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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 17, 2025

Ex vivo Mechanical Loading of Tendon
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Published on: May 28, 2007

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Tendon-Driven Jamming Mechanism for Configurable Variable Stiffness.

Jaehyeok Choi1,2, Dae-Young Lee1,2,3,4, Jun-Hyeok Eo5

  • 1Soft Robotics Research Center, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Soft Robotics
|June 26, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study introduces a novel tendon-driven jamming mechanism for variable stiffness in soft robots. This system offers improved force, bandwidth, size, and weight compared to vacuum-based methods, enabling dexterous interaction.

Keywords:
continuum structuregranular jammingtendon-driven

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Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Soft continuum bodies require variable stiffness for safe and effective interaction.
  • Vacuum-based granular jamming offers reconfigurability but has limitations in force, weight, and size for portable applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a tendon-driven jamming mechanism for configurable variable stiffness in soft continuum bodies.
  • To overcome the limitations of vacuum-based systems for portable and high-force applications.

Main Methods:

  • Proposed a tendon-driven jamming mechanism, utilizing a snake-like shape compatible with tendon-drive characteristics.
  • Integrated skeletal disk nodes to prevent buckling in the long, free-curved structure and ensure stable force distribution.
  • Developed a soft wearable wrist support device as a proof of concept.

Main Results:

  • The tendon-driven system demonstrated benefits in force, bandwidth, size, and weight compared to vacuum systems.
  • The skeletal disk nodes effectively prevented buckling, enabling stable stiffness transitions in long, curved shapes.
  • The wrist support device (184g) could support 2 kgf with stiffness transitions completed within 2 seconds.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed tendon-driven jamming mechanism provides a viable alternative to vacuum-based systems for variable stiffness applications.
  • The integration of skeletal disk nodes is crucial for achieving stable stiffness transitions in long, flexible structures.
  • The developed mechanism shows promise for applications requiring portable, high-force, and rapidly reconfigurable soft robotic systems.