The cosserat model has been introduced in continuum robotics to simulate the deformation the robot body whose geometry and mechanical characteristics are similar to a rod. By extension, this model can be used to simulate needles and sutures or wires.
The specificity of Cosserat’s theory from the point of view of the mechanics of continuous media is to consider that the set of material points consists of rigid solids (3 translations, 3 rotations), where most other models of continuum media mechanics consider the material points as particles (3 translations).
For the modeling of linear structures, it is therefore possible to find a framework very close to the articulated solids with a series of rigid solids whose relative position is defined by a strain state.
This model can be used to model and control concentric tube robots, continuum robots actuated with cables or pneumatic soft robots with a constant cross-section.
There are several formalism to model Cosserat rods.
In this plugin, we have developed the Piecewise Constant Strain (PCS) presented by Federico Renda in the SOFA framework.
License
This plugin is available under the LGPL open-source license.
Documentation
An documentation file is provided with the plugin.
Related publication
Additional informations
- License: Open-source
- Purpose: Physical models
- Status: Ongoing
- Progress: 80%
- TRL: 5
