AeCoM: An Aerial Continuum Manipulator with Precise Kinematic Modeling for Variable Loading and Tendon-slacking Prevention

TL;DR

This paper introduces AeCoM, a novel aerial continuum manipulator that combines a quadrotor with a tendon-driven robotic arm, offering improved payload capacity and dexterity through precise kinematic modeling and tendon-slacking prevention.

Contribution

The paper presents a new aerial manipulator system with a sensor-based kinematic model and a tendon slacking prevention system, enhancing payload handling and motion stability.

Findings

Validated precise kinematic modeling with variable loads

Demonstrated effective tendon-slacking prevention during aggressive motions

Showed improved payload capacity and dexterity over conventional systems

Abstract

Aerial robotic systems have raised emerging interests in recent years. In this article, we propose a novel aerial manipulator system that is significantly different from conventional aerial discrete manipulators: An Aerial Continuum Manipulator (AeCoM). The AeCoM compactly integrates a quadrotor with a tendon-driven continuum robotic manipulator. Due to the compact design and the payload bearing ability of tendon-driven continuum robotic arms, the proposed system solved the conflict between payload capacity and dexterity lying in conventional aerial manipulators. Two contributions are made in this paper: 1) a sensor-based kinematic model is developed for precise modeling in the presence of variable loading; and 2) a tendon slacking prevention system is developed in the presence of aggressive motions. The detailed design of the system is presented and extensive experimental validations have been performed to validate the system self-initialization, payload capacity, precise kinematic modeling with variable end-effector (EE) loadings during aerial grasping and tendon-slacking prevention. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed novel aerial continuum manipulator system solves the constraints in conventional aerial manipulators and has more potential applications in clustered environments.