Design and evaluation of a novel variable stiffness spherical joint with application to MR-compatible robot design
Quentin Boehler, Marc Vedrines, Salih Abdelaziz, Philippe Poignet, Pierre Renaud
Abstract
In this paper, the design of a new variable stiffness spherical joint for MR-compatible robotics is presented. It is based on the use of prestressed cable-driven mechanisms in singular configurations to provide large stiffness variation ranges, including zero stiffness configuration as required by the medical context. An original implementation is proposed, with a prestress adjustment system using pneumatic energy and taking advantage of multimaterial additive manufacturing. The proposed component combines compactness, MR-compatibility and is lightweight. The system is evaluated on a dedicated experimental setup with validation of the expected behavior, with in particular a very large achievable range of stiffnesses. The approach is effective for the design of such device and constitutes a novel solution for the design of variable stiffness devices with complex motions.
BibTeX
@inproceedings{icra2016_designandevaluat,
title = {Design and evaluation of a novel variable stiffness spherical joint with application to MR-compatible robot design},
author = {Quentin Boehler and Marc Vedrines and Salih Abdelaziz and Philippe Poignet and Pierre Renaud},
booktitle = {ICRA 2016},
year = {2016}
}