Neck-head robotic architecture for dexterous, high-precision manipulation in unstructured environments

Summary Soft continuum robots (SCRs) have attracted significant attention due to their intrinsic compliance, high adaptability, and safe interaction capability in unstructured scenarios. However, implementing high-precision manipulation, particularly the simultaneous and accurate control of positioning and orientation, remains a significant challenge. This study proposes a bio-inspired neck-head robotic architecture (BNH-RA) that leverages the environmental adaptability of the neck portion while incorporating the kinematic precision of the head portion. Then, a collaborative control framework based on the visual information separation strategy is developed, which enables decoupled yet coordinated regulation of positional and orientational motions. Moreover, the BNH-RA is mounted on a mobile platform to construct an inspection system, and experimental evaluations conducted in unmanned storage scenarios illustrate the system's ability to perform cargo inspection and high-precision marking tasks. These results underscore the potential of the BNH-RA for a wide range of robotic applications that require environmental adaptability and high-precision manipulation.