A hybrid model and kinematic-free control framework for a low-cost deformable manipulator using in home service

Home service robot works in unstructured environments with various tasks, where a low-cost, dexterous, and intrinsically safe manipulator is important. Traditionally, a redundant manipulator with high degrees of freedom (DOFs) is employed. However, high DOFs bring problems like high cost, complex physical designing, and heavy weight. Here a novel low-cost deformable manipulator for home service robot, which is composed of rigid joints and deformable links, is introduced. The deformable manipulator can obtain relatively dexterous and extended workspace with fewer joints by bending its deformable links. Considering the typical hybrid behaviors caused by bending operation, a hybrid model and a practical kinematic-free control framework with no prior kinematic information are proposed to describe and control the deformable manipulator. The model and controller have been implemented on a 4-DOF deformable manipulator with two deformable links in simulation. The simulation results validate the proposed deformable manipulator and kinematic-free control.