Load bearing, compliant manipulator using non-linear frictional elements

Tendon driven continuum manipulators have advantages such as being able to deform around and through their environment, but this typically comes at the cost of reduced precision and load bearing capabilities. This paper presents a strong, compliant manipulator system using a rigid-link tendon driven manipulator controlled by a novel compliant drive mechanism. Numerical simulations show that this new manipulator can help to address the stiffness/compliance trade-off by exploiting a compliant drive and a stiff manipulator at the same time. A proof-of-principle real-world prototype demonstrates how the manipulator's compliance enables conformation to the shape of a soft and compressible object while its stiffness can support an object more than 15 times its own weight.

Automated summary

This paper presents a novel strong, compliant manipulator system utilizing a rigid-link tendon driven manipulator controlled by a novel compliant drive mechanism. Numerical simulations demonstrate that this new manipulator is able to address the stiffness/compliance trade-off by combining a compliant drive and a stiff manipulator. A proof-of-principle real-world prototype shows that the manipulator's compliance allows it to conform to soft and compressible objects while its stiffness enables it to support objects more than 15 times its own weight.