Forward and Inverse Kinematics in 2-DOF Planar Parallel Continuum Manipulators

Parallel Continuum Manipulators are parallel mechanisms which movement is due to the deformation of some of their elements, usually flexible rods. Provided that rods are straight in their stress-free reference state and that the movement of the mechanism is within a plane, elliptic integral solution can be used in order to get the deformation of each rod. Since it is a parameterized method, it allows to control all possible solutions related to a certain buckling mode. We will show an unified method to solve both Forward and Inverse Kinematic Position problem of 2-DOF planar Parallel Continuum Manipulators in which two flexible rods are hinged at one extreme and are clamped to the other. The main characteristic of the method proposed is that static equilibrium equations and geometric equations are decoupled.