Abstract
Continuum robots enable smooth shape morphing and safe interaction in confined environments. However, most existing systems are task-specific and depend on external sensing infrastructure, limiting their adaptability and real-world deployment. This paper presents a self-contained modular continuum robotic platform that combines mechanical reconfigurability with onboard pose estimation. The robot is constructed from interchangeable continuum joints with analytically precomputed stiffness, allowing rapid assembly and direct programming of the robot shape. Proprioceptive sensing is achieved using magnetic sensors and a modular learning-based framework, where a single model is trained per joint and reused across configurations. The system is experimentally validated in real world, demonstrating self-sensing capabilities and adaptation without external tracking.
Keywords
Subject
Publication details
- Journal
- Not available
- Open access
- Green open access
Cite this article
APA 7
Sue, G. N., Cao, Z., Hu, J., Bu, X., Quinn, D., Wu, T., Erickson, Z., & Majidi, C. (2026). Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation
MLA 9
Sue, Guo Ning, et al. "Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation." https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation.
Chicago (author–date)
Sue, Guo Ning, Zheng Cao, Junzhe Hu, Xiangyun Bu, David Quinn, Tiancheng Wu, Zackory Erickson, and Carmel Majidi. 2026. "Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation." https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation.
Harvard
Sue, G. N., Cao, Z., Hu, J., Bu, X., Quinn, D., Wu, T., Erickson, Z. and Majidi, C. (2026) 'Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation', Available at: https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation.
Vancouver
Sue GN, Cao Z, Hu J, Bu X, Quinn D, Wu T, et al. Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation. https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation
IEEE
G. N. Sue, Z. Cao, J. Hu, X. Bu, D. Quinn, T. Wu, Z. Erickson, and C. Majidi, "Tendon-Driven Continuum Robot with Modular Stiffness and In-Situ Self Pose Estimation," https://omanscience.com/en/articles/tendon-driven-continuum-robot-with-modular-stiffness-and-in-situ-self-pose-estimation.