Accepted author manuscript, 17 MB, PDF document
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A Novel Variable-Diameter-Stiffness Cable-Driven Serpentine Manipulator
T2 - Design, Modeling, and Characterization
AU - Meng, Deshan
AU - Guo, Taowen
AU - Ma, Zhihao
AU - Wang, Ruiqi
AU - Wang, Ziwei
AU - Li, Xinliang
AU - Wang, Xueqian
AU - Liang, Bin
PY - 2025/6/2
Y1 - 2025/6/2
N2 - Cable-driven serpentine manipulators (CSMs), due to their unique flexibility of movement, have broad application prospects in unstructured and confined environments. To enhance adaptability to different environments and tasks, the design of variable stiffness structures has long been a research focus for CSMs. Inspired by spatial folding mechanisms, such as umbrellas, we propose a novel variable-diameter-stiffness cable-driven serpentine manipulator (VDS-CSM). The standout feature of this innovation is its ability to achieve integrated control over both the outer diameter and the stiffness of the manipulator. First, we present the structural design of the novel VDS-CSM, whose outer diameter and stiffness can be continuously adjusted. Second, we establish the kinematics, statics, and stiffness models for VDS-CSM. Based on this, we conduct an in-depth study of the manipulator's stiffness characteristics. Simulation data indicate that the change ratio of the manipulator's end stiffness is approximately proportional to the square of the change ratio in the manipulator's outer diameter. Finally, we build a VDS-CSM experimental system. Through experiments, the accuracy of the proposed model for VDS-CSM is verified. The experimental results show that the outer diameter and stiffness of the manipulator can vary by 200% and 400%, respectively.
AB - Cable-driven serpentine manipulators (CSMs), due to their unique flexibility of movement, have broad application prospects in unstructured and confined environments. To enhance adaptability to different environments and tasks, the design of variable stiffness structures has long been a research focus for CSMs. Inspired by spatial folding mechanisms, such as umbrellas, we propose a novel variable-diameter-stiffness cable-driven serpentine manipulator (VDS-CSM). The standout feature of this innovation is its ability to achieve integrated control over both the outer diameter and the stiffness of the manipulator. First, we present the structural design of the novel VDS-CSM, whose outer diameter and stiffness can be continuously adjusted. Second, we establish the kinematics, statics, and stiffness models for VDS-CSM. Based on this, we conduct an in-depth study of the manipulator's stiffness characteristics. Simulation data indicate that the change ratio of the manipulator's end stiffness is approximately proportional to the square of the change ratio in the manipulator's outer diameter. Finally, we build a VDS-CSM experimental system. Through experiments, the accuracy of the proposed model for VDS-CSM is verified. The experimental results show that the outer diameter and stiffness of the manipulator can vary by 200% and 400%, respectively.
U2 - 10.1109/tmech.2025.3569221
DO - 10.1109/tmech.2025.3569221
M3 - Journal article
JO - IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics
JF - IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics
SN - 1083-4435
ER -