Design and Implementation of Variable Stiffness Flexible Manipulator

• 1、School of automation, Beijing university of posts and telecommunications,Beijing 100876

Abstract：This study used a mechanism similar to the flexion of the biceps and triceps muscles in the flexion of the arm to design a continuously variable manipulator with variable stiffness. Using hyperelastic memory alloy wire and 3D printing support plate as the robot arm structure, using six motors to drive the manipulator\'s shape change and stiffness change in a coordinated motion, the titanium nickel shape memory alloy spring is used to provide the locking force to control the variable stiffness, finally achieving The shape change and stiffness control of the robot arm meet the operational requirements of a complex space. Studying a robot arm with a variable stiffness has prominent effects on human life and industry. This study proposes a variable-strength robotic arm that is driven based on the principle of antagonism so that the robot arm presents a different form, and based on the locking action of the locking disc to control the stiffness of the manipulator arm. The main research content is as follows: (1) Design a new type of variable-strength mechanical arm and propose its corresponding driving and control strategy. (2) Analysis of the variable stiffness of the manipulator. (3) The design and analysis of the locking disk were carried out, and the locking effect and variable stiffness effect were verified.

Keywords： Variable stiffness；Mechanical arm；Titanium-nickel memory alloy