dexterity. A comprehensive kinetostatic model, grounded in Cosserat rod theory, is developed; this model explicitly incorporates the coupling between the spinal rods and flexible shafts, the distributed gravitational effects of spacer disks, and friction within the guide tubes. Experimental validation using a physical prototype reveals that accounting for spacer disk gravity diminishes the maximum shape prediction error from 20.56% to 0.60% relative to the robot’s total length. Furthermore, shape perception experiments under no-load and 200 g load conditions show average errors of less than 2.01% and 2.61%, respectively. Performance assessments of the distal rigid joint showcased significant dexterity, including a 53° grasping range, 360° continuous rotation, and a pitching range from −40° to +45°. Successful obstacle avoidance and long-distance target reaching experiments further demonstrate the robot’s effectiveness, highlighting its potential for applications in medical and industrial fields.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/301octopus arm inspired actuationcontinuum robotrigid–flexible hybrid robottensile–torsional synergistic actuationkinetostatic modelingflexible shafts |
| spellingShingle | Jiaxiang Dong Quanquan Liu Peng Li Chunbao Wang Xuezhi Zhao Xiping Hu Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy Biomimetics octopus arm inspired actuation continuum robot rigid–flexible hybrid robot tensile–torsional synergistic actuation kinetostatic modeling flexible shafts |
| title | Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy |
| title_full | Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy |
| title_fullStr | Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy |
| title_short | Design, Modeling, and Experimental Validation of a Bio-Inspired Rigid–Flexible Continuum Robot Driven by Flexible Shaft Tension–Torsion Synergy |
| title_sort | design modeling and experimental validation of a bio inspired rigid flexible continuum robot driven by flexible shaft tension torsion synergy |
| topic | octopus arm inspired actuation continuum robot rigid–flexible hybrid robot tensile–torsional synergistic actuation kinetostatic modeling flexible shafts |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/301 |
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