Kinematics of soft manipulators enabled by twisted-and-coiled actuators

Includes bibliographical references.This work presents an approach for modelling and computing the forward and inverse kinematics of a soft manipulator driven by twisted-and-coiled actuators (TCAs). TCAs present an opportunity for continuum robots to have soft actuators that are completely embedded, electronically driven, and cheap to manufacture that allow for the generation of large forces and the possibility of self-sensing. Previously devised models for soft robots are incapable of incorporating TCAs as actuators due to the body and actuator deformations being highly coupled together. The model developed is capable of modelling soft manipulators that use other sorts of artificial muscles or tendons