Abstract-The maintenance works (e.g. inspection, repair) of aero-engines while still attached on the airframes requires a desirable approach since this can significantly shorten both the time and cost of such interventions as the aerospace industry commonly operates based on the generic concept "power by the hour". However, navigating and performing a multi-axis movement of an end-effector in a very constrained environment such as gas turbine engines is a challenging task. This paper reports on the development of a highly flexible slender (i.e. low diameter-to-length ratios) continuum robot of 25 degrees of freedom capable to uncoil from a drum to provide the feeding motion needed to navigate into crammed environments and then perform, with its last 6 DoF, complex trajectories with a camera equipped machining end-effector for allowing in-situ interventions at a low-pressure compressor of a gas turbine engine. This continuum robot is a compact system and presents a set of innovative mechatronics solutions such as: (i) twin commanding cables to minimise the number of actuators; (ii) twin compliant joints to enable large bending angles (±90deg) arranged on a tapered structure (start from 40mm to 13mm at its end); (iii) feeding motion provided by a rotating drum for coiling/uncoiling the continuum robot; (iv) machining end-effector equipped with vision system. To be able to achieve the in-situ maintenance tasks, a set of innovative control algorithms to enable the navigation and end-effector path generation have been developed and implemented. Finally, the continuum robot has been tested both for navigation and movement of the end-effector against a specified target within a gas turbine engine mock-up proving that: (i) max. deviations in navigation from the desired path (1000mm length with bends between 45° and 90°) are ±10 mm; (ii) max. errors in positioning the end-effector against a target situated at the end of navigation path is 1 mm. Thus, this paper presents a compact continuum robot that could be considered as a step forward in providing aero-engine manufacturers with a solution to perform complex tasks in an invasive manner.

A twisting problem is identified from the central located flexible backbone continuum robot. Regarding this problem, a design solution is required to mechanically minimize this twisting angle along the backbone. Further, the error caused by the kinematic assumption of previous works is identified as well, which requires a kinematic solution to minimize. The scope of this paper is to introduce, describe and teste a novel design of continuum robot which has a twin-pivot compliant joint construction that minimizes the twisting around its axis. A kinematics model is introduced which can be applied to a wide range of twin-pivot construction with two pairs of cables per section design. And according to this model, the approach for minimising the kinematic error is developed. Furthermore, based on the geometry and material property of compliant joint, the work volumes for single/three-section continuum robot are presented, respectively. The kinematic analysis has been verified by a three-section prototype of continuum robot and adequate accuracy and repeatability tests carried out. And in the test, the system generates relatively small twisting angles when a range of end loads is applied at the end of the arm. Utilising the concept presented in this paper, it is possible to develop a continuum robot which can minimize the twisting angle and be accurately controlled. In this paper, a novel design of continuum robot which has a twin-pivot compliant joint construction that minimizes the twisting around its axis is introduced, described and tested. A kinematics model is introduced which can be applied to a wide range of twin-pivot construction with two pairs of cables per section design. Furthermore, based on the geometry and material property of compliant joint, the work volumes for single/three-section continuum robot are presented, respectively. Finally, the kinematic analysis has been verified by a three-section prototype of continuum and adequate accuracy and repeatability tests carried out.

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