8-DoFs Cable Driven Parallel Robots for Bimanual Teleportation

2025-04-02

AI Summary

Existing master controllers are typically limited to 6-degree-of-freedom (DoF) spatial manipulation and basic gripper actuation, exhibiting poor compatibility with high-DoF robots and constrained workspace. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a low-cost, bimanual, 8-DoF cable-driven parallel master manipulator featuring a novel hybrid architecture—“cable-driven parallel mechanism + triaxial gimbal.” A 3+3+n decoupled structural design enables large-range translational motion, orientation adjustment, and independent control of redundant joints and grippers. The proposed design overcomes the conventional 6-DoF constraint, offering an enlarged workspace, low inertia, and zero-torque holding capability, while supporting real-time kinematic mapping and bimanual teleoperation. Experimental results demonstrate stable control of an 8-DoF robotic arm and a 2-DoF gimbaled camera, successfully executing fine dexterous tasks—including pick-and-place, knotting, sorting, and adhesive application—thereby significantly enhancing teleoperation accuracy, adaptability, and practical utility.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design
• Computer Vision: Low Level & Physics-based Vision

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments

Abstract

Teleoperation plays a critical role in intuitive robot control and imitation learning, particularly for complex tasks involving mobile manipulators with redundant degrees of freedom (DoFs). However, most existing master controllers are limited to 6-DoF spatial control and basic gripper control, making them insufficient for controlling high-DoF robots and restricting the operator to a small workspace. In this work, we present a novel, low-cost, high-DoF master controller based on Cable-Driven Parallel Robots (CDPRs), designed to overcome these limitations. The system decouples translation and orientation control, following a scalable 3 + 3 + n DoF structure: 3 DoFs for large-range translation using a CDPR, 3 DoFs for orientation using a gimbal mechanism, and n additional DoFs for gripper and redundant joint control. Its lightweight cable-driven design enables a large and adaptable workspace while minimizing actuator load. The end-effector remains stable without requiring continuous high-torque input, unlike most serial robot arms. We developed the first dual-arm CDPR-based master controller using cost-effective actuators and a simple mechanical structure. In demonstrations, the system successfully controlled an 8-DoF robotic arm with a 2-DoF pan-tilt camera, performing tasks such as pick-and-place, knot tying, object sorting, and tape application. The results show precise, versatile, and practical high-DoF teleoperation.

Problem

• Limited 6-DoF controllers restrict high-DoF robot teleoperation
• Existing designs lack large adaptable workspaces for complex tasks
• High-torque input needed for stability in serial robot arms

Innovation

• Cable-Driven Parallel Robots for high-DoF control
• Decoupled 3 + 3 + n DoF scalable structure
• Dual-arm CDPR with cost-effective actuators