Variable-stiffness continuum robot based on traction structure

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of continuum robots, and particularly discloses a variable stiffness continuum robot based on a traction structure, the variable stiffness continuum robot comprises a hollow pipe central skeleton, intervertebral discs, variable stiffness joints, tendons, a traction piece and a locking mechanism, the hollow pipe central skeleton penetrates through a plurality of intervertebral discs and variable stiffness joints which are arranged at intervals; each variable stiffness joint is arranged between two adjacent intervertebral discs; the number of the tendons is at least three, each tendon penetrates through the multiple intervertebral discs, and the multiple tendons are distributed in the circumferential direction of the intervertebral discs at equal intervals; the traction piece is used for pulling the multiple variable-stiffness joints to slide along the hollow pipe central framework at the same time, so that each variable-stiffness joint gets close to the adjacent intervertebral disc in the traction direction; and the locking mechanism is used for clamping and locking the tendon along with the movement of the rigidity-variable joint. The variable stiffness function can be achieved by manually controlling the pull wire, the operation risk is low, and the reliability is high.

Images