Contribution to Inverse Kinematic Modeling of a Planar Continuum Robot Using a Particle Swarm Optimization

Abstract

According to the literature, research on modeling continuum robots is focused on ways to develop the kinematic models, because of the lack of analytical models for these robots and the complexity of the problem which reside in the coupling of operational variables and infinite of possible solutions for a desired configuration. This paper presents a numerical approach for solving the inverse kinematic model of a planar continuum robot (PCR), assuming that each section of the manipulator is curved as a circular arc, with an inextensible central axis of the structure. At first, this paper presents an inverse kinematic model solution for one bending section, whereas the extreme points, of each section, used in calculating the inverse kinematic model for multi-sections is calculated numerically using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique. Finally, Simulation examples of this method are carried to validate the proposed approach.