Modeling, Simulation and Experimental Validation of a Tendon-driven Soft-arm Robot Configuration - A Continuum Mechanics Method

摘要

This paper presents the mathematical derivation and experimental validation of a computational model, which accurately predicts static, large-strain deformations of tendon driven non-slender soft-arm manipulators subjected to gravity. The large strain behaviors are captured by employing the Green-Lagrange strain and by deriving analytical expressions for the variation of the equivalent Young modulus of the structure due to the large strains. No simplifying assumptions are made regarding the curvature of the structure, the stretching or the compression. Furthermore the paper proposes an iterative method for numerically solving the resultant non-linear system of coupled differential equations and demonstrates a number of application scenarios. The model is experimentally validated using a set-up comprising one segment of tendon driven soft-arm, which integrates stretchable and compressible hyperelastic (rubber-type) materials into its non-homogeneous back bone structure.