AMoRPH: Analytical Model-Based Real-Time Posture Heuristic Inverse Kinematics Solver for Continuum Robots

This paper presents AMoRPH, a new analytical inverse kinematics solver for extensible multi-section continuum robots. It uses a virtual linkage model to efficiently solve the 5 DoF inverse kinematics problem and find balanced, smooth solutions. Segment addition and geometry adjustments handle non-uniform cases and obstacles. Simulations and hardware experiments validate the method’s speed, accuracy, and versatility. For a 100-step circular trajectory, AMoRPH computed solutions in milliseconds, compared to seconds for other algorithms. The balanced curvatures, precise tracking, and smooth motions demonstrate its capabilities. This enables utilizing continuum robots requiring millisecond response times for human interaction and assistance. The efficient formulation guarantees solutions and enables real-time control. Obstacle avoidance is also implemented based on collision detection with the virtual linkage model. Experiments validate the solver’s real-time performance, accuracy, and smoothness on both simulated and physical extensible continuum robots.