Investigation on the multi-solution problem of the kinetostatics of cable-driven continuum manipulators

Cable-driven continuum manipulators have gained considerable attention due to their high dexterity and inherent structural compliance, making them a popular research topic. However, previous studies have overlooked the kinetostatics of these manipulators, which can result in a multi-solution problem. This issue is critical as having multiple equilibrium states can lead to erroneous estimations of the manipulator's profile. To address this issue, the kinetostatic model is presented and simulations based on both the interval analysis method and the commonly used floating-point optimization algorithm are conducted under the same actuating forces and external loads. Results show that there are multiple solutions to the kinetostatics of cable-driven continuum manipulators with constant cross section or variable cross section. This paper fills a gap in the current literature and offers valuable insights for researchers in the field of cable-driven continuum manipulators.