1 research outputs found
Minimally Actuated Serial Robot
In this paper, we propose a novel type of serial robot with minimal
actuation. The robot is a serial rigid structure consisting of multiple links
connected by passive joints and of movable actuators. The novelty of this robot
is that the actuators travel over the links to a given joint and adjust the
relative angle between the two adjacent links. The joints passively preserve
their angles until one of the actuators moves them again. This actuation can be
applied to any serial robot with two or more links. This unique configuration
enables the robot to undergo the same wide range of motions typically
associated with hyper-redundant robots but with much fewer actuators. The robot
is modular and its size and geometry can be easily changed. We describe the
robot's mechanical design and kinematics in detail and demonstrate its
capabilities for obstacle avoidance with some simulated examples. In addition,
we show how an experimental robot fitted with a single mobile actuator can
maneuver through a confined space to reach its target