Modelling and Analysis of the Spital Branched Flexure-Hinge Adjustable-Stiffness Continuum Robot
Modelling and Analysis of the Spital Branched Flexure-Hinge Adjustable-Stiffness Continuum Robot
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DOI：
10.3390/robotics11050097
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发表时间：
2022-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Cheneler, David
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ma, Nan;Monk, Stephen;Cheneler, David
连续体机器人由于其高自由度（DoF）、大工作空间和灵巧操作的能力而越来越多地用于工业和医疗应用。然而，传统的连续体机器人与骨干结构的位置精度通常是低的，由于通常较长的驱动电缆/肌腱的刚度低。在这里，这个问题已经通过在连续体机器人内集成具有可调节刚度的附加机构来解决，以提高其刚度和机械性能，从而使其能够以高精度和大有效载荷进行操作。为了支持可调刚度连续体机器人的性能改善的预测，运动静力学模型的开发，通过考虑广义内部负载所造成的变形的柔性铰链机构和结构刚度所造成的外部负载的末端执行器。最后，在2自由度和6自由度连续体机器人物理样机上进行了实验，以验证模型的正确性。结果发现，所提出的动静力学模型验证实验观察的平均偏差为9.1%和6.2%的2自由度和6自由度连续体机器人，分别。研究还发现，通过增加可调刚度机构，连续体机器人的运动精度可以提高32.8倍。
Continuum robots are increasingly being used in industrial and medical applications due to their high number of degrees of freedom (DoF), large workspace and their ability to operate dexterously. However, the positional accuracy of conventional continuum robots with a backbone structure is usually low due to the low stiffness of the often-lengthy driving cables/tendons. Here, this problem has been solved by integrating additional mechanisms with adjustable stiffness within the continuum robot to improve its stiffness and mechanical performance, thus enabling it to be operated with high accuracy and large payloads. To support the prediction of the improved performance of the adjustable stiffness continuum robot, a kinetostatic model was developed by considering the generalized internal loads that are caused by the deformation of the flexure-hinge mechanism and the structural stiffening caused by the external loads on the end-effector. Finally, experiments were conducted on physical prototypes of 2-DoF and 6-DoF continuum robots to validate the model. It was found that the proposed kinetostatic model validates experimental observations within an average deviation of 9.1% and 6.2% for the 2-DoF and 6-DoF continuum robots, respectively. It was also found that the kinematic accuracy of the continuum robots can be improved by a factor of 32.8 by adding the adjustable stiffness mechanisms.