Abstract
Realizing high-performance soft robots is challenging because many existing soft or compliant actuators exhibit limitations like fabrication complexity, high power requirement, slow actuation, and low force generation. Due to their high-force output and power efficiency, compactness, and simplicity in fabrication, twisted string actuators (TSAs) have exhibited strong potential in mechatronic and robotic applications. However, they have had limited uses in soft robotics. Consequently, modeling and control of TSA-driven soft robots have not been sufficiently studied. This article presents the first study on the modeling and control of a TSA-driven soft robotic manipulator. A physics-based model was developed to predict the manipulator’s kinematic motion. An inverse model was derived to realize open-loop control. Models that describe the behavior of TSAs were utilized in a novel way to develop the proposed kinematic and inverse models of the soft robot. The proposed modeling and control approaches were experimentally verified to be effective. For example, the modeling and control errors of the bending angle were 1.60 deg (3.11%) and 2.11 deg (3.68%), respectively.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
References
1.
Schmitt
, F.
, Piccin
, O.
, Barbé
, L.
, and Bayle
, B.
, 2018
, “Soft Robots Manufacturing: A Review
,” Front. Rob. AI
, 5
, p. 84
. 2.
Rich
, S. I.
, Wood
, R. J.
, and Majidi
, C.
, 2018
, “Untethered Soft Robotics
,” Nat. Electron.
, 1
(2
), p. 102
. 3.
Zhang
, J.
, Sheng
, J.
, O’Neill
, C.
, Walsh
, C. J.
, Wood
, R. J.
, Ryu
, J. H.
, Desai
, J. P.
, and Yip
, M. C.
, 2019
, “Robotic Artificial Muscles: Current Progress and Future Perspectives for Biomimetic Actuators
,” IEEE Trans. Rob.
, 35
(3
), pp. 761
–781
. 4.
Mirvakili
, S. M.
, and Hunter
, I. W.
, 2017
, “Artificial Muscles: Mechanisms, Applications, and Challenges
,” Adv. Mater.
, 30
(6
), p. 1704407
. 5.
Sridar
, S.
, Poddar
, S.
, Tong
, Y.
, Polygerinos
, P.
, and Zhang
, W.
, 2020
, “Towards Untethered Soft Pneumatic Exosuits Using Low-Volume Inflatable Actuator Composites and a Portable Pneumatic Source
,” IEEE Rob. Automat. Lett.
, 5
(3
), pp. 4062
–4069
. 6.
Laschi
, C.
, Mazzolai
, B.
, and Cianchetti
, M.
, 2016
, “Soft Robotics: Technologies and Systems Pushing the Boundaries of Robot Abilities
,” Sci. Rob.
, 1
(1
).7.
Bombara
, D.
, Konda
, R.
, Chow
, E.
, and Zhang
, J.
, 2022
, “Physics-Based Kinematic Modeling of a Twisted String Actuator-Driven Soft Robotic Manipulator
,” 2022 American Control Conference
, Atlanta, GA
, June 8–10
, pp. 4365
–4370
.8.
Sun
, J.
, Tighe
, B.
, Liu
, Y.
, and Zhao
, J.
, 2021
, “Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators With Free Strokes Enable Soft Robots With Programmable Motions
,” Soft Rob.
, 8
(2
), pp. 213
–225
. 9.
Kellaris
, N.
, Gopaluni Venkata
, V.
, Smith
, G. M.
, Mitchell
, S. K.
, and Keplinger
, C.
, 2018
, “Peano-HASEL Actuators: Muscle-Mimetic, Electrohydraulic Transducers That Linearly Contract on Activation
,” Sci. Rob.
, 3
(14
).10.
Rothemund
, P.
, Kellaris
, N.
, Mitchell
, S. K.
, Acome
, E.
, and Keplinger
, C.
, 2021
, “HASEL Artificial Muscles for a New Generation of Lifelike Robots—Recent Progress and Future Opportunities
,” Adv. Mater.
, 33
(19
), p. 217049
.11.
Chen
, B.
, Wang
, N.
, Wang
, R.
, Zhu
, B.
, Zhang
, X.
, Sun
, W.
, and Chen
, W.
, 2023
, “Automatic Design of Dielectric Elastomer-Based Crawling Robots Using Shape and Topology Optimization
,” ASME J. Mech. Rob.
, 15
(2
), p. 021006
. 12.
Meng
, L.
, Kang
, R.
, Gan
, D.
, Chen
, G.
, Chen
, L.
, Branson
, D. T.
, and Dai
, J. S.
, 2020
, “A Mechanically Intelligent Crawling Robot Driven by Shape Memory Alloy and Compliant Bistable Mechanism
,” ASME J. Mech. Rob.
, 12
(6
), p. 061005
. 13.
Tang
, X.
, Li
, K.
, Liu
, Y.
, Zhou
, D.
, and Zhao
, J.
, 2019
, “A General Soft Robot Module Driven by Twisted and Coiled Actuators
,” Smart Mater. Struct.
, 28
(3
), p. 035019
. 14.
Zhang
, J.
, Simeonov
, A.
, and Yip
, M. C.
, 2018
, “Three-Dimensional Hysteresis Compensation Enhances Accuracy of Robotic Artificial Muscles
,” Smart Mater. Struct.
, 27
(3
), p. 035002
. 15.
Chu
, W. S.
, Lee
, K. T.
, Song
, S. H.
, Han
, M. W.
, Lee
, J. Y.
, Kim
, H. S.
, Kim
, M. S.
, Park
, Y. J.
, Cho
, K. J.
, and Ahn
, S. H.
, 2012
, “Review of Biomimetic Underwater Robots Using Smart Actuators
,” Int. J. Precis. Eng. Manuf.
, 13
(7
), pp. 1281
–1292
. 16.
Bombara
, D.
, Coulter
, R.
, Konda
, R.
, and Zhang
, J.
, 2021
, “A Twisted String Actuator-Driven Soft Robotic Manipulator
,” IFAC-PapersOnLine
, 54
(20
), pp. 141
–146
, Modeling, Estimation and Control Conference MECC 2021. 17.
Konda
, R.
, Bombara
, D.
, Swanbeck
, S.
, and Zhang
, J.
, 2022
, “Anthropomorphic Twisted String-Actuated Soft Robotic Gripper With Tendon-Based Stiffening
,” IEEE Trans. Rob.
, 39
(2
), pp. 1178
–1195
.18.
Pawlowski
, B.
, Sun
, J.
, Xu
, J.
, Liu
, Y.
, and Zhao
, J.
, 2019
, “Modeling of Soft Robots Actuated by Twisted-and-Coiled Actuators
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 24
(1
), pp. 5
–15
. 19.
Shintake
, J.
, Cacucciolo
, V.
, Floreano
, D.
, and Shea
, H.
, 2018
, “Soft Robotic Grippers
,” Adv. Mater.
, 30
(29
), p. 1707035
. 20.
Park
, I. W.
, and SunSpiral
, V.
, 2014
, “Impedance Controlled Twisted String Actuators for Tensegrity Robots
,” 2014 14th International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems (ICCAS 2014)
, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
, Oct. 22–25
, pp. 1331
–1338
.21.
Shin
, Y. J.
, Lee
, H. J.
, Kim
, K.-S.
, and Kim
, S.
, 2012
, “A Robot Finger Design Using a Dual-Mode Twisting Mechanism to Achieve High-Speed Motion and Large Grasping Force
,” IEEE Trans. Rob.
, 28
(6
), pp. 1398
–1405
. 22.
Tsabedze
, T.
, Hartman
, E.
, and Zhang
, J.
, 2021
, “A Compact, Compliant, and Biomimetic Robotic Assistive Glove Driven by Twisted String Actuators
,” Int. J. Intell. Rob. Appl.
, 5
(3
), pp. 381
–394
. 23.
Gaponov
, I.
, Popov
, D.
, and Ryu
, J. H.
, 2014
, “Twisted String Actuation Systems: A Study of the Mathematical Model and a Comparison of Twisted Strings
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 19
(4
), pp. 1331
–1342
. 24.
Helps
, T.
, Taghavi
, M.
, Wang
, S.
, and Rossiter
, J.
, 2020
, “Twisted Rubber Variable-Stiffness Artificial Muscles
,” Soft Rob.
, 7
(3
), pp. 386
–395
. 25.
George Thuruthel
, T.
, Renda
, F.
, and Iida
, F.
, 2020
, “First-Order Dynamic Modeling and Control of Soft Robots
,” Front. Rob. AI
, 7
, pp. 1
–14
.26.
Xavier
, M. S.
, Fleming
, A. J.
, and Yong
, Y. K.
, 2021
, “Finite Element Modeling of Soft Fluidic Actuators: Overview and Recent Developments
,” Adv. Intell. Syst.
, 3
(2
), p. 2000187
. 27.
Till
, J.
, Aloi
, V.
, and Rucker
, C.
, 2019
, “Real-Time Dynamics of Soft and Continuum Robots Based on Cosserat Rod Models
,” Int. J. Rob. Res.
, 38
(6
), pp. 723
–746
. 28.
Sedal
, A.
, Bruder
, D.
, Bishop-Moser
, J.
, Vasudevan
, R.
, and Kota
, S.
, 2018
, “A Continuum Model for Fiber-Reinforced Soft Robot Actuators
,” ASME J. Mech. Rob.
, 10
(2
), p. 024501
. 29.
Rao
, P.
, Peyron
, Q.
, Lilge
, S.
, and Burgner-Kahrs
, J.
, 2021
, “How to Model Tendon-Driven Continuum Robots and Benchmark Modelling Performance
,” Front. Rob. AI
, 7
, pp. 1
–20
.30.
Gaponov
, I.
, Popov
, D.
, Lee
, S. J.
, and Ryu
, J.-H.
, 2017
, “Auxilio: A Portable Cable-Driven Exosuit for Upper Extremity Assistance
,” Int. J. Control Autom. Syst.
, 15
(1
), pp. 73
–84
. 31.
Moradi Dalvand
, M.
, Nahavandi
, S.
, and Howe
, R. D.
, 2022
, “General Forward Kinematics for Tendon-Driven Continuum Robots
,” IEEE Access
, 10
, pp. 60330
–60340
. 32.
San-Millan Rodriguez
, A.
, Hosseini
, M.
, and Paik
, J.
, 2021
, “A Hybrid Control Strategy for Force and Precise End Effector Positioning of a Twisted String Actuator
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 26
(5
), pp. 2791
–2802
.33.
Huang
, X.
, Zou
, J.
, and Gu
, G.
, 2021
, “Kinematic Modeling and Control of Variable Curvature Soft Continuum Robots
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 26
(6
), pp. 3175
–3185
. 34.
Wang
, N.
, Chen
, B.
, Ge
, X.
, Zhang
, X.
, and Chen
, W.
, 2021
, “Design, Kinematics, and Application of Axially and Radially Expandable Modular Soft Pneumatic Actuators
,” ASME J. Mech. Rob.
, 13
(2
), p. 021019
. 35.
Shisheie
, R.
, Jiang
, L.
, Banta
, L.
, and Cheng
, M.
, 2015
, “Modeling and Control of a Bidirectional Twisted-String Actuation for an Upper Arm Robotic Device
,” 2015 American Control Conference (ACC)
, Chicago, IL
, July 1–3
, pp. 5794
–5799
.36.
Popov
, D.
, Gaponov
, I.
, and Ryu
, J.
, 2013
, “Bidirectional Elbow Exoskeleton Based on Twisted-String Actuators
,” 2013 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems
, Tokyo, Japan
, Nov. 3–7
, pp. 5853
–5858
.37.
Lee
, D.
, Kim
, D. H.
, Che
, C. H.
, In
, J. B.
, and Shin
, D.
, 2020
, “Highly Durable Bidirectional Joint With Twisted String Actuators and Variable Radius Pulley
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 25
(1
), pp. 360
–370
. 38.
Lee
, D.
, Kim
, S.
, Park
, H.-J.
, Kim
, S.
, and Shin
, D.
, 2022
, “A Spine Assistive Robot With a Routed Twisted String Actuator and a Flat-Back Alleviation Mechanism for Lumbar-Degenerative Flat Back
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 27
(6
), pp. 5185
–5196
. 39.
Palli
, G.
, Natale
, C.
, May
, C.
, Melchiorri
, C.
, and Wurtz
, T.
, 2013
, “Modeling and Control of the Twisted String Actuation System
,” IEEE/ASME Trans. Mechatron.
, 18
(2
), pp. 664
–673
. 40.
Hannan
, M. W.
, and Walker
, I. D.
, 2003
, “Kinematics and the Implementation of an Elephant’s Trunk Manipulator and Other Continuum Style Robots
,” J. Rob. Syst.
, 20
(2
), pp. 45
–63
. 41.
Lee
, H.
, Choi
, H.
, and Park
, S.
, 2019
, “Accurate Modeling and Nonlinearity Compensation in the Speed Mode of a Twisted String Actuator
,” Mech. Mach. Theory
, 137
, pp. 53
–66
. 42.
Nedelchev
, S.
, Gaponov
, I.
, and Ryu
, J.-H.
, 2020
, “Accurate Dynamic Modeling of Twisted String Actuators Accounting for String Compliance and Friction
,” IEEE Rob. Automat. Lett.
, 5
(2
), pp. 3438
–3443
. 43.
Savitzky
, A.
, and Golay
, M. J. E.
, 1964
, “Smoothing and Differentiation of Data by Simplified Least Squares Procedures.
,” Anal. Chem.
, 36
(8
), pp. 1627
–1639
. 44.
Palli
, G.
, Hosseini
, M.
, and Melchiorri
, C.
, 2016
, “Twisted String Actuation With Sliding Surfaces
,” 2016 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS)
, Daejeon, South Korea
, Oct. 9–14
, pp. 260
–265
.45.
Suthar
, B.
, Usman
, M.
, Seong
, H.
, Gaponov
, I.
, and Ryu
, J.-H.
, 2018
, “Preliminary Study of Twisted String Actuation Through a Conduit Toward Soft and Wearable Actuation
,” 2018 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA)
, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
, May 21–25
, pp. 2260
–2265
.46.
Bombara
, D.
, Konda
, R.
, and Zhang
, J.
, 2021
, “Experimental Characterization and Modeling of the Self-Sensing Property in Compliant Twisted String Actuators
,” IEEE Rob. Automat. Lett.
, 6
(2
), pp. 974
–981
. Copyright © 2023 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.
