A Novel Inverse Kinematics Method for a Two-Section Continuum Manipulator Based on Constant Curvature Assumption

Continuum manipulators have been widely applied in the medical field due to their flexibility, in herent compliance, compact design, and capability to operate in confined spaces. However, challenges such as low accuracy, inefficiency, and algorithmic restarts caused by improper initial values persist in solving their inverse kinematics. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel inverse kinematics solution method for a two-section continuum manipulator based on the constantcurvature assumption. By enabling independent deformation capabilities for the two sections and incorporating segmented numerical iteration, sliding platform compensation, and base rotation strategies, the method achieves efficient inverse kinematics computation. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method achieves a maximum computation time of 2.7 ms in solving complex kinematics, allowing three-dimensional motion. The positioning error is 2.44 % of the total length, providing a novel solution for the efficient and precise control of continuum manipulators.