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arXiv · 2604.01490

Distal-Stable Beam for Continuum Robots

Ryouichi Saito·Takahiro Koide·Yuya Tanaka·Yasutaka Nakashima·Motoji Yamamoto·Ayato Kanada
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Abstract

Continuum robots are well suited for constrained environments but suffer from low distal stiffness, resulting in large posture errors under external loads. In this paper, we propose a novel structural primitive, the Distal-Stable Beam, which achieves a strong stiffness gradient through purely geometric design, maintaining compliance in the intermediate section while ensuring high distal rigidity. The structure consists of two parallel rods and one convergent rod constrained by guide disks, introducing geometric coupling that suppresses deformation modes and preserves distal posture. Experiments show that the distal stiffness is 12 times higher than at the center, corresponding to an approximately 100-fold improvement over a conventional cantilever beam. The proposed mechanism enables simultaneous compliance and distal stability without active stiffness modulation, providing a new design approach for continuum robots requiring both safety and precision.

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Ryouichi Saito, Takahiro Koide, Yuya Tanaka, Yasutaka Nakashima, Motoji Yamamoto, Ayato Kanada. 2026-04-01. Distal-Stable Beam for Continuum Robots. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.01490

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