This paper presents a compliant tensegrity robotic arm design that overcomes limitations related to stiffness variation and cascaded actuation. Due to the special design and actuation strategy, the system offers a large workspace using a small number of actuators and system parts. Key features include intrinsic compliance, enhanced stability in various configurations, and a modular tendon-driven actuation system that facilitates continuous stiffness adjustment for adaptive manipulation tasks. The system’s kinematics and actuation strategy are validated experimentally. Results demonstrate an increased workspace and precise control, offering potential applications in dynamic and human-interactive environments.

This paper describes the development of a tilting locomotion system based on a compliant tensegrity structure with multiple stable equilibrium configurations. A tensegrity structure featuring 4 stable equilibrium states is considered. The mechanical model of the structure is presented and the according equations of motion are derived. The variation of the length of selected structural members allows to influence the prestress state and the corresponding shape of the tensegrity structure. Based on bifurcation analyses a reliable actuation strategy to control the current equilibrium state is designed. In this work, the tensegrity structure is assumed to be in contact with a horizontal plane due to gravity. The derived actuation strategy is utilized to generate tilting locomotion by successively changing the equilibrium state. Numerical simulations are evaluated considering the locomotion characteristics. In order to validate this theoretical approach a prototype is developed. Experiments regarding to the equilibrium configurations, the actuation strategy and the locomotion characteristics are evaluated using image processing tools and motion capturing. The results verify the theoretical data and confirm the working principle of the investigated tilting locomotion system. This approach represents a feasible actuation strategy to realize a reliable tilting locomotion utilizing the multistability of compliant tensegrity structures.

This paper describes a new concept for locomotion of mobile robots based on single actuated tensegrity structures. To discuss the working principle, two vibration-driven locomotion systems are considered. Due to the complex dynamics of the applied tensegrity structures with pronounced mechanical compliance, the movement performance of both systems is highly dependent on the driving frequency. By using single-actuation, the system design and also their control can be kept simple. The movement of the robots is depending on their configuration uniaxial bidirectional or planar. The working principle of both systems is discussed with the help of transient dynamic analyses and verified with experimental tests for a selected prototype.