A Generic Modeling Framework For the Design of Tendon-Driven Continuum Manipulators with Flexure Patterns

Yang Liu, Hansoul Kim, Yash Kulkarni, Farshid Alambeigi

Abstract: In this paper, a novel mathematical framework is introduced for modeling deformation behavior of Tendon-Driven Continuum Manipulators (TD-CMs) featuring discontinuous cross-sectional geometries (i.e., having flexural patterns). Leveraging this framework, we also introduce the concept of design space by which the deformation-behavior space of a TD-CM can intuitively be analyzed via its geometrical design parameters. To thoroughly evaluate the performance of the proposed modeling framework, we have conducted various simulation studies and experiments.