Actuators in 2022

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 20342

Special Issue Editor

Academy Professor, Emeritus Academy Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Interests: piezoelectric actuator; ultrasonic motor; piezo-transformer; high power piezoelectrics; loss mechanism; Pb-free piezoelectrics; piezoelectric composite; multilayer actuator; relaxor piezoelectric single crystal; piezoelectric energy harvesting; piezoelectric driver
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This year, 2022, is the 10th anniversary of the journal Actuators (ISSN: 2076-0825). The 11th volume of our journal Actuators is being published. Thanks go to our readers, innumerable authors, anonymous peer reviewers, editors, and all the people working in some way for the journal who have joined their efforts for years.

To highlight another consecutive year of excellence, and to give a good start to the year, a Special Issue entitled “Actuators in 2022” is being launched. This Special Issue will collect papers regarding innovative ideas on actuators, actuator principles, actuator materials, actuator mechanisms/designs, drive/control schemes, and applications, aiming at future developments of this area. The papers need not be comprehensive in the context, but an innovation is required. We requesting that authors limit their manuscripts to 10 pages. We hope to publish works presenting a fresh idea with simple feasibility check without comprehensive analysis/experiment (similar to a research proposal). In order to avoid tracing/chasing papers, large numbers of previous study citations are not necessary, but a unique idea by your research group is mandatory; we expect that 50% of the citations will include your own papers. Comprehensive review papers are excluded from this Special Issue, but short original reviews in a narrow innovative area, summarizing your recent research, will be accepted.

The submission deadline will be 31 March 2022. We encourage all research groups to contribute up-to-date results regarding the latest developments in their laboratories, in anticipation that these innovative actuator ideas will eventually become best-selling products.

Prof. Dr. Kenji Uchino
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

New Year Special Issue Series

This Special Issue is a part of Actuators’s New Year Special Issue Series. The series reflects on the achievements, scientific progress, and “hot topics” of the previous year in the journal. Submissions of articles whose lead authors are our Editorial Board Members are highly encouraged. However, we welcome articles from all authors.

Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 9869 KiB  
Article
A Self–Tuning Intelligent Controller for a Smart Actuation Mechanism of a Morphing Wing Based on Shape Memory Alloys
by Teodor Lucian Grigorie and Ruxandra Mihaela Botez
Actuators 2023, 12(9), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12090350 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1693
Abstract
The paper exposes some of the results obtained in a major research project related to the design, development, and experimental testing of a morphing wing demonstrator, with the main focus on the development of the automatic control of the actuation system, on its [...] Read more.
The paper exposes some of the results obtained in a major research project related to the design, development, and experimental testing of a morphing wing demonstrator, with the main focus on the development of the automatic control of the actuation system, on its integration into the experimental developed morphing wing system, and on the gain related to the extension of the laminar flow over the wing upper surface when it was morphed based on this control system. The project was a multidisciplinary one, being realized in collaboration between several Canadian research teams coming from universities, research institutes, and industrial entities. The project’s general aim was to reduce the operating costs for the new generation of aircraft via fuel economy in flight and also to improve aircraft performance, expand its flight envelope, replace conventional control surfaces, reduce drag to improve range, and reduce vibrations and flutter. In this regard, the research team realized theoretical studies, accompanied by the development and wind tunnel experimental testing of a rectangular wing model equipped with a morphing skin, electrical smart actuators, and pressure sensors. The wing model was designed to be actively controlled so as to change its shape and produce the expansion of laminar flow on its upper surface. The actuation mechanism used to change the wing shape by morphing its flexible upper surface (manufactured from composite materials) is based on Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) actuators. Shown here are the smart mechanism used to actuate the wing’s upper surface, the design of the intelligent actuation control concept, which uses a self–tuning fuzzy logic Proportional–Integral–Derivative plus conventional On–Off controller, and some of the results provided by the wind tunnel experimental testing of the model equipped with the intelligent controlled actuation system. The control mechanism uses two fuzzy logic controllers, one used as the main controller and the other one as the tuning controller, having the role of adjusting (to tune) the coefficients involved in the operation of the main controller. The control system also took into account the physical limitations of the SMA actuators, including a software protection section for the SMA wires, implemented by using a temperature limiter and by saturating the electrical current powering the actuators. The On–Off component of the integrated controller deactivates or activates the heating phase of the SMA wires, a situation when the actuator passes into the cooling phase or is controlled by the Self–Tuning Fuzzy Logic Controller. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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14 pages, 5068 KiB  
Article
Modelling the Periodic Response of Micro-Electromechanical Systems through Deep Learning-Based Approaches
by Giorgio Gobat, Alessia Baronchelli, Stefania Fresca and Attilio Frangi
Actuators 2023, 12(7), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12070278 - 07 Jul 2023
Viewed by 950
Abstract
We propose a deep learning-based reduced order modelling approach for micro- electromechanical systems. The method allows treating parametrised, fully coupled electromechanical problems in a non-intrusive way and provides solutions across the whole device domain almost in real time, making it suitable for design [...] Read more.
We propose a deep learning-based reduced order modelling approach for micro- electromechanical systems. The method allows treating parametrised, fully coupled electromechanical problems in a non-intrusive way and provides solutions across the whole device domain almost in real time, making it suitable for design optimisation and control purposes. The proposed technique specifically addresses the steady-state response, thus strongly reducing the computational burden associated with the neural network training stage and generating deep learning models with fewer parameters than similar architectures considering generic time-dependent problems. The approach is validated on a disk resonating gyroscope exhibiting auto-parametric resonance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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21 pages, 5272 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study on the Heating Effect of a Spring-Loaded Actuator—Part Ⅰ: Temperature and Humidity Distribution Characteristics
by Lei Xi, Zhen Zhao, Qicheng Ruan, Zhengheng Yang, Liang Xu, Jianmin Gao and Yunlong Li
Actuators 2023, 12(6), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12060234 - 06 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1315
Abstract
Inappropriate distributions of temperature and humidity will cause the failure of the spring-loaded actuators. Therefore, it is essential to understand the temperature and humidity distribution characteristics in typical spring-loaded actuators, to guarantee the safe operation of the spring-loaded actuators. In this work, a [...] Read more.
Inappropriate distributions of temperature and humidity will cause the failure of the spring-loaded actuators. Therefore, it is essential to understand the temperature and humidity distribution characteristics in typical spring-loaded actuators, to guarantee the safe operation of the spring-loaded actuators. In this work, a numerical simulation study on the temperature and humidity distribution characteristics in a spring-loaded actuator was conducted. The influence laws of ambient temperature, heater power, and heater size on the temperature and humidity distributions inside the spring-loaded actuator were analyzed. The practical empirical correlations for the spring-loaded actuators were fitted. The results show that the air temperature around and directly above the heater is the highest and the corresponding relative humidity is the lowest. Then, the air temperature gradually decreases, and the relative humidity increases with the lateral flow of air. When the ambient temperature increases from 233.15 K (−40 °C) to 313.15 K (40 °C), the minimum temperature inside the actuator is increased by 34%, the maximum humidity first increases and then decreases, and the maximum temperature on the heater surface is increased by 30%. When the heating power increases from 10 W to 150 W at ambient temperatures of 273.15 K and 298.15 K, the minimum temperature inside the actuator is increased by 3.40% and 3.61%, the maximum humidity is decreased by 51.97% and 58.63%, and the maximum temperature on the heater surface is increased by 30.33% and 33.25%, respectively. The influence of heater length, width, and height on the minimum temperature and maximum relative humidity inside the spring-loaded actuator is relatively small. Within the study range, the increase in heater length, width, and height makes the maximum temperature on the heater surface decrease by 9.15%, 7.59%, 4.63% at ambient temperatures of 273.15 K, and 10.74%, 9.01%, 4.73% at ambient temperature of 298.15 K, respectively. The results may provide a reference for predicting temperature and humidity distributions inside general spring-loaded actuators and provide a calculation basis for the design of their heaters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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19 pages, 5448 KiB  
Article
Numerical Study on the Heating Effect of a Spring-Loaded Actuator—Part II: Optimization Design of Heater Parameters
by Zhen Zhao, Lei Xi, Jianmin Gao, Liang Xu and Yunlong Li
Actuators 2023, 12(5), 212; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12050212 - 21 May 2023
Viewed by 1030
Abstract
Unfavorable temperatures and humidity will cause the failure of spring actuators. In order to ensure the safe operation of the actuator, it is necessary to optimize the design of the built-in heater system of the actuator itself. In this study, an experimental design [...] Read more.
Unfavorable temperatures and humidity will cause the failure of spring actuators. In order to ensure the safe operation of the actuator, it is necessary to optimize the design of the built-in heater system of the actuator itself. In this study, an experimental design and a response surface model were used to fit the empirical formulas for the minimum temperature, maximum humidity, and maximum temperature on the heater surface. On this basis, a genetic algorithm was used to establish the optimal size of the heater in the chamber of the spring actuator. The study results show that the air inside the actuator shows a trend of a decrease in temperature and an increase in relative humidity from top to bottom. The empirical equation obtained by fitting the second-order response surface model has high accuracy, and the maximum prediction errors for the minimum temperature, maximum relative humidity, and maximum temperature of the heater surface of the spring actuator are −0.5%, 11.7%, and 4.7%, respectively. When the environmental temperature reduces from 313 K to 233 K, the optimal heating power of the heater increases from 10 W to 490 W, the optimal relative length increases from 3.57 to 6, and the optimal relative width increases from 1 to 5.3. Therefore, the study can act as a reference for the temperature and humidity control system of future actuators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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25 pages, 53546 KiB  
Article
Actuation Behavior of Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic (HASEL) Actuator via Dimensional Analysis
by Alexandrea Washington, Ji Su and Kwang J. Kim
Actuators 2023, 12(5), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12050208 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1516
Abstract
Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators are an example of a novel soft material device that can be used for several applications including artificial muscles and lenses. The field of EAPs can be broken down into a few fields; however, the field that will be [...] Read more.
Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators are an example of a novel soft material device that can be used for several applications including artificial muscles and lenses. The field of EAPs can be broken down into a few fields; however, the field that will be discussed in this study is that of Soft Electrohydraulic (SEH or EH) actuators. The device that will specifically be studied is the Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic (HASEL) actuator. The design of the HASEL actuator is simple. There are two compliant films that house a dielectric liquid, and with the application of a voltage potential, there is an output displacement and force. However, the actuation mechanism is more complex, thus there is a need to understand theoretically and experimentally how the actuator works. This study analytically describes the electrode closure and the experimental testing of the actuators. Then, dimensional analysis techniques are used to determine what factors are contributing to the function of the actuator. For this study, eight dimensionless Π groups were found based on the derived analytical equation. These Π groups were determined based on the input voltage, density, viscosity, and elastic modulus of the materials; these were chosen because of their major contribution to the experimental data. The Π groups that are of particular importance are related to the characteristic length, which is directly related to the displacement of the fluid, the fluid velocity, the fluid pressure, and the dielectric constant. From this study, relationships between the output force, the electrostatic contributions, and other parameters were determined. All in all, this type of analysis can provide guidance on the development of high-performance HASEL actuators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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21 pages, 10124 KiB  
Article
Kinematic Chain of a Morphing Winglet: Specifications, Conceptual and Advanced Design
by Salvatore Ameduri, Ignazio Dimino, Lorenzo Pellone, Antonio Concilio, Umberto Mercurio, Federico Gallorini, Giulio Pispola and Moreno D’Andrea
Actuators 2023, 12(5), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12050194 - 09 May 2023
Viewed by 1127
Abstract
The present work focuses on the actuation system of a morphing winglet conceived to adaptively alter the load distribution on the wing, to reduce its stress level and enhance the climb performance. The winglet is equipped with two flaps, independently controlled by dedicated [...] Read more.
The present work focuses on the actuation system of a morphing winglet conceived to adaptively alter the load distribution on the wing, to reduce its stress level and enhance the climb performance. The winglet is equipped with two flaps, independently controlled by dedicated kinematic chains, in turn moved by linear electro-magnetic actuators. An interior finger-like architecture, relevant part of the actuation system, makes particularly smooth the deflections. Starting from a survey on similar applications and on the basis of the requirements at aircraft level, the specifications of the actuation system were defined. A preliminary outline of the system was thus addressed, identifying the main components, their role and their working mode. Then, the advanced design was finalized. To this scope and considering the large displacements that characterize this kind of application, a non-linear finite element approach was implemented. Both the deflection capability with and without loads and the stress level of the system were investigated. A critical overview was finally organized, comparing the achieved results with the expectations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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13 pages, 5924 KiB  
Article
A Comparative Study of Two Common Pump-Controlled Hydraulic Circuits for Single-Rod Actuators
by Ahmed Imam, Mohamed Tolba and Nariman Sepehri
Actuators 2023, 12(5), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12050193 - 03 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1287
Abstract
Pump-controlled hydraulic circuits are proven to be more efficient than conventional valve-controlled circuits. Pump-controlled hydraulic circuits for double rod cylinders are well developed and are in use in many practical applications. Existing pump-controlled circuits for single-rod actuators experience oscillation issues under specific operating [...] Read more.
Pump-controlled hydraulic circuits are proven to be more efficient than conventional valve-controlled circuits. Pump-controlled hydraulic circuits for double rod cylinders are well developed and are in use in many practical applications. Existing pump-controlled circuits for single-rod actuators experience oscillation issues under specific operating conditions; that is identified as a critical operating zone on the load-velocity plane. The challenge in these circuits is to find out the proper way to compensate for the differential flow at both sides of the cylinder in all operating conditions. The two main types of valves commonly used by researchers, to compensate for differential flow in single-rod cylinder circuits, are: pilot-operated check valves, and shuttle valves. In this research, a performance comparison between circuits equipped with either valves, in terms of the size of the critical zone and the oscillations’ characteristics, was accomplished. Simulation studies showed that the circuits that utilize pilot-operated check valves possesses smaller oscillatory zones and less severe oscillations, when compared to circuits with shuttle valves. Experimental work verified the simulation results and proved the accuracy of the mathematical models. Hence, pump-controlled circuits with pilot-operated check valves are recommended to be the basic platform for further efforts to solve the oscillation problem in pump-controlled circuits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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26 pages, 10932 KiB  
Article
Novel Adaptive Magnetic Springs for Reliable Industrial Variable Stiffness Actuation
by Branimir Mrak, Jeroen Willems, Jonathan Baake and Chris Ganseman
Actuators 2023, 12(5), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12050191 - 30 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1310
Abstract
Parallel elastic actuation is a highly promising concept for assisting preplanned trajectories such as repetitive tasks in industrial machines and robots. Nevertheless, due to the persisting challenges on spring lifetime, its full potential has yet to be leveraged in the industry. We propose [...] Read more.
Parallel elastic actuation is a highly promising concept for assisting preplanned trajectories such as repetitive tasks in industrial machines and robots. Nevertheless, due to the persisting challenges on spring lifetime, its full potential has yet to be leveraged in the industry. We propose a novel adaptive magnetic spring as a fatigue-free spring mechanism to enable variable stiffness actuators in long lifetime applications. The spring is designed to flexibly deal with variations in operating conditions, i.e., mass customization. We propose a co-design methodology which simultaneously optimizes the sizing of the magnetic spring (for the given machine and its operating conditions), together with the controls and ideal dynamic response of the system. This mechanism and the methodology are applied to a design problem of a weaving machine drivetrain, where the benefits of the adaptive magnetic spring are highlighted with respect to a fixed stiffness magnetic spring, and the current industrial benchmark without springs. Experimentally validated findings show a consistent and considerable improvement with respect to energy consumption and peak torque reduction of up to 47% and 64%, respectively, when comparing to the current industrial benchmark. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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20 pages, 9022 KiB  
Article
A Real-Time Path Planning Algorithm Based on the Markov Decision Process in a Dynamic Environment for Wheeled Mobile Robots
by Yu-Ju Chen, Bing-Gang Jhong and Mei-Yung Chen
Actuators 2023, 12(4), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12040166 - 06 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1691
Abstract
A real-time path planning algorithm based on the Markov decision process (MDP) is proposed in this paper. This algorithm can be used in dynamic environments to guide the wheeled mobile robot to the goal. Two phases (the utility update phase and the policy [...] Read more.
A real-time path planning algorithm based on the Markov decision process (MDP) is proposed in this paper. This algorithm can be used in dynamic environments to guide the wheeled mobile robot to the goal. Two phases (the utility update phase and the policy update phase) constitute the path planning of the entire system. In the utility update phase, the utility value is updated based on information from the observable environment. Obstacles and walls reduce the utility value, pushing agents away from these impassable areas. The utility value of the goal is constant and is always only the largest. In the policy update, a series of policies can be obtained by the strategy of maximizing its long-term total reward, and the series will eventually form a path towards the goal, regardless of where the agent is located. The simulations and experiments show that it takes longer to find the first path in the beginning due to the large changes of utility value, but once the path is planned, it requires a small amount of time cost to respond to the environmental changes. Therefore, the proposed path planning algorithm has an advantage in dynamic environments where obstacles move in unpredictable ways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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12 pages, 3549 KiB  
Article
Wireless Piezoelectric Motor Drive
by Burhanettin Koc, Sebastian Kist and Ammar Hamada
Actuators 2023, 12(4), 136; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12040136 - 23 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1093
Abstract
Nanopositioners with embedded piezoelectric motors are used in a variety of industries, from microscopy to laser processing or measurement systems. A concrete example would be fine-tuning of multiple mirror or lens units in a system. After fine adjustment of a mirror or lens, [...] Read more.
Nanopositioners with embedded piezoelectric motors are used in a variety of industries, from microscopy to laser processing or measurement systems. A concrete example would be fine-tuning of multiple mirror or lens units in a system. After fine adjustment of a mirror or lens, its position is expected to be maintained when the system is not energized. Features such as small size, direct drive, and maintaining position with high rigidity at power off make inertia-type piezoelectric motors suitable for such “set and go”-type applications. However, wiring with dedicated control electronics for each positioner can increase system complexity. In this study, a wireless driving method for piezoelectric inertia-type motors is introduced for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. In our approach, sawtooth signals for driving a two-phase piezoelectric inertia motor are converted into two complementary pulse-width-modulated (PWM) signals at 1.0 MHz and amplified by class-D amplifier topology, in which GaN transistors are implemented. The amplified complementary PWM signals are applied to a transmitter coil. A receiver coil, which forms an LC network with the capacitances of the piezoelectric multilayer actuators, picks up the driving signals. The filtered voltage waveform by the receiver coil is converted into a modified sawtooth signal, which can operate the piezoelectric inertia-type motor wirelessly. Initial measurements revealed that even a single driving pulse can be transmitted to the receiver coil and precise movements of the slider can be obtained. Mean step sizes for single pulse drive are 140 nm in one direction and 125 nm in the reverse direction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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24 pages, 1527 KiB  
Article
Implementation of a Cascade Fault Tolerant Control and Fault Diagnosis Design for a Modular Power Supply
by Abdelaziz Zaidi, Oscar Barambones and Nadia Zanzouri
Actuators 2023, 12(3), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12030135 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1469
Abstract
The main objective of this research work was to develop reliable and intelligent power sources for the future. To achieve this objective, a modular stand-alone solar energy-based direct current (DC) power supply was designed and implemented. The converter topology used is a two-stage [...] Read more.
The main objective of this research work was to develop reliable and intelligent power sources for the future. To achieve this objective, a modular stand-alone solar energy-based direct current (DC) power supply was designed and implemented. The converter topology used is a two-stage interleaved boost converter, which is monitored in closed loop. The diagnosis method is based on analytic redundancy relations (ARRs) deduced from the bond graph (BG) model, which can be used to detect the failures of power switches, sensors, and discrete components such as the output capacitor. The proposed supervision scheme including a passive fault-tolerant cascade proportional integral sliding mode control (PI-SMC) for the two-stage boost converter connected to a solar panel is suitable for real applications. Most model-based diagnosis approaches for power converters typically deal with open circuit and short circuit faults, but the proposed method offers the advantage of detecting the failures of other vital components. Practical experiments on a newly designed and constructed prototype, along with simulations under PSIM software, confirm the efficiency of the control scheme and the successful recovery of a faulty stage by manual isolation. In future work, the automation of this reconfiguration task could be based on the successful simulation results of the diagnosis method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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17 pages, 5829 KiB  
Article
Hybrid Inspection Robot for Indoor and Outdoor Surveys
by Pierluigi Rea and Erika Ottaviano
Actuators 2023, 12(3), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12030108 - 27 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2478
Abstract
In this paper, simulation and experimental tests are reported for a hybrid robot being used for indoor and outdoor inspections. Automatic or tele-operated surveys can be performed by mobile robots, which represent the most efficient solution in terms of power consumption, control, robustness, [...] Read more.
In this paper, simulation and experimental tests are reported for a hybrid robot being used for indoor and outdoor inspections. Automatic or tele-operated surveys can be performed by mobile robots, which represent the most efficient solution in terms of power consumption, control, robustness, and overall costs. In the context of structures and infrastructure inspection, robots must be able to move on horizontal or sloped surfaces and overpass obstacles. In this paper, the mechatronic design, simulations, and experimental activity are proposed for a hybrid robot being used for indoor and outdoor inspections, when the environmental conditions do not allow autonomous navigation. In particular, the hybrid robot is equipped with external and internal sensors to acquire information on the main structural elements, avoiding the need for experienced personnel being directly inside the inspection site, taking information from the environment and aiding the pilot to understand the best maneuvers/decisions to take. Given the current state of research and shortcomings worldwide, this paper discusses inspection robots taking into account the main issues in their use, functionality and standard systems, and how internal sensors can be set in order to improve inspection robots’ performances. On this basis, an illustrative study case is proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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22 pages, 14760 KiB  
Article
Development of Autonomous Driving and Motion Control System for a Patient Transfer Robot
by Changwon Kim and Chan-Jung Kim
Actuators 2023, 12(3), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/act12030106 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1991
Abstract
In this study, an autonomous driving system of a patient-transfer robot is developed. The developed autonomous driving system has a path-planning module and a motion-control module. Since the developed autonomous driving system is applied to medical robots, such as patient-transfer robots, the main [...] Read more.
In this study, an autonomous driving system of a patient-transfer robot is developed. The developed autonomous driving system has a path-planning module and a motion-control module. Since the developed autonomous driving system is applied to medical robots, such as patient-transfer robots, the main purpose of this study is to generate an optimal path for the robot’s movement and to ensure the patient on board moves comfortably in the PTR. In particular, for the patient’s comfortable movement, a lower controller is needed to minimize the sway angle of the patient. In this paper, we propose a hybrid path-planning algorithm that combines the A-STAR algorithm as a global path-planning method and the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process)-based path-planning algorithm as a local path-planning method. In addition, model-based controllers are designed to move patient-transport robots along planned paths. In particular, the LQR controller with the Kalman filter is designed to be robust to the uncertainty and disturbance of the model including the patient. The optimal path generation and patient shaking angle reduction performance of the proposed autonomous driving system have been demonstrated via a simulation on a map that mimics a hospital environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Actuators in 2022)
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