Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension

Cable-driven redundant manipulators (CDRMs) are widely applied in various fields due to their notable advantages. Stiffness regulation capability is essential for CDRMs, as it enhances their adaptability and stability in diverse task scenarios. However, their stiffness regulation still faces two mai...

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Main Authors: Zhuo Liang, Pengkun Quan, Shichun Di
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Mathematics
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1714
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author Zhuo Liang
Pengkun Quan
Shichun Di
author_facet Zhuo Liang
Pengkun Quan
Shichun Di
author_sort Zhuo Liang
collection DOAJ
description Cable-driven redundant manipulators (CDRMs) are widely applied in various fields due to their notable advantages. Stiffness regulation capability is essential for CDRMs, as it enhances their adaptability and stability in diverse task scenarios. However, their stiffness regulation still faces two main challenges. First, stiffness regulation methods that involve physical structural modifications increase system complexity and reduce flexibility. Second, methods that rely solely on cable tension are constrained by the inherent stiffness of the cables, limiting the achievable regulation range. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel stiffness regulation method for CDRMs through the combined optimization of configuration and cable tension. A stiffness model is established to analyze the influence of the configuration and cable tension on stiffness. Due to the redundancy in degrees of freedom (DOFs) and actuation cables, there exist infinitely many configuration solutions for a specific pose and infinitely many cable tension solutions for a specific configuration. This paper proposes a dual-level stiffness regulation strategy that combines configuration and cable tension optimization. Motion-level and tension-level factors are introduced as control variables into the respective optimization models, enabling effective manipulation of configuration and tension solutions for stiffness regulation. An improved differential evolution algorithm is employed to generate adjustable configuration solutions based on motion-level factors, while a modified gradient projection method is adopted to derive adjustable cable tension solutions based on tension-level factors. Finally, a planar CDRM is used to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Simulation results demonstrate that stiffness can be flexibly regulated by modifying motion-level and tension-level factors. The combined optimization method achieves a maximum RSR of 17.78 and an average RSR of 12.60 compared to configuration optimization, and a maximum RSR of 1.37 and an average RSR of 1.10 compared to tension optimization, demonstrating a broader stiffness regulation range.
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spelling doaj-art-cc1cc654db734ce8a5633fa835e8c97c2025-08-20T03:46:46ZengMDPI AGMathematics2227-73902025-05-011311171410.3390/math13111714Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable TensionZhuo Liang0Pengkun Quan1Shichun Di2School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Mechatronics Engineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, ChinaSchool of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaCable-driven redundant manipulators (CDRMs) are widely applied in various fields due to their notable advantages. Stiffness regulation capability is essential for CDRMs, as it enhances their adaptability and stability in diverse task scenarios. However, their stiffness regulation still faces two main challenges. First, stiffness regulation methods that involve physical structural modifications increase system complexity and reduce flexibility. Second, methods that rely solely on cable tension are constrained by the inherent stiffness of the cables, limiting the achievable regulation range. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a novel stiffness regulation method for CDRMs through the combined optimization of configuration and cable tension. A stiffness model is established to analyze the influence of the configuration and cable tension on stiffness. Due to the redundancy in degrees of freedom (DOFs) and actuation cables, there exist infinitely many configuration solutions for a specific pose and infinitely many cable tension solutions for a specific configuration. This paper proposes a dual-level stiffness regulation strategy that combines configuration and cable tension optimization. Motion-level and tension-level factors are introduced as control variables into the respective optimization models, enabling effective manipulation of configuration and tension solutions for stiffness regulation. An improved differential evolution algorithm is employed to generate adjustable configuration solutions based on motion-level factors, while a modified gradient projection method is adopted to derive adjustable cable tension solutions based on tension-level factors. Finally, a planar CDRM is used to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Simulation results demonstrate that stiffness can be flexibly regulated by modifying motion-level and tension-level factors. The combined optimization method achieves a maximum RSR of 17.78 and an average RSR of 12.60 compared to configuration optimization, and a maximum RSR of 1.37 and an average RSR of 1.10 compared to tension optimization, demonstrating a broader stiffness regulation range.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1714cable-driven redundant manipulatorscombined optimizationconfiguration optimizationcable tension optimizationstiffness regulation
spellingShingle Zhuo Liang
Pengkun Quan
Shichun Di
Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
Mathematics
cable-driven redundant manipulators
combined optimization
configuration optimization
cable tension optimization
stiffness regulation
title Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
title_full Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
title_fullStr Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
title_full_unstemmed Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
title_short Stiffness Regulation of Cable-Driven Redundant Manipulators Through Combined Optimization of Configuration and Cable Tension
title_sort stiffness regulation of cable driven redundant manipulators through combined optimization of configuration and cable tension
topic cable-driven redundant manipulators
combined optimization
configuration optimization
cable tension optimization
stiffness regulation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7390/13/11/1714
work_keys_str_mv AT zhuoliang stiffnessregulationofcabledrivenredundantmanipulatorsthroughcombinedoptimizationofconfigurationandcabletension
AT pengkunquan stiffnessregulationofcabledrivenredundantmanipulatorsthroughcombinedoptimizationofconfigurationandcabletension
AT shichundi stiffnessregulationofcabledrivenredundantmanipulatorsthroughcombinedoptimizationofconfigurationandcabletension