Modelling the Soft Robot Kyma Based on Real-Time Finite Element Method

Abstract

Modelling soft robots is a non-trivial task since their behaviours rely on their morphology, materials and surrounding elements.These robots are very useful to safely interact with their environment and because of their inherent exibility and adaptability skills. However, they are usually very hard to model because of their intrinsic non-linearities. This fact presents a unique challenge in the computer graphics and simulation scopes. Current trends in these elds tend to narrow the gap between virtual and real environments. This work will explain a challenging modelling process for a cable-driven soft robot called Kyma. For this purpose, the real-time Finite Element Method (FEM) is applied using the Simulation Open Framework Architecture. And two methods are implemented and compared to optimize the model efciency: a heuristic one and the Model Order Reduction. Both models are also validated with the real robot using a precise motion tracking system. Moreover, an analysis of robot–object interactions is proposed to test the compliance of the presented soft manipulator. As a result, the real-time FEM emerges as a good solution to accurately and efciently model the presented robot while also allowing to study the interactions with its environment