A Bio-Inspired Tensegrity Manipulator with Multi-DOF, Structurally Compliant Joints
This addresses the issue of robust handling of deformations and off-axis moments in robotic manipulators, representing an incremental improvement with bio-inspired design.
The paper tackles the problem of traditional robotic joints being inelastic and vulnerable to damage from off-axis forces by presenting two lightweight, bio-inspired tensegrity robotic arms with flexible, compliant joints. The result is manipulators with multiple passive degrees of freedom and four active degrees of freedom that mitigate damage risks and improve functionality.
Most traditional robotic mechanisms feature inelastic joints that are unable to robustly handle large deformations and off-axis moments. As a result, the applied loads are transferred rigidly throughout the entire structure. The disadvantage of this approach is that the exerted leverage is magnified at each subsequent joint possibly damaging the mechanism. In this paper, we present two lightweight, elastic, bio-inspired tensegrity robotics arms which mitigate this danger while improving their mechanism's functionality. Our solutions feature modular tensegrity structures that function similarly to the human elbow and the human shoulder when connected. Like their biological counterparts, the proposed robotic joints are flexible and comply with unanticipated forces. Both proposed structures have multiple passive degrees of freedom and four active degrees of freedom (two from the shoulder and two from the elbow). The structural advantages demonstrated by the joints in these manipulators illustrate a solution to the fundamental issue of elegantly handling off-axis compliance.