3D-Printed Robotic Arm Assembly With Embedded Control Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction of long and thin robotic arms is challenging due to difficulties in forming individual links with a desired density of control wire holes and threading thin, flimsy control wires through them.
Innovation Solution
A method involving positioning control wires in a formation zone and using additive manufacturing to form the robotic arm body around the wires, enclosing at least a portion of them, allowing for a dense arrangement of control wires and facilitating the creation of long, thin robotic arms with integrated joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If individual links are separately formed with extruded or drilled holes for control wires, then each link can be manufactured independently, but it becomes difficult to achieve desired density of control wire holes and threading thin control wires through them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the manufacturing of multiple individual links into a single integrated printing process. The robotic arm body is printed as one continuous structure with all control wire holes formed simultaneously, eliminating the need to separately manufacture and assemble multiple links. This resolving the contradiction by achieving high hole density through unified manufacturing while maintaining ease of construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The control wires are positioned in advance within the formation zone before the robotic arm body is printed around them. This preliminary positioning allows the wires to be integrated into the structure during the printing process, ensuring proper hole density and alignment without requiring subsequent threading operations through individually manufactured links.
2Productivity
If control wires are threaded through separately drilled holes in individual links, then assembly can proceed link by link, but the process becomes extremely difficult for long and thin robotic arms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the positioning of control wires and the formation of the robotic arm body into a single integrated printing process. All control wires are positioned and enclosed within the body structure during one continuous manufacturing operation, eliminating the separate threading step that becomes increasingly difficult for longer arms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical threading process with an additive manufacturing process. Instead of manually or mechanically threading thin wires through pre-drilled holes in assembled links, the wires are positioned and the body is printed around them, substituting a complex mechanical operation with a more controllable manufacturing process.
3Device complexity
If multiple individual links are assembled together to form the robotic arm, then the arm can be constructed from manageable segments, but the overall structure becomes more complex and harder to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual links into a single integrated body structure printed in one operation. This eliminates the complexity of assembling multiple separate components with their respective holes and alignment requirements, while the modular joint design maintains the benefits of segmented construction for long arms.
Solution Approach 2:
While the body is printed as one piece, the patent maintains segmentation at the joint level, allowing the robotic arm to be divided into functional modules. This resolves the contradiction by reducing internal complexity (no holes through links) while preserving external modularity for assembly and maintenance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the efficient construction of long and thin robotic arms with a high density of control wires, improving assembly efficiency and reducing the complexity of threading wires through individual links, resulting in a more robust and compact robotic arm assembly.
Implementation Method 1
forming the body of the robotic arm around the wire using an additive manufacturing process
Data Source
AI summary
A method for constructing a robotic arm includes positioning a wire in a formation zone for the robotic arm; and forming a body of the robotic arm in the formation zone around the wire such that the body of the robotic arm encloses at least a portion of the wire.