Continuum Robot Follow-The-Leader Control for Safe Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing continuum robot control systems face challenges in ensuring safe operation, particularly in confined spaces where accidental contact with objects can occur, leading to potential damage to both the robot and the object.
Innovation Solution
A continuum robot control system that includes calculating means to determine target bending angles and rotational angles for following bending sections based on the distal-most bending section and base displacement, operating means to receive these targets, switching means to select between calculated and operator-input targets, and computing means to determine drive displacements for the wires, enabling seamless transition between follow-the-leader control and operator-controlled motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If follow-the-leader control is used to enable the continuum robot to move along narrow paths in confined spaces, then the robot can navigate complex environments, but the robot may accidentally contact objects causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors the bending attitude of the distal-most bending section and uses this feedback to adjust the bending attitude of following bending sections, enabling real-time adaptation to confined spaces while maintaining safe distances from objects
Solution Approach 2:
The bendable portion is divided into multiple independent bending sections, each with its own bending attitude control, allowing the robot to navigate complex paths while maintaining control over each segment to avoid accidental contact
2Ease of operation
If algebraic determination of additional bending is used to achieve observation motion control, then the control is simple and enables characteristic motions, but the amount of additional bending may be significantly large even with small operator operations
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the relationship between operating unit movement and bending section attitudes, allowing the amount of additional bending to be proportional to the operator's input rather than fixed by algebraic relationships, thus achieving both simplicity and precision
3Adaptability or versatility
If the continuum robot operates in confined spaces with scattered objects, then it can access difficult-to-reach areas, but the risk of accidental contact and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses feedback from the distal-most bending section's attitude to continuously adjust the following bending sections, enabling the robot to adapt to confined spaces while maintaining controlled, predictable motion that avoids accidental contact with scattered objects
Solution Approach 2:
The control system pre-calculates the bending attitude of following sections based on the distal-most section's target attitude and the robot's displacement, allowing the robot to proactively plan its motion path to avoid objects before contact occurs
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to provide a mechanism that can ensure safe operation of a continuum robot. A block FTL calculates a target bending angle θfFTL and a target rotational angle ζfFTL of a following bending section on the basis of a target bending angle θlt and a target rotational angle ζlt of a distal-most bending section and a displacement of a base. A switch unit 330 selects the target bending angle θfFTL and the target rotational angle θfFTL of the following bending section obtained from the block FTL or a target bending angle θlf and a target rotational angle ζlf of the following bending section obtained from a block Pl corresponding to following operating means. A kinematic computing unit 340 computes, on the basis of the target bending angle and the target rotational angle, a drive displacement by which a driving unit drives a wire in the following bending section.