A Simplified Method for Inverse Kinematics of a Flexible Panel Continuum Robot for Real-Time Shape Morphing

Abstract

Continuum robots are good candidates for shape morphing. However, due to the coupled problem between kinematics and statics, the inverse kinematics of continuum robots is highly nonlinear, posing a challenging problem for real-time applications. This paper presents a simplified approach to solving the inverse kinematics of a flexible panel continuum robot efficiently. Through an experiment, two approximate relationships are discovered. First, the arc length of the middle backbone can be estimated from the arc lengths of the two panels; second, the length difference between the two panels can be related to the tip angle of the end-effector. Based on these two discovered relationships, a simplified inverse kinematics method is proposed based on a constant curvature model. This method has been validated by the experimental data with high accuracy of less than 2% error, thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method for real-time applications.