Structural Optimisation of a Cable-Driven Hyper-Redundant Manipulator*

Optimising manipulators for a high payload-to-weight ratio enables them to carry heavier loads while maintaining agility and ease of movement in confined spaces. This paper offers a methodological approach for the structural optimisation of an eight-degree-of-freedom, fully actuated, cable-driven hyper-redundant manipulator. The proposed methodology includes a Gaussian process regression model for predicting unforeseen stresses and load sets. The model was trained using simulation results from structural analysis and new load and stress combinations were generated to account for unforeseen load conditions. The generative design method is then used to generate the optimised geometry. Finally, the extreme value analysis was used for critical load threshold identification, and the generated geometry was structurally verified using the load cases that generate stresses over the derived threshold. The design was then analysed using finite element analysis for its validity. The presented work outlines the possibility of hybrid optimisation techniques for high-performance robotic structures for a wide range of tasks in unpredictable operating conditions.