Vibrissa-inspired control of the orientation of an array of end-effectors

The ability to precisely orient an array of end-effectors is critical for applications in robotics, sensing, and engineering. Inspired by the vibrissal (whisker) system of rodents, we introduce a novel mechanism that controls an arbitrary number of rotating joints using a single mechanical input with three planar degrees of freedom. The system comprises two rigid frames – a fixed frame and a movable control frame – interconnected by stiff rods, enabling both forward/backward rotations (“protraction”) and converging/diverging rotations (“fanning”). We derive analytic expressions relating the control frame’s position and orientation to end-effector angles, proving that each configuration is associated with a unique parabola. We also show that a coordinate transformation allows independent control of protraction and fanning. Hardware implementation demonstrates that the mechanism is functional and that it can be scaled without additional actuators. This bio-inspired approach provides a versatile, low-dimensional solution for orienting sensors and tools in dynamic environments.