Vibrissa-inspired control of the orientation of an array of end-effectors

Vibrissa-inspired control of the orientation of an array of end-effectors | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Vibrissa-inspired control of the orientation of an array of end-effectors Mark Galperin, Kevin Kleczka, Mitra Hartmann This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6017734/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The ability to precisely orient an array of end-effectors is critical for applications in robotics, sensing, and engineering. Inspired by the vibrissal (whisker) system of rodents, we introduce a novel mechanism that controls an arbitrary number of rotating joints using a single mechanical input with three planar degrees of freedom. The system comprises two rigid frames – a fixed frame and a movable control frame – interconnected by stiff rods, enabling both forward/backward rotations (“protraction”) and converging/diverging rotations (“fanning”). We derive analytic expressions relating the control frame’s position and orientation to end-effector angles, proving that each configuration is associated with a unique parabola. We also show that a coordinate transformation allows independent control of protraction and fanning. Hardware implementation demonstrates that the mechanism is functional and that it can be scaled without additional actuators. This bio-inspired approach provides a versatile, low-dimensional solution for orienting sensors and tools in dynamic environments. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Mathematics and computing Whisker morphological computation parallel manipulator trigeminal biomechanics dimensionality reduction array orientation low-actuation design Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files vid01overview.mp4 vid02protractionfanningcurvesdesmos.mp4 vid03StackedframesHardware.mp4 vid04r1hardware.mp4 vid05r2hardware.mp4 vid06p1hardware.mp4 vid07p2hardware.mp4 Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Inspired by the vibrissal (whisker) system of rodents, we introduce a novel mechanism that controls an arbitrary number of rotating joints using a single mechanical input with three planar degrees of freedom. The system comprises two rigid frames \u0026ndash; a fixed frame and a movable control frame \u0026ndash; interconnected by stiff rods, enabling both forward/backward rotations (\u0026ldquo;protraction\u0026rdquo;) and converging/diverging rotations (\u0026ldquo;fanning\u0026rdquo;). We derive analytic expressions relating the control frame\u0026rsquo;s position and orientation to end-effector angles, proving that each configuration is associated with a unique parabola. We also show that a coordinate transformation allows independent control of protraction and fanning. Hardware implementation demonstrates that the mechanism is functional and that it can be scaled without additional actuators. 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