DESIGN OF A MODULAR SOFT CONTINUUM ROBOTIC ARM

Author

Thomas Schwarz, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Date of Award

2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Department

Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering

First Advisor

Hongyan Yuan

Abstract

In this thesis, a modular design of a soft continuum robotic arm is developed. This design enables the connection of an arbitrary number of identical modules in order to build a snake-like robot in a plug-and-play fashion. After introducing the purpose and motivation of this research, the necessary basics for this project are presented, followed by a review of existing soft continuum robots in the state of the art. The main part of this work starts with presenting the design of the required 3D manufactured parts as well as the fabrication of the soft deformable body of the robot. With the first successfully produced soft cylinder, a static experiment is presented. In order to find a fitting Finite Element Method (FEM) model for the silicone cylinder, different types of simulations are demonstrated and compared to the experimental results. After completion of the statics part, various programs are written to control the motors. By tracking the location of the robot’s tip with the help of an electromagnetic tracking system, the repeatability of the robot is determined in different bending positions. Results of those experiments are presented and discussed. Finally, a conclusion and an outlook for further research in the future is given.

Recommended Citation

Schwarz, Thomas, "DESIGN OF A MODULAR SOFT CONTINUUM ROBOTIC ARM" (2019). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1489.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1489