| CPC B25J 9/065 (2013.01) [B25J 9/142 (2013.01); B25J 18/06 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |
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1. A continuum arm robot comprising:
a tool;
a tip section at a tip end of the continuum arm robot, the tip section comprising a manipulatable robotic section having multiple degrees of freedom;
a stiffening section comprising, within the stiffening section, a passive core with an inflatable section with at least one inflatable volume that by itself surrounds the passive core and a valve for allowing a fluid into the inflatable section; and
a passive section comprising a length of flexible conduit; wherein
the passive core and the stiffening section contain cables for manipulating the tip section and a fluid conduit for supplying the fluid to the inflatable section, and
the stiffening section is between the passive section and the tip section, wherein
the inflatable section comprises an upper layer of elastic material and a lower layer of elastic material that join to form a balloon around the core of the stiffening section, and proximal and distal end sections which have a sealing mechanism comprising a grip section attached to discs of the stiffening section,
the grip section couples with a grip section of an inflatable section support,
the inflatable section support links to the upper layer of elastic material,
the end section comprises a sloping section that extends proximal to a gripping mechanism and is connected to an inner elastic membrane, and
the sloping section allows the upper layer of elastic material to sit within a pocket so that the upper layer of elastic material sits within a recess formed by the sloping sections when not in an inflated state.
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