Abstract. The design of new lightweight and dexterous configurations is a major research focus for continuum robotics. This work proposes cruciform robot. Its unique feature that it formed by multiple cruciform-arranged elastic sheets with single dimension motion connected in series, thus has low-coupling characteristics. In addition, the robot advantages lighter weight (65 g), better dexterity...

Routing tendons in straight paths along an elastic backbone is a widely used method of actuation for continuum robots. Tendon routing paths which are general curves in space enable a much larger family of robots to be designed, with configuration spaces and workspaces that are unattainable with straight tendon routing. Harnessing general tendon routing to extend the capabilities of continuum ro...

The Bionic Handling Assistant is a new continuum robot which is manufactured in a rapid-prototyping procedure out of elastic polyamide. Its mechanical flexibility and low weight provide an enormous potential for physical human robot interaction. Yet, the elasticity and parallel continuum actuation design challenge standard approaches to deal with a robot from a control, simulation, and software...

In this paper, we describe our recent results in the development of a new class of soft, continuous backbone (“continuum”) robot manipulators. Our work is strongly motivated by the dexterous appendages found in cephalopods, particularly the arms and suckers of octopus, and the arms and tentacles of squid. Our ongoing investigation of these animals reveals interesting and unexpected functional a...

This paper describes and discusses the history and state of the art of continuous backbone robot manipulators. Also known as continuum manipulators, these robots, which resemble biological trunks and tentacles, offer capabilities beyond the scope of traditional rigid link manipulators. They are able to adapt their shape to navigate through complex environments and grasp a wide variety of payloa...

The paper applies learning from demonstration (LfD) for high-level trajectory planning and movement control of the Bionic Handling Assistant (BHA) robot. For such soft continuum robot with mechanical elasticity and complex dynamics it is difficult to use kinesthetic teaching to collect demonstration data. We propose to use an active compliant controller to this aim and record both position and ...

This paper describes external camera-based shape estimation for continuum robots. Continuum robots have a continuous backbone made of sections which bend to produce changes of configuration. A major difficulty with continuum robots is the determination of the robot’s shape, as there are no discrete joints. This paper presents a method for shape determination based on machine vision. Using an en...

In this paper, we analyze the capabilities of a novel class of continuous-backbone (“continuum”) robots. These robots are inspired by biological “trunks, and tentacles”. However, the capabilities of established continuum robot designs, which feature controlled bending but not extension, fall short of those of their biological counterparts. In this paper, we argue that the addition of controlled...

A continuum arm prototype was designed and implemented using two different shapes: cylinder like and cone like. This new robot is actuated by stepper motors. The rotation of these motors rotates the cables which by correlated screwing and unscrewing of their ends determine their shortening or prolonging, and by consequence, the tentacle curvature. The kinematics and dynamics models, as well as ...

Soft robotics have been shown to be particularly versatile for accessing restricted and hazardous environments, such as nuclear chemical processing plants, pipelines. This paper presents a bio-inspired soft robot capable of propelling itself inside cylindrical space. The continuum consists three main sections, which, with coordinated inflation deflation, enable controlled locomotion the robot.