Compliant Robotic Arm based on a Tensegrity Structure with x-shaped Members

The use of intrinsically compliant tensegrity structures in manipulation systems is an attractive research topic. In this paper a 3D compliant robotic arm based on a stacked tensegrity structure consisting of x-shaped rigid members is considered. The rigid members are interconnected by a net of prestressed, tensioned members with pronounced intrinsic elasticity and by inelastic tensioned members. The system's motion is achieved by length-change of the inelastic tensioned members. The operating principle of the system is discussed with the help of kinematic considerations and verified by experiments.