A Weight-Bearing Highly Articulated Robotic Arm

A robotic arm capable of up to 100 different articulations (turns) despite being made of rigid material.
Problem:
There is an increasing need for highly articulated robotic arms (also known as octopus’ arms, elephant trunk, snake-like robots) with cross-disciplinary applications. However, there are still no highly articulated robots (>10 degrees of freedom (DOF) serial chain) that can both passively conform to the environment or objects yet also be configurable as a hyper-redundant robot arm system achieving follow-the-leader motion. Further, no robots have more than 50 DOF and highly articulated robotic arms also do not have larger payload capabilities on the body of the arm, nor the endpoint compared to standard rigid link robotic arms.
Solution:
A highly articulated robotic arm, resembling a snake-like DOF movement and capable of bearing weight. This robotic arm has been mathematically demonstrated up to 100 articulations and prototype verified up to 4 articulations.
Technology:
To achieve a high number of articulations, the inventors designed each module of the robotic arm to have three rigid bodies (a frame and two gears) and a locking system that can temporarily join two module elements together. Each of these modules are then attached together in a serial chain with one revolute DOF between each module, with the even and odd numbered modules positioned in the transverse and longitudinal planes, respectively. The locking system also can be frozen in consecutive links to mimic other rigid link robotic geometries which decrease the torque and increase the force bearing capabilities.
<contentadvantages>Advantages:

• Ability to achieve a snake-like curve with only a handful of turns
• Mathematically demonstrated up to 100 articulations (turns)
• Able to support self and payload
• Torques for each joint will be distributed equally, facilitating handling of delicate and oddly shaped objects
• Industrial applications in medicine (i.e., picking up patient), search and rescue, inspection of tunnels, industrial plants, and airplane wings, manipulating non-uniform or fragile objects

Stage of Development:

• Concept
• Proof of Concept (mathematically up to 100; verified prototype up to 4 modules)

(A) A simulation with 100 modules following the gear train constraints that can reach arbitrary positions. (B) Two consecutive modules lying perpendicular to one another, demonstrating the array of lock holes and locks relative to the module orientation. (C) Four modules with 90-degree revolute joints.
Intellectual Property:

• PCT Filed WO2025240725A1 

Reference Media:

• Dr. Mark Yim, ModLab & Research Webpage 

Desired Partnerships:

• License
• Co-Development 

Docket #24-10779