Forward Kinematic Modeling of Conical-Shaped Continuum Manipulators

Forward kinematics is essential in robot control. Its resolution remains a challenge for continuum manipulators because of their inherent flexibility. Learning-based approaches allow obtaining accurate models. However, they suffer from the explosion of the learning database that wears down the manipulator during data collection. This paper proposes an approach that combines the model and learning-based approaches. The learning database is derived from analytical equations to prevent the robot from operating for long periods. The database obtained is handled using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs). The Compact Bionic Handling robot serves as an experimental platform. The comparison with existing approaches gives satisfaction.