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Selective Variable Stiffness Flexible Manipulator for Dexterous In-Hand Manipulation.

Benzhu Guo1, Zeang Zhao1, Zhong Zhang1

  • 1Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, P.R. China.

Soft Robotics
|October 14, 2025
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a novel adaptive flexible manipulator with variable stiffness, enhancing dexterity and stability for soft robotics. This innovation improves object manipulation in unstructured environments, with applications in smart homes and beyond.

Keywords:
bionic structureflexible manipulatorin-hand manipulationrope drivevariable stiffness

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Area of Science:

  • Robotics and Soft Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering and Control Systems

Background:

  • Flexible manipulators offer advantages in adaptability and safety over rigid counterparts but suffer from limited stability and dexterity due to soft materials.
  • Existing flexible manipulators require enhancement to overcome inherent limitations in performance for complex tasks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel adaptive flexible manipulator with selectively adjustable local stiffness.
  • To evaluate the performance of this new manipulator through simulation and experimental validation.
  • To explore its application in tasks like in-hand manipulation and daily charging scenarios.

Main Methods:

  • Proposed a variable stiffness flexible element driven by ropes, inspired by the Fin Ray Effect.
  • Assembled the element into an adaptive flexible manipulator capable of local stiffness regulation.
  • Utilized finite element simulation and experimental methods for performance evaluation, including quantitative in-hand manipulation experiments.

Main Results:

  • The developed flexible manipulator demonstrated selective stiffness regulation and good self-adaptability in interactions.
  • Quantitative experiments established a mapping relationship between driving input and object displacement during in-hand manipulation.
  • Successful application in a daily charging task, including on-demand rotation of the charging head.

Conclusions:

  • The variable stiffness flexible element and adaptive manipulator effectively enhance the functionality of soft robotic structures.
  • The proposed selective stiffness regulation method offers a new approach for multi-functional soft robotics.
  • The manipulator shows significant potential for real-world applications, particularly in smart home environments.