Jacobian-Based Inverse Kinematics Analysis of a Pneumatic Actuated Continuum Manipulator

In recent times, the use of continuum manipulators is increased in a variety of fields such as surgical operations and industrial applications. So far, multiple approaches have been developed for the Forward Kinematics (FK) modelling of these kinds of manipulators. However, the same kind of rapid development has not been successful for Inverse Kinematics (IK) modelling. So, in this paper, IK modelling for a class of continuum manipulators having serially connected sections is attempted. To accomplish this, the FK model is derived using the Constant Curvature Model (CCM). From the manipulator workspace, the desired trajectory is chosen for the inverse kinematics solution. The inverse solution is determined by applying the differential kinematics and pseudo-Jacobian inverse method. This method particularly uses a first-order resolved rate algorithm having a weight matrix and a gain matrix. Using the IK model, the variation of actuator lengths and the position of the end effector are studied on the Compact Bionic Handling Assistant (CBHA) of Robotino-XT. The effect of the weight values and the gain values is also studied. It is observed that, in general, an increase in the gain values improves tracking, whereas the weight values do not affect tracking ability much.