New Publication on Vibration Suppression in Tendon-Driven Soft Robotic Systems
KTH’s Robot Design Lab and Honda Research Institute Japan contribute on improving motion stability and expressiveness of the HARU social robot using soft robotic technologies
We are excited to share our latest publication in Frontiers in Robotics and AI: “On Vibration Suppression of a Tendon-Driven Soft Robotic Neck for the Social Robot HARU”. This collaborative work between the Robot Design Lab at KTH and Honda Research Institute Japan addresses a key challenge in compliant robotics: mitigating unwanted vibrations in underactuated tendon-driven mechanisms. While soft robotic mechanisms are desirable for safe and expressive human-robot interaction, their inherent compliance can lead to oscillations and residual vibrations that reduce motion precision, affect stability, and compromise perceived naturalness in social robots.
The study proposes a real-time control strategy combining tendon pretensioning, PID-based control, and a novel Coupled Axis Indirect Vibration Suppression (CIVS) method to reduce oscillations in unactuated axes while preserving mechanical compliance. Experimental validation demonstrated significant vibration attenuation without compromising smooth and expressive motion, contributing to the development of safer and more natural human–robot interaction in social and assistive robotic systems.