Variable-stiffness tensegrity spine

• Published in: Smart materials and structures Vol. 29; no. 7; pp. 75013 - 75022
• Main Authors: Zappetti, Davide, Arandes, Roc, Ajanic, Enrico, Floreano, Dario
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.07.2020
• Subjects: adaptive structures; artificial spine; continuous manipulator; soft robotics; tensegrity; variable-stiffness

Vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, with their ability to change the stiffness of the spine to increase load-bearing capability or flexibility, have inspired roboticists to develop artificial variable-stiffness spines. However, unlike their natural counterparts, current...