Modelling the Soft Robot Kyma Based on Real‐Time Finite Element Method

Abstract

Modelling soft robots is a non‐trivial task since their behaviours rely on their morphology, materials and surrounding elements. These robots are very useful to safely interact with their environment and because of their inherent flexibility and adaptability skills. However, they are usually very hard to model because of their intrinsic non‐linearities. This fact presents a unique challenge in the computer graphics and simulation scopes. Current trends in these fields tend to narrow the gap between virtual and real environments. This work will explain a challenging modelling process for a cable‐driven soft robot called . For this purpose, the real‐time (FEM) is applied using the . And two methods are implemented and compared to optimize the model efficiency: a heuristic one and the . Both models are also validated with the real robot using a precise motion tracking system. Moreover, an analysis of robot–object interactions is proposed to test the compliance of the presented soft manipulator. As a result, the real‐time FEM emerges as a good solution to accurately and efficiently model the presented robot while also allowing to study the interactions with its environment.