Elastic robot platform for cleaning and scrubbing with tendon-driven joints

A robot having a series of rigid links including a first rigid link and a final rigid link, wherein:

• the first rigid link having a proximal end fixedly coupled to a first pulley and a distal end rotatably coupled to a second pulley, the first pulley configured to move the first rigid link in response to rotation of the first pulley, the second pulley fixedly coupled to an adjacent rigid link and configured to move the adjacent rigid link in response to rotation of the second pulley,
• the final rigid link having a proximal end fixedly coupled to a final pulley of an adjacent rigid link a distal end coupled to a force sensor and a tool, the second pulley of the adjacent rigid link configured to move the final rigid link in response to rotation of the second pulley of the adjacent rigid link, the tool configured to transmit a force toward a surface to be worked, the force sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of the transmitted force;
• each of the pulleys being coupled to a respective spool via a respective cable assembly coupled therebetween to provide thereby a respective tendon-driven joint configured for manipulating a respective rigid link, each cable assembly comprising at least an elastic cable portion;
• each of the spools being rotatably driven in either of two directions of rotational motion by a respective motor;
• and
• a controller, configured to cause the motors to move the tool against the surface to be worked in accordance with desired position and force.