A Segment-Progress Statics Method for Configuration Prediction or Force Sensing of Concentric Cable-Driven Manipulators

This article presents a segment-progress statics method for configuration prediction or force sensing of concentric cable-driven manipulators. First, the statics model of the whole system was constructed by progressively analyzing from local segments to the whole. This statics modeling method reduces the complexity of the model and considers the most common forces and moments. Second, a solving flow is proposed based on the iteration-correction strategy for configuration prediction or force sensing. This strategy provides a new idea for the analysis of the static friction direction when the statics model is used for quasi-static prediction. Simulations and experiments show that the proposed segment-progress statics method is effective for configuration prediction or force sensing of concentric cable-driven manipulators. Moreover, the effect of the friction gain on the accuracy of statics model is found by analyzing the curvature of the manipulator. The piecewise constant curvature (PCC) assumption is also concluded to be only applicable to small end forces but not to large end forces for concentric cable-driven manipulators.