Design and experiments for a coupled tendon-driven manipulator

The authors describe the operation of a tendon-driven manipulator, the CT ARM-I, which has a tendon traction force transmission mechanism in which the pair of tendons that drive a joint are pulled from base actuators via pulleys mounted on the base-side joints. The mechanism makes the most of the coupled drive function of the tendon traction forces and thus enables the lightweight manipulator to exhibit enormous payload capability. The manipulator has a solid structure and is inexpensive to manufacture because of its mechanical simplicity. Experiments demonstrate that the CT ARM-I has an active compliance arm and offers payload capability superior to that of conventional manipulators.<>