Development of a Semi-Rigid Tendon Actuated Limb for Robotics Applications

This paper presents the design and modeling of a lightweight tendon actuated robotic limb. The mechanical structure consists of a sequence of four semi-rigid segments realized in thermoplastic polyurethane material and connected through torsional springs. This allows the limb to keep a straight position without the application of forces and facilitates the control of the limb while performing flexion and extension movements. A static model is presented to predict the tension of the tendons in order to reach a defined orientation. Simulations were conducted in a V-REP Python environment to demonstrate the controllability of the limb while performing simple movements and trajectories.