Model-Based Control of a Continuum Manipulator with Online Jacobian Error Compensation Using Kalman Filtering

Flexible continuum robots exhibit excellent adaptability to a wide range of tasks and environments. However, accurate and efficient modeling and control remain challenging due to their inherent nonlinearities. In this article, a hybrid model-based and online data-driven control method is proposed for a tendon-driven continuum robot, which requires no prior dataset collection or training. The method incorporates the Jacobian derived from the piecewise constant curvature model with online Jacobian error compensation using a Kalman filter. Consecutive Jacobian estimates are constrained to reduce fluctuations and improve stability in real-time estimation. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed hybrid approach in enhancing tracking accuracy and demonstrate its robustness against external disturbances.