Overview

The code is organized around a two-segment extensible rod-driven continuum robot. Each segment is parameterized by three deployed rod lengths, giving the six-dimensional rod-length vector

L = [L1, L2, L3, L4, L5, L6]^T.

The repository includes:

• Forward kinematics for the extensible piecewise-constant-curvature model.
• Interactive shape planning for J-, C-, and S-shaped paths in planar and spatial settings.
• Tip tracking using incremental Jacobian/QP-based control.
• Follow-the-leader motion using a staged coordination strategy for the two robot segments.
• Strategy comparison for configuration-prioritized, bending-constrained, and extension-aware tip tracking.
• Workspace analysis for fixed-length and extensible configurations.
• Local manipulability analysis using analytic Jacobians and velocity ellipsoids.
• Experimental datasets and post-processing for tip tracking and FTL experiments.

The data/ directory contains:

• trajectory_arc_*.csv — reference paths
• meas_points_three_stage_*.csv — measured robot/marker data
• tracking_error_three_stage_*.csv — recorded tracking-error data

Component	Main code
Extensible robot kinematics	fwk.m and module-local fwk.m files
Interactive shape planning	Control/shape planning/shape_planner.m
Tip tracking simulation	Control/tip tracking/opt.m
Closed-loop tip tracking	Control/tip tracking/main_control_QP_new.m
Three-stage FTL simulation	Control/shape tracking/followtrajectory_threeStage_new.m
Closed-loop FTL control	Control/shape tracking/main_control_QP_threeStage_FTL.m
Tracking-strategy comparison	Simulation and Experiment/Comparison of Tip Tracking Algorithms/opt_*.m
Workspace analysis	Workspace and Manipulability Analysis/workspace/
Manipulability analysis	Workspace and Manipulability Analysis/local manipulability/
Tip-tracking experimental analysis	Simulation and Experiment/EXP1.../data_processing.m
FTL experimental analysis	Simulation and Experiment/EXP2.../data_processing.m

Project Page

Interactive shape planning, FTL simulation, experiment videos, and additional project material are available at:

https://yangyihe233.github.io/follow-the-leader/