Asymmetric Continuum Robots

Barrientos-Diez, Jorge; Russo, Matteo; Dong, Xin; Axinte, Dragos; Kell, James

Abstract

Continuum robots are flexible mechanisms that enable tasks in cluttered environments where conventional robots cannot operate. However, their few design parameters and task/manufacturing constraints leave small margins for optimization. In this paper, we expand the design space of continuum robots by introducing asymmetries. Asymmetric robot kinematics show how the new design parameters affect robot behavior and provide a framework for task-oriented design. The theoretical results are validated on a prototype with an automatically-generated asymmetric design, which navigates through an environment inaccessible to equivalent symmetric robots.

Citation

Barrientos-Diez, J., Russo, M., Dong, X., Axinte, D., & Kell, J. (2023). Asymmetric Continuum Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(3), 1279-1286. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2023.3238890

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 14, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jan 23, 2024
• Publication Date: 2023-03
• Deposit Date: Apr 26, 2023
• Journal: IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
• Electronic ISSN: 2377-3766
• Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1279-1286
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2023.3238890
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence; Control and Optimization; Computer Science Applications; Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition; Mechanical Engineering; Human-Computer Interaction; Biomedical Engineering; Control and Systems Engineering
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16506790
• Publisher URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10024390