Rigid linkages allow robots to lift heavy loads but prevent them from gently stretching and bending their bodies. Continuum robots without rigid linkages have a wide range of motion, safety, shape adaptability, and compliance. To combine the benefits of both continuum and rigid robots, we propose a method of switching between discrete and continuum states by a dislocatable joint.
A. Kanada, T. Mashimo, "Switching between Continuum and Discrete States in a Continuum Robot with Dislocatable Joints ,"IEEE Access , Vol. 9, pp. 34859-34867, 2021. PDF.