Using Euler Curves to Model Continuum Robots

Due to the continuous and flexible nature of continuum robot backbones and the infinite number of parameters required to represent them in configuration space, modeling them accurately and in real-time is challenging. While the constant curvature assumption provides a simple alternative, it is limited in its capabilities as it cannot account for external tip forces. In cases where the backbone deviates from the constant curvature backbone, Euler curves are an interesting alternative for modeling continuum robots. In this paper, we show that a linear approximation of the backbone curvature is sufficiently accurate for estimating the shape of a robot subject to external tip forces. Next, we propose a numerical static model for tendon-driven continuum robots experiencing in-plane external tip forces. In this model, we use Euler arc splines to circumvent the limitations of standard numerical integration schemes required to calculate these curves. The system reduces to solving two nonlinear equations, allowing fast approximation of the backbone shape. The proposed model is validated experimentally on a robot prototype. Average tip error of 3.07% of the robot length is obtained for an average computation time of 0.51 ms.