In this paper, we present a solution-region-based synthesis approach for selecting optimal four-bar linkages with a Ball–Burmester point. We discuss both general and special cases of the Burmester point that coincide with the Ball point at the pole of the inflection circle. Given the coordinates of one fixed joint, any point on the target's straight line, and the direction of this straight line, we can synthesize an infinite number of mechanisms using a coupler curve with five-point contacts with its tangent by adopting the proposed approach. Each initial parameter corresponds to three side links that can generate three four-bar mechanisms. We generate different mechanism property charts by developing mechanism software that enables users to intuitively identify relevant linkage information and select the optimal linkage. This novel approach is a visualized analytical method for synthesizing and selecting optimal four-bar linkages with one Ball–Burmester point on its coupler curve.

In this paper, a synthesis method is proposed for the 5-point-contact four-bar linkage that approximates a straight line with given angle parameters. The given parameters were the angles and the location of the Ball point. Synthesis equations were derived for a general Ball–Burmester point case, the Ball–Burmester point at an inflection pole, and the Ball point that coincided with two Burmester points, resulting in three respective groups of bar linkages. Next, taking Ball–Burmester point as the coupler point, two out of the three bar-linkage combinations were used to generate three four-bar mechanisms that shared the same portion of a rectilinear trajectory. Computation examples were presented, and nine cognate straight-line mechanisms were obtained based on the Roberts-Chebyshev theory. Considering that the given parameters were angles which was arbitrarily chosen, with the other two serving as the horizontal and vertical axes, so the solution region graphs of the solutions for three mechanism configurations were plotted. Based on these graphs, the distribution of the mechanism attributes was obtained with high efficiency. By imposing constraints, the optimum mechanism solution was straightforwardly identified by the designers. For the angular parameters prescribed in this paper, the solutions for three straight-line mechanism configurations were obtained, along with nine cognate straight-line mechanisms that shared the same portion of the rectilinear trajectory. All the fixed pivot installation locations and motion performances differed, thus providing multiple solutions to the trajectory of the synthesis of mechanisms.

Based on the anti-parallelogram mechanism, an approximate cylindrical rolling joint is proposed to develop a novel cable-driven snake-arm robot with multiple degrees of freedom (DOF). Furthermore, the kinematics of the cable-driven snake-arm robot are established, and the mapping between actuator space and joint space is simplified by bending decoupling motion in the multiple segments. The workspace and bending configurations of the robot are obtained. The static model is established by the principle of minimum potential energy. Furthermore, the simplified cable constraints in the static model are proposed through Taylor expansion, which facilitates the equilibrium conformation analysis of the robot under different external forces. The cable-driven snake-arm robot prototype is developed to verify the feasibility of the robot design and the availability of the static model through the experiments of the free bending motion and the external load on the robot.

A tendon-driven snake-arm robot can achieve a bending motion with multiple degrees of freedom (DOF) with a compact structure, which enables the robot to be widely used in confined environments. However, if a conventional tendon-driven snake-arm robot is subject to a lateral force on the distal end, it will experience passive compliance. In this paper, a 2-DOF rolling joint is proposed, based on the opposite-pole attraction of spherical magnets, which has a relatively simple structure compared with traditional joints. By serially connecting the 2-DOF rolling joints, a novel snake-arm robot is designed utilizing a tendon-driven approach. The kinematic model and workspace of the snake-arm robot are obtained, and the bending motion is validated. Based on the kinematic model, it is theoretically proven that the proposed robot can avoid passive compliance. In addition, this feature is verified through load experiments on the developed prototype.