Work

Design and kinematic analysis of a Miura-oriented origami continuum space manipulator with deployable bending capability

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The capture of irregular, dimension-variable non-cooperative space debris remains a critical challenge for on-orbit servicing. This paper proposes a continuum gripper based on modified right-angle Miura-ori tessellation, integrating deployable folding and controllable large-range bending. Geometric relations of crease parameters are derived to build a parametric model mapping two-dimensional fold patterns to three-dimensional deployed configurations. An improved Denavit–Hartenberg (D–H) method provides closed-form kinematic solutions, with workspace evaluated via Monte Carlo simulation. A tendon-driven three-finger prototype is tested. Kinematic experiments verify position prediction accuracy and workspace positioning capability. Grasping tests on typical debris simulants confirm passive adaptation and stable enclosure. Load experiments achieve a 265.8 g payload and 100 % grasping success rate, validating the mechanism's controllability and adaptability for on-orbit grasping applications.

Source: Mechanical sciences

DOI: 10.5194/ms-17-645-2026