Time-Division Multiplexing Actuation in Tendon-Driven Arms: Lightweight Design and Fault Tolerance

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2604.16887v1
• Date: Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:27:45 GMT
• Title: Time-Division Multiplexing Actuation in Tendon-Driven Arms: Lightweight Design and Fault Tolerance
• Abstract summary: Time-Division Multiplexing Actuation (TDMA) is a practical approach for tendon-driven robots.<n>MuxArm achieves a self-weight of 2.17 kg, supports an actuator driving capacity of 10 kg, and maintains end-effector accuracy up to 1% of its length.
• Score: 14.371753469050942
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Robotic manipulators for aerospace applications require a delicate balance between lightweight construction and fault-tolerant operation to satisfy strict weight limitations and ensure reliability in remote, hazardous environments. This paper presents Time-Division Multiplexing Actuation (TDMA), a practical approach for tendon-driven robots that significantly reduces actuator count while preserving high torque output and intrinsic fault tolerance. The key hardware employs a vertically-stacked rotational selection structure that integrates self-rotating TDM motors for rapid configuration, electromagnetic clutches enabling sub-0.1 second engagement, a worm gear reducer for enhanced load capacity and self-locking capability, and a dual-encoder system for precise, long-term positioning. Leveraging TDMA, the proposed MuxArm achieves a self-weight of 2.17 kg, supports an actuator driving capacity of 10 kg, and maintains end-effector accuracy up to 1% of its length, even under partial servo failure. Additionally, an actuation space trajectory planning algorithm is developed, enabling fault-tolerant control and reducing tendon load by up to 50% compared to conventional methods. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate MuxArm's robust performance in diverse settings, including free-space, cluttered, and confined environments.

Related papers

• Breaking speed scaling in quadrupedal robots via Huygens' coupled-pendulum dynamics [3.208498459001999]
  We show that superior locomotion can emerge from principled exploitation of intrinsic dynamics rather than brute-force hardware scaling.<n>A quadruped robot achieves a running speed of 10.74 m/s (Froude number 21.4) and completes a 100-meter sprint in 12.2 seconds.<n>These results establish inertial coupling as an underlying mechanism governing high-speed legged locomotion and highlight its role in reducing force requirements.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-09-09T10:58:20Z)
• Extending the Speed Limit of Quadrupedal Locomotion via Refined Actuator Modeling and Adaptive Command Scheduling [0.9298381080776307]
  We propose a high-speed locomotion framework that reduces sim-to-real discrepancies and stabilizes learning over a wide command distribution.<n>A refined actuator model explicitly captures high-speed voltage coupling and magnetic saturation, enabling a more accurate representation of the torque-speed envelope.<n>Experiments on the 36.5 kg quadruped BlackPanther2 demonstrate speeds of up to 13.2 m/s on a treadmill and 11.65 m/s outdoors, establishing a new state-of-the-art and, to the best of our knowledge, a world record for quadrupedal robot locomotion.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-09-09T08:45:38Z)
• Magnetically Self-Sealed MR Haptic Actuator With PWM-Based Excitation and High-Fidelity Torque Control [10.326757545448457]
  Magnetorheological fluid (MRF)-based actuators offer a compact and rapidly controllable solution for haptic feedback.<n>Practical implementation requires reliable fluid sealing, low-hysteresis, accurate torque control, and stable long-duration operation.<n>This article presents an integrated MRF haptic system featuring a compact magnetically self-sealed rotary actuator.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-08-20T05:04:25Z)
• HoLoArm: Deformable Arms for Collision-Tolerant Quadrotor Flight [46.42648821424623]
  We present HoLoArm, a quadrotor with compliant arms inspired by the nodus structure of dragonfly wings.<n>Results demonstrate that HoLoArm can passively deform in any direction, including axial one, and recover within 0.3-0.6 s depending on the direction and level of the impact.<n>Drone can survive collisions at speeds up to 7.6 m/s and carry a 540 g payload while maintaining stable flight.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-05-25T12:37:18Z)
• Fault-Tolerant, Rigidity-Preserving Control of Inflatable Truss Robots [0.0]
  Isoperimetric robotic trusses can adapt to different tasks and environments because they have a high strength-to-weight ratio.<n>Motor failures in operational environments can severely limit operational capabilities if not properly addressed.<n>This paper presents a fault-tolerant control framework for an inflatable robotic truss that maintains functionality despite motor failures.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-05-19T23:39:55Z)
• MARS-Dragonfly: Agile and Robust Flight Control of Modular Aerial Robot Systems [21.471271822760276]
  Modular Aerial Robot Systems (MARS) comprise multiple drone units with reconfigurable connected formations.<n>MARS rely on simplified quasi-static models and rule-based allocation, which generate discontinuous and unbounded motor commands.<n>We develop a compact mechanical system that enables passive docking, detection-free passive locking, and magnetic-assisted separation.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-04-07T06:43:08Z)
• Safe Whole-Body Loco-Manipulation via Combined Model and Learning-based Control [46.47619556874003]
  We propose a whole-body controller that combines a model-based admittance control for the manipulator arm with a Reinforcement Learning policy for legged locomotion.<n>The admittance controller maps external wrenches--such as those applied by a human during physical interaction--into desired end-effector velocities, allowing for compliant behavior.<n>We validate our approach in both simulation and hardware using the Unitree Go2 quadruped robot with a 6-DoF arm and wrist-mounted 6-DoF Force/Torque sensor.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-03-02T22:31:12Z)
• A Robotic Testing Platform for Pipelined Discovery of Resilient Soft Actuators [63.07587517846448]
  We propose an optimization pipeline enabled by a novel testing robot capable of scanning DEA lifetime.<n>The robot integrates electro-mechanical property measurement, programmable voltage input, and multi-channel testing capacity.<n>Using it, we scanned the lifetime of Elastosil-based linear actuators across parameters including input voltage magnitude, frequency, electrode material concentration, and electrical connection filler.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-02-24T14:41:28Z)
• Antagonistic Bowden-Cable Actuation of a Lightweight Robotic Hand: Toward Dexterous Manipulation for Payload Constrained Humanoids [4.320393382724067]
  We present a lightweight anthropomorphic hand actuated by Bowden cables.<n>The design substantially reduces distal mass while maintaining anthropomorphic scale and dexterity.<n>Using the proposed methods, the hand assembly with a distal mass of 236g demonstrated reliable execution of dexterous tasks.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-12-31T06:07:11Z)
• DSO-VSA: a Variable Stiffness Actuator with Decoupled Stiffness and Output Characteristics for Rehabilitation Robotics [11.174959557114532]
  This paper presents a variable stiffness actuator featuring decoupled stiffness and output behavior for rehabilitation robotics.<n>The system integrates a variable stiffness mechanism that combines a variable-length lever with a hypocycloidal straight-line mechanism to achieve a linear torque-deflection relationship.<n>A cascade PI controller is further developed on the basis of the differential configuration, in which the position-loop term jointly regulates stiffness and deflection angle.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-12-21T12:13:17Z)
• RobotDancing: Residual-Action Reinforcement Learning Enables Robust Long-Horizon Humanoid Motion Tracking [50.200035833530876]
  RobotDancing is a simple, scalable framework that predicts residual joint targets to explicitly correct dynamics discrepancies.<n>It can track multi-minute, high-energy behaviors (jumps, spins, cartwheels) and deploys zero-shot to hardware with high motion tracking quality.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-09-25T03:30:34Z)
• Discrete-Guided Diffusion for Scalable and Safe Multi-Robot Motion Planning [56.240199425429445]
  Multi-Robot Motion Planning (MPMP) involves generating trajectories for multiple robots operating in a shared continuous workspace.<n>While discrete multi-agent finding (MAPF) methods are broadly adopted due to their scalability, their coarse discretization trajectory quality.<n>This paper tackles limitations of two approaches by introducing discrete MAPF solvers with constrained generative diffusion models.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-08-27T17:59:36Z)
• FLOAT Drone: A Fully-actuated Coaxial Aerial Robot for Close-Proximity Operations [4.5231181198147485]
  We present FLOAT Drone (FuLly-actuated cO Aerial roboT), a novel fully-actuated UAV featuring two key structural innovations.<n>By integrating control surfaces into fully-actuated systems for the first time, we significantly suppress lateral airflow disturbances during operations.<n>Furthermore, a coaxial dual-rotor configuration enables a compact size while maintaining high hovering efficiency.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-03-02T08:30:30Z)
• Function Approximation for Reinforcement Learning Controller for Energy from Spread Waves [69.9104427437916]
  Multi-generator Wave Energy Converters (WEC) must handle multiple simultaneous waves coming from different directions called spread waves. These complex devices need controllers with multiple objectives of energy capture efficiency, reduction of structural stress to limit maintenance, and proactive protection against high waves. In this paper, we explore different function approximations for the policy and critic networks in modeling the sequential nature of the system dynamics.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-04-17T02:04:10Z)
• VAE-Loco: Versatile Quadruped Locomotion by Learning a Disentangled Gait Representation [78.92147339883137]
  We show that it is pivotal in increasing controller robustness by learning a latent space capturing the key stance phases constituting a particular gait. We demonstrate that specific properties of the drive signal map directly to gait parameters such as cadence, footstep height and full stance duration. The use of a generative model facilitates the detection and mitigation of disturbances to provide a versatile and robust planning framework.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-05-02T19:49:53Z)
• Towards Safe Control of Continuum Manipulator Using Shielded Multiagent Reinforcement Learning [1.2647816797166165]
  The control of the robot is formulated as a one-DoF, one agent problem in the MADQN framework to improve the learning efficiency. Shielded MADQN enabled the robot to perform point and trajectory tracking with submillimeter root mean square errors under external loads.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-06-15T05:55:05Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.