Design Optimization of Wire Arrangement with Variable Relay Points for Tendon-driven Robots

Abstract

In tendon-driven robots, the ease of wire arrangement and its degrees of freedom are significant features. By ingeniously arranging wires, it is possible to construct a body that meets desired characteristics. Various wire arrangement optimization methods have been proposed; however, they often simplify the problem by assuming a constant moment arm or ignoring wire configurations with diverse relay points. In this study, we formulate a wire arrangement optimization problem with higher degrees of freedom, representing wires with starting points, multiple relay points, and end points. Utilizing multi-objective optimization that simultaneously considers feasible end-effector force and velocity spaces, we aim to achieve the desired robotic performance.