Model-Less Feedback Control of Space-based Continuum Manipulators using Backbone Tension Optimization

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Rajneesh, Shrreya, Pavle, Nikita, Sahoo, Rakesh Kumar, Sinha, Manoranjan
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Rajneesh, Shrreya
Pavle, Nikita
Sahoo, Rakesh Kumar
Sinha, Manoranjan
author_facet Rajneesh, Shrreya
Pavle, Nikita
Sahoo, Rakesh Kumar
Sinha, Manoranjan
contents Continuum manipulators offer intrinsic dexterity and safe geometric compliance for navigation within confined and obstacle-rich environments. However, their infinite-dimensional backbone deformation, unmodeled internal friction, and configuration-dependent stiffness fundamentally limit the reliability of model-based kinematic formulations, resulting in inaccurate Jacobian predictions, artificial singularities, and unstable actuation behavior. Motivated by these limitations, this work presents a complete model-less control framework that bypasses kinematic modeling by using an empirically initialized Jacobian refined online through differential convex updates. Tip motion is generated via a real-time quadratic program that computes actuator increments while enforcing tendon slack avoidance and geometric limits. A backbone tension optimization term is introduced in this paper to regulate axial loading and suppress co-activation compression. The framework is validated across circular, pentagonal, and square trajectories, demonstrating smooth convergence, stable tension evolution, and sub-millimeter steady-state accuracy without any model calibration or parameter identification. These results establish the proposed controller as a scalable alternative to model-dependent continuum manipulation in a constrained environment.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_06754
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Model-Less Feedback Control of Space-based Continuum Manipulators using Backbone Tension Optimization
Rajneesh, Shrreya
Pavle, Nikita
Sahoo, Rakesh Kumar
Sinha, Manoranjan
Robotics
Systems and Control
Continuum manipulators offer intrinsic dexterity and safe geometric compliance for navigation within confined and obstacle-rich environments. However, their infinite-dimensional backbone deformation, unmodeled internal friction, and configuration-dependent stiffness fundamentally limit the reliability of model-based kinematic formulations, resulting in inaccurate Jacobian predictions, artificial singularities, and unstable actuation behavior. Motivated by these limitations, this work presents a complete model-less control framework that bypasses kinematic modeling by using an empirically initialized Jacobian refined online through differential convex updates. Tip motion is generated via a real-time quadratic program that computes actuator increments while enforcing tendon slack avoidance and geometric limits. A backbone tension optimization term is introduced in this paper to regulate axial loading and suppress co-activation compression. The framework is validated across circular, pentagonal, and square trajectories, demonstrating smooth convergence, stable tension evolution, and sub-millimeter steady-state accuracy without any model calibration or parameter identification. These results establish the proposed controller as a scalable alternative to model-dependent continuum manipulation in a constrained environment.
title Model-Less Feedback Control of Space-based Continuum Manipulators using Backbone Tension Optimization
topic Robotics
Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.06754