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Thulani Tsabedze

4 accepted papers

2024

Model-Based Performance Analysis of Twisted String Actuators With Comparison to Spooled Motor Tendon-Driven Actuators

RA-L 2024

Twisted string actuators (TSA) exhibit desirable traits for robotic applications like enabling high-force actuation. It is important to understand TSAs' key performance metrics to allow for ubiquitous usage. However, performance analysis of TSAs is challenging due to the strong coupling between the

Cited by 5SourceScholar
2020

Helically Wrapped Supercoiled Polymer (HW-SCP) Artificial Muscles: Design, Characterization, and Modeling

ICRA 2020poster

Supercoiled polymer (SCP) artificial muscles exhibit many desirable properties such as large contractions and high power density. However, their full potential as robotic muscles is challenged by insufficient strain or force generation – non-mandrel-coiled SCP actuators produce up to 10-20% strain;…

Cited by 9SourceScholar
2019

Spiral Zipper Manipulator for Aerial Grasping and Manipulation

IROS 2019poster

This paper presents a novel manipulator for aerial vehicles to perform grasping and manipulation tasks. The goal is to design a low-cost, relatively light but strong manipulator with a large workspace and compact storage space that can be mounted on an unmanned aerial system. A novel design solution…

Cited by 9SourceScholar
2017

PaintPots: Low cost, accurate, highly customizable potentiometers for position sensing

ICRA 2017poster

The PaintPot manufacturing process is a new way to create low-cost, low-profile, highly customizable potentiometers for position sensing in robotic applications. It uses widely accessible materials, requires no special expertise, and creates custom potentiometers in a variety of shapes and sizes, in…

Cited by 12SourceScholar