Control of Pneumatically Actuated, Compliant Continuum Manipulators in Contact Situations for Robotic Manipulations

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Oliver Sawodny
• Subject Area: Automation, Mechatronics, Control Systems, Intelligent Technical Systems, Robotics
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 576130402

Soft continuum robotics is a new and rapidly growing field in robotics. Soft continuum manipulators can react sensitively to physical interaction and are advantageous for applications in unstructured, heterogeneous environments, such as for disassembly and maintenance in confined machine rooms, in agriculture for harvesting fruit or for separation and handling in logistics centers. The overall objective is to develop model-based methods and combine them with data-driven methods for reconstructing three-dimensional contact situations for the control of compliant, pneumatically actuated continuum manipulators and to develop their gripping sequence for simple objects. The DFG proposal deals with a pneumatically actuated, tentacle-shaped continuum manipulator that integrates the manipulator and gripper in one element. This novel gripping and manipulation mechanism makes it possible to reach and grasp objects in areas that are difficult to access. Furthermore, due to its flexibility, it can grasp objects of varying complexity and compliance by enclosing them. In the first funding period, the central research question for a single-tentacle manipulator with one tentacle will be answered, how known approaches to control free movement can be extended to include control and regulation for contact situations. This involves investigating the reconstruction of contact surfaces as well as the reconstruction of the associated contact forces, so that fragile objects can be gripped securely. The pneumatic actuation of continuum manipulators offers interesting approaches for this due to the simple pressure measurement in the chambers. Building on this, this research project will investigate how to formulate grasping planning algorithms for handling tasks that enable the pre-alignment and grasping of objects of different sizes, geometries, and compliance in hard-to-reach areas. Combinations of model-based and data-driven approaches will be considered. The funding for this research project will thus enable new insights into the interaction of fully compliant continuum manipulators with the environment.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants