Abstract
Hyper-redundant manipulators enhance dexterity and flexibility, enabling operation in confined and complex environments where conventional robotic arms face limitations. This paper presents the development of a leader–follower kinematic control system for a cable-driven hyper-redundant serial manipulator intended for inspection and exploration tasks in highly constrained spaces. The proposed system utilises a tele-operated joystick to control the end-effector, while a leader–follower strategy generates the corresponding motion of the manipulator body. A mathematical kinematic model describing the relationships among motors, cables, joints, and the end-effector was developed and implemented in MATLAB/Simulink. A prototype manipulator was used to validate the kinematic relationships and evaluate proportional feedback control for position error correction. Simulation studies conducted using the MATLAB Robotics Toolbox demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed control architecture in achieving stable trajectory tracking and coordinated manipulator motion. The results indicate that leader–follower control provides a practical solution for controlling cable-driven hyper-redundant manipulators in confined-space applications.
Keywords: Hyper-redundant manipulators, cable-driven robots, leader–follower control, kinematic modelling, teleoperation, confined-space inspection