arXiv:2603.19124cs.RO2026-03被引 2

3D打印柔性锥形机器人,低成本可定制,精准控制弯曲形状。

Tendon-Actuated Robots with a Tapered, Flexible Polymer Backbone: Design, Fabrication, and Modeling

  • 用锥形热塑性聚氨酯骨架和肌腱驱动,实现高柔性和可调曲率。
  • 基于柯西杆理论建模,厘米级精度预测机器人形状,验证通过运动捕捉数据。
  • 支持快速设计与远程操作抓取,适合医疗检查等柔性任务。

本文提出一种3D打印的肌腱驱动连续体机器人设计,其柔性锥形骨架构造于热塑性聚氨酯(TPU)。该可扩展设计集成电子基座,支持直接通过执行器和压缩负载传感器控制并感知肌腱张力。相比多数专用且昂贵的连续体机器人,本设计强调可定制性、快速组装与低成本,通过几何锥度实现高曲率与远端柔顺性,适用于广泛的柔性检测与操作任务。我们基于柯西杆理论,采用牛顿方法构建了通用前向静力学模型,扩展现有肌腱驱动柯西杆公式,显式考虑空间变化的骨干截面几何。该模型捕捉由锥度引起的梯度刚度分布,可系统分析几何参数对配置空间与可操作性的影响。模型经运动捕捉数据验证,通过线搜索校准杨氏模量后达到厘米级形状预测精度。进一步演示了在6自由度机械臂上搭载内窥镜夹持器的遥操作抓取。提供参数化iLogic/CAD脚本,实现快速几何生成与缩放。该框架为使用熔融沉积建模3D打印机制造的锥形肌腱驱动连续体机器人,提供了从参数化设计到可控肌腱驱动的简单、快速、可复现路径。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

This paper presents the design, modeling, and fabrication of 3D-printed, tendon-actuated continuum robots featuring a flexible, tapered backbone constructed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Our scalable design incorporates an integrated electronics base housing that enables direct tendon tension control and sensing via actuators and compression load cells. Unlike many continuum robots that are single-purpose and costly, the proposed design prioritizes customizability, rapid assembly, and low cost while enabling high curvature and enhanced distal compliance through geometric tapering, thereby supporting a broad range of compliant robotic inspection and manipulation tasks. We develop a generalized forward kinetostatic model of the tapered backbone based on Cosserat rod theory using a Newtonian approach, extending existing tendon-actuated Cosserat rod formulations to explicitly account for spatially varying backbone cross-sectional geometry. The model captures the graded stiffness profile induced by the tapering and enables systematic exploration of the configuration space as a function of the geometric design parameters. Specifically, we analyze how the backbone taper angle influences the robot's configuration space and manipulability. The model is validated against motion capture data, achieving centimeter-level shape prediction accuracy after calibrating Young's modulus via a line search that minimizes modeling error. We further demonstrate teleoperated grasping using an endoscopic gripper routed along the continuum robot, mounted on a 6-DoF robotic arm. Parameterized iLogic/CAD scripts are provided for rapid geometry generation and scaling. The presented framework establishes a simple, rapid, and reproducible pathway from parametric design to controlled tendon actuation for tapered, tendon-driven continuum robots manufactured using fused deposition modeling 3D printers.

连续体机器人3D打印肌腱驱动柔性机构

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