Design, Modeling and Experimental Investigation for a Helix-based Cable-Driven Soft Continuum Robot

Soft continuum robots have gained significant attention in various applications due to their inherent compliance and adaptability to complex environments. In this paper, a Helix-based Cable-Driven Soft continuum Robot (HCDSR) is proposed with the corresponding modeling established and experimental validation conducted. The proposed robot features a helix-based structure that enables direct 3D printing manufacturing as a monolithic unit, substantially reducing assembly requirements and improving structural consistency. The constant curvature assumption-based kinematic model is applied to characterize the robot’s deformation behavior, which has the potential to serve as an effective feedforward control law to enhance dynamic performance. Experimental investigations demonstrate that the constant curvature assumption remains valid within a specified curvature range, confirming its applicability for both modeling and control purposes. The results validate the effectiveness of the proposed design approach and modeling framework, providing a foundation for practical implementation of helix-based soft continuum robots in various applications.