• A flexible higher-order gear topology modification technique based on electronic gearbox is proposed to solve additional axis motion problems in higher-order topology modification.
• Two-parameter topology gear surface equation and grinding model are established, with axial and tangential feeds expressed as fifth-order polynomials.
• An improved electronic gearbox model combining polynomial interpolation enables gear topology modification without changing grinding wheels.
• Experimental validation confirms the method's feasibility for continuous generative grinding with worm grinding wheels, significantly improving machining precision and efficiency.