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arXiv · 2608.05410

Sliding Sensors: Configurable Confidence in State Estimation for Continuum Robots

Ella Walsh·Spencer Teetaert·Eric Diller·Timothy D. Barfoot·Jessica Burgner-Kahrs
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Abstract

Continuum robots often operate in uncertain environments, where accurate state estimation is essential for safe interactions. Estimate uncertainty is inherently spatially non-uniform: confidence varies depending on where measurements are available. Global estimation accuracy is not always the top priority, but rather achieving sufficient confidence at task-relevant locations along the robot. This extended abstract introduces mechanically reconfigurable sensing enabling uncertainty-shaping in state estimation for continuum robots. We present a concept hardware design demonstrating the feasibility of longitudinal translation of a sensor within a continuum robot. We demonstrate that state estimation confidence can be reconfigured by varying the sensor location, and show a reduction of full-body shape estimation errors when sliding the sensor back and forth over time, compared to a single fixed tip sensor.

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Ella Walsh, Spencer Teetaert, Eric Diller, Timothy D. Barfoot, Jessica Burgner-Kahrs. 2026-08-05. Sliding Sensors: Configurable Confidence in State Estimation for Continuum Robots. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.05410

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