Malleable Robots: Reconfigurable Robotic Arms With Continuum Links of Variable Stiffness

Through the implementation of reconfigurability to achieve flexibility and adaptation tasks by morphology changes rather than increasing number joints, malleable robots present advantages over traditional serial robot arms in regards reduced weight, size, cost. While limited degrees freedom (DOF), malleable robots still provide versatility across operations typically served systems using higher DOF required tasks. In this article, we creation a 2-DOF robot, detailing design joints link, along with its modeling through forward inverse kinematics, reconfiguration methodology that informs based on end effector location—determining how user should reshape enable task previously unattainable. The recalibration motion planning for making possible after are also discussed, thorough experiments prototype evaluate accuracy reliability system presented. Results validate approach pave way further research area.