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Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices
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Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Physical Sensors".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2016) | Viewed by 185334

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Dan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Interests: robotics and mechatronics; high performance parallel robotic machine development; sustainable/green manufacturing systems; micro/nano manipulation and MEMS devices (sensors); micro mobile robots and control of multi-robot cooperation; intelligent servo control system for the MEMS based high-performance micro-robot; web-based remote manipulation; rehabilitation robot and rescue robot
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechatronics and robotics have been widely used in many arenas, such as manufacturing, medical, and space. Currently, the use of mechatronics and robotics are limited with respect to performance capabilities. Improving the performance of manufacturing robotic and mechatronic systems is, and still will be, the main topic for researchers and engineers.

This Special Issue aims to bring researchers together to present recent advances and technologies in the field of mechatronics, robotics, and MEMS devices. Topics include, but are not limited, to:

Advanced mechatronics;
New MEMS devices design;
Parallel mechanisms based F/T sensors
New control theories for robotics and MEMS devices
Dynamic characteristics improvement for robotic devices

Prof. Dr. Dan Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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.

Keywords

  • Mechatronics Devices
  • Parallel Mechanism Based F/T Sensors
  • MEMS devices
  • Robotics
  • Dynamics and control
  • Modeling

Published Papers (29 papers)

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2296 KiB  
Article
Building a Relationship between Robot Characteristics and Teleoperation User Interfaces
by Michael Mortimer, Ben Horan and Mehdi Seyedmahmoudian
Sensors 2017, 17(3), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17030587 - 14 Mar 2017
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5248
Abstract
The Robot Operating System (ROS) provides roboticists with a standardized and distributed framework for real-time communication between robotic systems using a microkernel environment. This paper looks at how ROS metadata, Unified Robot Description Format (URDF), Semantic Robot Description Format (SRDF), and its message [...] Read more.
The Robot Operating System (ROS) provides roboticists with a standardized and distributed framework for real-time communication between robotic systems using a microkernel environment. This paper looks at how ROS metadata, Unified Robot Description Format (URDF), Semantic Robot Description Format (SRDF), and its message description language, can be used to identify key robot characteristics to inform User Interface (UI) design for the teleoperation of heterogeneous robot teams. Logical relationships between UI components and robot characteristics are defined by a set of relationship rules created using relevant and available information including developer expertise and ROS metadata. This provides a significant opportunity to move towards a rule-driven approach for generating the designs of teleoperation UIs; in particular the reduction of the number of different UI configurations required to teleoperate each individual robot within a heterogeneous robot team. This approach is based on using an underlying rule set identifying robots that can be teleoperated using the same UI configuration due to having the same or similar robot characteristics. Aside from reducing the number of different UI configurations an operator needs to be familiar with, this approach also supports consistency in UI configurations when a teleoperator is periodically switching between different robots. To achieve this aim, a Matlab toolbox is developed providing users with the ability to define rules specifying the relationship between robot characteristics and UI components. Once rules are defined, selections that best describe the characteristics of the robot type within a particular heterogeneous robot team can be made. A main advantage of this approach is that rather than specifying discrete robots comprising the team, the user can specify characteristics of the team more generally allowing the system to deal with slight variations that may occur in the future. In fact, by using the defined relationship rules and characteristic selections, the toolbox can automatically identify a reduced set of UI configurations required to control possible robot team configurations, as opposed to the traditional ad-hoc approach to teleoperation UI design. In the results section, three test cases are presented to demonstrate how the selection of different robot characteristics builds a number of robot characteristic combinations, and how the relationship rules are used to determine a reduced set of required UI configurations needed to control each individual robot in the robot team. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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5786 KiB  
Article
Design and Integration for High Performance Robotic Systems Based on Decomposition and Hybridization Approaches
by Dan Zhang and Bin Wei
Sensors 2017, 17(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/s17010118 - 09 Jan 2017
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4429
Abstract
Currently, the uses of robotics are limited with respect to performance capabilities. Improving the performance of robotic mechanisms is and still will be the main research topic in the next decade. In this paper, design and integration for improving performance of robotic systems [...] Read more.
Currently, the uses of robotics are limited with respect to performance capabilities. Improving the performance of robotic mechanisms is and still will be the main research topic in the next decade. In this paper, design and integration for improving performance of robotic systems are achieved through three different approaches, i.e., structure synthesis design approach, dynamic balancing approach, and adaptive control approach. The purpose of robotic mechanism structure synthesis design is to propose certain mechanism that has better kinematic and dynamic performance as compared to the old ones. For the dynamic balancing design approach, it is normally accomplished based on employing counterweights or counter-rotations. The potential issue is that more weight and inertia will be included in the system. Here, reactionless based on the reconfiguration concept is put forward, which can address the mentioned problem. With the mechanism reconfiguration, the control system needs to be adapted thereafter. One way to address control system adaptation is by applying the “divide and conquer” methodology. It entails modularizing the functionalities: breaking up the control functions into small functional modules, and from those modules assembling the control system according to the changing needs of the mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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3296 KiB  
Article
Design and Optimization of a Hybrid-Driven Waist Rehabilitation Robot
by Bin Zi, Guangcai Yin and Dan Zhang
Sensors 2016, 16(12), 2121; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16122121 - 14 Dec 2016
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6533
Abstract
In this paper a waist rehabilitation robot driven by cables and pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) has been conceptualized and designed. In the process of mechanism design, the human body structure, the waist movement characteristics, and the actuators’ driving characteristics are the main considerable [...] Read more.
In this paper a waist rehabilitation robot driven by cables and pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) has been conceptualized and designed. In the process of mechanism design, the human body structure, the waist movement characteristics, and the actuators’ driving characteristics are the main considerable factors to make the hybrid-driven waist rehabilitation robot (HWRR) cost-effective, safe, flexible, and well-adapted. A variety of sensors are chosen to measure the position and orientation of the recovery patient to ensure patient safety at the same time as the structure design. According to the structure specialty and function, the HWRR is divided into two independent parallel robots: the waist twist device and the lower limb traction device. Then these two devices are analyzed and evaluated, respectively. Considering the characters of the human body in the HWRR, the inverse kinematics and statics are studied when the waist and the lower limb are considered as a spring and link, respectively. Based on the inverse kinematics and statics, the effect of the contraction parameter of the PAM is considered in the optimization of the waist twist device, and the lower limb traction device is optimized using particle swarm optimization (PSO) to minimize the global conditioning number over the feasible workspace. As a result of the optimization, an optimal rehabilitation robot design is obtained and the condition number of the Jacobian matrix over the feasible workspace is also calculated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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2704 KiB  
Article
Error Analysis and Experimental Study of a Bi-Planar Parallel Mechanism in a Pedicle Screw Robot System
by Qingjuan Duan, Zhijiang Du, Hongjian Yu, Yongfeng Wang and Wei Dong
Sensors 2016, 16(12), 2022; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16122022 - 30 Nov 2016
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5877
Abstract
Due to the urgent need for high precision surgical equipment for minimally invasive spinal surgery, a novel robot-assistant system was developed for the accurate placement of pedicle screws in lumbar spinal surgeries. The structure of the robot was based on a macro-micro mechanism, [...] Read more.
Due to the urgent need for high precision surgical equipment for minimally invasive spinal surgery, a novel robot-assistant system was developed for the accurate placement of pedicle screws in lumbar spinal surgeries. The structure of the robot was based on a macro-micro mechanism, which includes a serial mechanism (macro part) and a bi-planar 5R parallel mechanism (micro part). The macro part was used to achieve a large workspace, while the micro part was used to obtain high stiffness and accuracy. Based on the transfer function of dimension errors, the factors affecting the accuracy of the end effectors were analyzed. Then the manufacturing errors and joint angle error on the position-stance of the end effectors were investigated. Eventually, the mechanism of the strain energy produced by the deformation of linkage via forced assembly and displacements of the output point were calculated. The amount of the transfer errors was quantitatively analyzed by the simulation. Experimental tests show that the error of the bi-planar 5R mechanism can be controlled no more than 1 mm for translation and 1° for rotation, which satisfies the required absolute position accuracy of the robot. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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11745 KiB  
Article
Two-Time Scale Virtual Sensor Design for Vibration Observation of a Translational Flexible-Link Manipulator Based on Singular Perturbation and Differential Games
by Jinyong Ju, Wei Li, Yuqiao Wang, Mengbao Fan and Xuefeng Yang
Sensors 2016, 16(11), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16111804 - 28 Oct 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4596
Abstract
Effective feedback control requires all state variable information of the system. However, in the translational flexible-link manipulator (TFM) system, it is unrealistic to measure the vibration signals and their time derivative of any points of the TFM by infinite sensors. With the rigid-flexible [...] Read more.
Effective feedback control requires all state variable information of the system. However, in the translational flexible-link manipulator (TFM) system, it is unrealistic to measure the vibration signals and their time derivative of any points of the TFM by infinite sensors. With the rigid-flexible coupling between the global motion of the rigid base and the elastic vibration of the flexible-link manipulator considered, a two-time scale virtual sensor, which includes the speed observer and the vibration observer, is designed to achieve the estimation for the vibration signals and their time derivative of the TFM, as well as the speed observer and the vibration observer are separately designed for the slow and fast subsystems, which are decomposed from the dynamic model of the TFM by the singular perturbation. Additionally, based on the linear-quadratic differential games, the observer gains of the two-time scale virtual sensor are optimized, which aims to minimize the estimation error while keeping the observer stable. Finally, the numerical calculation and experiment verify the efficiency of the designed two-time scale virtual sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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3541 KiB  
Article
Design and Construction of a Bilateral Haptic System for the Remote Assessment of the Stiffness and Range of Motion of the Hand
by Fabio Oscari, Roberto Oboe, Omar Andres Daud Albasini, Stefano Masiero and Giulio Rosati
Sensors 2016, 16(10), 1633; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16101633 - 01 Oct 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 6283
Abstract
The use of haptic devices in the rehabilitation of impaired limbs has become rather popular, given the proven effectiveness in promoting recovery. In a standard framework, such devices are used in rehabilitation centers, where patients interact with virtual tasks, presented on a screen. [...] Read more.
The use of haptic devices in the rehabilitation of impaired limbs has become rather popular, given the proven effectiveness in promoting recovery. In a standard framework, such devices are used in rehabilitation centers, where patients interact with virtual tasks, presented on a screen. To track their sessions, kinematic/dynamic parameters or performance scores are recorded. However, as Internet access is now available at almost every home and in order to reduce the hospitalization time of the patient, the idea of doing rehabilitation at home is gaining wide consent. Medical care programs can be synchronized with the home rehabilitation device; patient data can be sent to the central server that could redirect to the therapist laptop (tele-healthcare). The controversial issue is that the recorded data do not actually represent the clinical conditions of the patients according to the medical assessment scales, forcing them to frequently undergo clinical tests at the hospital. To respond to this demand, we propose the use of a bilateral master/slave haptic system that could allow the clinician, who interacts with the master, to assess remotely and in real time the clinical conditions of the patient that uses the home rehabilitation device as the slave. In this paper, we describe a proof of concept to highlight the main issues of such an application, limited to one degree of freedom, and to the measure of the stiffness and range of motion of the hand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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4159 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Control of the Redundant Parallel Adjustment Mechanism on a Deployable Antenna Panel
by Lili Tian, Hong Bao, Meng Wang and Xuechao Duan
Sensors 2016, 16(10), 1632; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16101632 - 01 Oct 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4313
Abstract
With the aim of developing multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) coupling systems with a redundant parallel adjustment mechanism on the deployable antenna panel, a structural control integrated design methodology is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the modal information from the finite element [...] Read more.
With the aim of developing multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) coupling systems with a redundant parallel adjustment mechanism on the deployable antenna panel, a structural control integrated design methodology is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the modal information from the finite element model of the structure of the antenna panel is extracted, and then the mathematical model is established with the Hamilton principle; Secondly, the discrete Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller is added to the model in order to control the actuators and adjust the shape of the panel. Finally, the engineering practicality of the modeling and control method based on finite element analysis simulation is verified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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18196 KiB  
Article
A Mechatronic Loading Device to Stimulate Bone Growth via a Human Knee
by Sai Krishna Prabhala, Stanley Chien, Hiroki Yokota and Sohel Anwar
Sensors 2016, 16(10), 1615; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16101615 - 29 Sep 2016
Viewed by 6809
Abstract
This paper presents the design of an innovative device that applies dynamic mechanical load to human knee joints. Dynamic loading is employed by applying cyclic and periodic force on a target area. The repeated force loading was considered to be an effective modality [...] Read more.
This paper presents the design of an innovative device that applies dynamic mechanical load to human knee joints. Dynamic loading is employed by applying cyclic and periodic force on a target area. The repeated force loading was considered to be an effective modality for repair and rehabilitation of long bones that are subject to ailments like fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, etc. The proposed device design builds on the knowledge gained in previous animal and mechanical studies. It employs a modified slider-crank linkage mechanism actuated by a brushless Direct Current (DC) motor and provides uniform and cyclic force. The functionality of the device was simulated in a software environment and the structural integrity was analyzed using a finite element method for the prototype construction. The device is controlled by a microcontroller that is programmed to provide the desired loading force at a predetermined frequency and for a specific duration. The device was successfully tested in various experiments for its usability and full functionality. The results reveal that the device works according to the requirements of force magnitude and operational frequency. This device is considered ready to be used for a clinical study to examine whether controlled knee-loading could be an effective regimen for treating the stated bone-related ailments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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5530 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Performance of Mechatronic PZT Module Using Active Vibration Feedback Control
by Francesco Aggogeri, Alberto Borboni, Angelo Merlo, Nicola Pellegrini and Raffaele Ricatto 
Sensors 2016, 16(10), 1577; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16101577 - 25 Sep 2016
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5872
Abstract
This paper proposes an innovative mechatronic piezo-actuated module to control vibrations in modern machine tools. Vibrations represent one of the main issues that seriously compromise the quality of the workpiece. The active vibration control (AVC) device is composed of a host part integrated [...] Read more.
This paper proposes an innovative mechatronic piezo-actuated module to control vibrations in modern machine tools. Vibrations represent one of the main issues that seriously compromise the quality of the workpiece. The active vibration control (AVC) device is composed of a host part integrated with sensors and actuators synchronized by a regulator; it is able to make a self-assessment and adjust to alterations in the environment. In particular, an innovative smart actuator has been designed and developed to satisfy machining requirements during active vibration control. This study presents the mechatronic model based on the kinematic and dynamic analysis of the AVC device. To ensure a real time performance, a H2-LQG controller has been developed and validated by simulations involving a machine tool, PZT actuator and controller models. The Hardware in the Loop (HIL) architecture is adopted to control and attenuate the vibrations. A set of experimental tests has been performed to validate the AVC module on a commercial machine tool. The feasibility of the real time vibration damping is demonstrated and the simulation accuracy is evaluated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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4079 KiB  
Article
Design and Implementation of Sound Searching Robots in Wireless Sensor Networks
by Lianfu Han, Zhengguang Shen, Changfeng Fu and Chao Liu
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091550 - 21 Sep 2016
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6879
Abstract
A sound target-searching robot system which includes a 4-channel microphone array for sound collection, magneto-resistive sensor for declination measurement, and a wireless sensor networks (WSN) for exchanging information is described. It has an embedded sound signal enhancement, recognition and location method, and a [...] Read more.
A sound target-searching robot system which includes a 4-channel microphone array for sound collection, magneto-resistive sensor for declination measurement, and a wireless sensor networks (WSN) for exchanging information is described. It has an embedded sound signal enhancement, recognition and location method, and a sound searching strategy based on a digital signal processor (DSP). As the wireless network nodes, three robots comprise the WSN a personal computer (PC) in order to search the three different sound targets in task-oriented collaboration. The improved spectral subtraction method is used for noise reduction. As the feature of audio signal, Mel-frequency cepstral coefficient (MFCC) is extracted. Based on the K-nearest neighbor classification method, we match the trained feature template to recognize sound signal type. This paper utilizes the improved generalized cross correlation method to estimate time delay of arrival (TDOA), and then employs spherical-interpolation for sound location according to the TDOA and the geometrical position of the microphone array. A new mapping has been proposed to direct the motor to search sound targets flexibly. As the sink node, the PC receives and displays the result processed in the WSN, and it also has the ultimate power to make decision on the received results in order to improve their accuracy. The experiment results show that the designed three-robot system implements sound target searching function without collisions and performs well. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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10424 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Assistive Anchor-Like Grousers on Wheeled Rover Performance over Unconsolidated Sandy Dune Inclines
by Ahmad Najmuddin Ibrahim, Shinichi Aoshima, Naoji Shiroma and Yasuhiro Fukuoka
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091507 - 15 Sep 2016
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5724
Abstract
Typical rovers with wheels equipped with conventional grousers are prone to getting stuck in unconsolidated sandy dune inclines as the wheels tend to sink into the sand. This phenomenon is caused by the motion of the grouser through the sand during the latter [...] Read more.
Typical rovers with wheels equipped with conventional grousers are prone to getting stuck in unconsolidated sandy dune inclines as the wheels tend to sink into the sand. This phenomenon is caused by the motion of the grouser through the sand during the latter half of the rotation, in which the grouser pushes the sand from underneath the wheel upwards and towards the backside of the wheel. This creates a space that the wheel can sink into. To minimize sand movement and subsequent sinkage, we propose the concept of using an “assistive grouser”, which is attached to the side of a conventional rover wheel. The assistive grouser is designed to be able to autonomously maintain a uniform angle relative to the rover body independent of the rotation of the wheels. Rotating the wheel causes the assistive grousers to automatically penetrate into the sand slope surface at a constant angle of attack, thereby acting as an anchor and providing traction for the wheel. Maintaining a uniform grouser angle as opposed to a rotating motion also assists in extracting the grouser out of the sand without moving the sand towards the back of the wheel. Moreover, the angle of the assistive grousers is held constantly by a single dedicated motor, meaning that the angle of the assistive grousers can be optimized to provide the least amount of sinkage for each slope angle. The experimental results showed that for slope angles of 0–30 degrees, the rover equipped with the proposed assistive grousers experienced significantly less sinkage and consumed less current compared to the rover equipped with conventional grousers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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9411 KiB  
Article
Decoupling Principle Analysis and Development of a Parallel Three-Dimensional Force Sensor
by Yanzhi Zhao, Leihao Jiao, Dacheng Weng, Dan Zhang and Rencheng Zheng
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1506; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091506 - 15 Sep 2016
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 7333
Abstract
In the development of the multi-dimensional force sensor, dimension coupling is the ubiquitous factor restricting the improvement of the measurement accuracy. To effectively reduce the influence of dimension coupling on the parallel multi-dimensional force sensor, a novel parallel three-dimensional force sensor is proposed [...] Read more.
In the development of the multi-dimensional force sensor, dimension coupling is the ubiquitous factor restricting the improvement of the measurement accuracy. To effectively reduce the influence of dimension coupling on the parallel multi-dimensional force sensor, a novel parallel three-dimensional force sensor is proposed using a mechanical decoupling principle, and the influence of the friction on dimension coupling is effectively reduced by making the friction rolling instead of sliding friction. In this paper, the mathematical model is established by combining with the structure model of the parallel three-dimensional force sensor, and the modeling and analysis of mechanical decoupling are carried out. The coupling degree (ε) of the designed sensor is defined and calculated, and the calculation results show that the mechanical decoupling parallel structure of the sensor possesses good decoupling performance. A prototype of the parallel three-dimensional force sensor was developed, and FEM analysis was carried out. The load calibration and data acquisition experiment system are built, and then calibration experiments were done. According to the calibration experiments, the measurement accuracy is less than 2.86% and the coupling accuracy is less than 3.02%. The experimental results show that the sensor system possesses high measuring accuracy, which provides a basis for the applied research of the parallel multi-dimensional force sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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5066 KiB  
Article
Mechatronic Development and Vision Feedback Control of a Nanorobotics Manipulation System inside SEM for Nanodevice Assembly
by Zhan Yang, Yaqiong Wang, Bin Yang, Guanghui Li, Tao Chen, Masahiro Nakajima, Lining Sun and Toshio Fukuda
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1479; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091479 - 14 Sep 2016
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7304
Abstract
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been developed in recent decades for nanodevices such as nanoradios, nanogenerators, carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs) and so on, indicating that the application of CNTs for nanoscale electronics may play a key role in the development of nanotechnology. [...] Read more.
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been developed in recent decades for nanodevices such as nanoradios, nanogenerators, carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNTFETs) and so on, indicating that the application of CNTs for nanoscale electronics may play a key role in the development of nanotechnology. Nanorobotics manipulation systems are a promising method for nanodevice construction and assembly. For the purpose of constructing three-dimensional CNTFETs, a nanorobotics manipulation system with 16 DOFs was developed for nanomanipulation of nanometer-scale objects inside the specimen chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Nanorobotics manipulators are assembled into four units with four DOFs (X-Y-Z-θ) individually. The rotational one is actuated by a picomotor. That means a manipulator has four DOFs including three linear motions in the X, Y, Z directions and a 360-degree rotational one (X-Y-Z-θ stage, θ is along the direction rotating with X or Y axis). Manipulators are actuated by picomotors with better than 30 nm linear resolution and <1 micro-rad rotary resolution. Four vertically installed AFM cantilevers (the axis of the cantilever tip is vertical to the axis of electronic beam of SEM) served as the end-effectors to facilitate the real-time observation of the operations. A series of kinematic derivations of these four manipulators based on the Denavit-Hartenberg (D-H) notation were established. The common working space of the end-effectors is 2.78 mm by 4.39 mm by 6 mm. The manipulation strategy and vision feedback control for multi-manipulators operating inside the SEM chamber were been discussed. Finally, application of the designed nanorobotics manipulation system by successfully testing of the pickup-and-place manipulation of an individual CNT onto four probes was described. The experimental results have shown that carbon nanotubes can be successfully picked up with this nanorobotics manipulation system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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4701 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Analysis of a 2-DOF Spherical Parallel Manipulator
by Xuechao Duan, Yongzhi Yang and Bi Cheng
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1485; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091485 - 13 Sep 2016
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 10569
Abstract
The kinematics of a two rotational degrees-of-freedom (DOF) spherical parallel manipulator (SPM) is developed based on the coordinate transformation approach and the cosine rule of a trihedral angle. The angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration between the actuators and end-effector are thus [...] Read more.
The kinematics of a two rotational degrees-of-freedom (DOF) spherical parallel manipulator (SPM) is developed based on the coordinate transformation approach and the cosine rule of a trihedral angle. The angular displacement, angular velocity, and angular acceleration between the actuators and end-effector are thus determined. Moreover, the dynamic model of the 2-DOF SPM is established by using the virtual work principle and the first-order influence coefficient matrix of the manipulator. Eventually, a typical motion plan and simulations are carried out, and the actuating torque needed for these motions are worked out by employing the derived inverse dynamic equations. In addition, an analysis of the mechanical characteristics of the parallel manipulator is made. This study lays a solid base for the control of the 2-DOF SPM, and also provides the possibility of using this kind of spherical manipulator as a 2-DOF orientation, angular velocity, or even torque sensor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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9301 KiB  
Article
Fuzzy Sets in Dynamic Adaptation of Parameters of a Bee Colony Optimization for Controlling the Trajectory of an Autonomous Mobile Robot
by Leticia Amador-Angulo, Olivia Mendoza, Juan R. Castro, Antonio Rodríguez-Díaz, Patricia Melin and Oscar Castillo
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091458 - 09 Sep 2016
Cited by 62 | Viewed by 6247
Abstract
A hybrid approach composed by different types of fuzzy systems, such as the Type-1 Fuzzy Logic System (T1FLS), Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System (IT2FLS) and Generalized Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System (GT2FLS) for the dynamic adaptation of the alpha and beta parameters of a [...] Read more.
A hybrid approach composed by different types of fuzzy systems, such as the Type-1 Fuzzy Logic System (T1FLS), Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System (IT2FLS) and Generalized Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System (GT2FLS) for the dynamic adaptation of the alpha and beta parameters of a Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) algorithm is presented. The objective of the work is to focus on the BCO technique to find the optimal distribution of the membership functions in the design of fuzzy controllers. We use BCO specifically for tuning membership functions of the fuzzy controller for trajectory stability in an autonomous mobile robot. We add two types of perturbations in the model for the Generalized Type-2 Fuzzy Logic System to better analyze its behavior under uncertainty and this shows better results when compared to the original BCO. We implemented various performance indices; ITAE, IAE, ISE, ITSE, RMSE and MSE to measure the performance of the controller. The experimental results show better performances using GT2FLS then by IT2FLS and T1FLS in the dynamic adaptation the parameters for the BCO algorithm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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2445 KiB  
Article
Target Capturing Control for Space Robots with Unknown Mass Properties: A Self-Tuning Method Based on Gyros and Cameras
by Zhenyu Li, Bin Wang and Hong Liu
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1383; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091383 - 30 Aug 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5403
Abstract
Satellite capturing with free-floating space robots is still a challenging task due to the non-fixed base and unknown mass property issues. In this paper gyro and eye-in-hand camera data are adopted as an alternative choice for solving this problem. For this improved system, [...] Read more.
Satellite capturing with free-floating space robots is still a challenging task due to the non-fixed base and unknown mass property issues. In this paper gyro and eye-in-hand camera data are adopted as an alternative choice for solving this problem. For this improved system, a new modeling approach that reduces the complexity of system control and identification is proposed. With the newly developed model, the space robot is equivalent to a ground-fixed manipulator system. Accordingly, a self-tuning control scheme is applied to handle such a control problem including unknown parameters. To determine the controller parameters, an estimator is designed based on the least-squares technique for identifying the unknown mass properties in real time. The proposed method is tested with a credible 3-dimensional ground verification experimental system, and the experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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6318 KiB  
Article
Novel Robotic Platforms for the Accurate Sampling and Monitoring of Water Columns
by Roemi Fernández, Andrey Apalkov and Manuel Armada
Sensors 2016, 16(9), 1378; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16091378 - 29 Aug 2016
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5675
Abstract
The hydrosphere contains large amounts of suspended particulate material, including living and non-living material that can be found in different compositions and concentrations, and that can be composed of particles of different sizes. The study of this particulate material along water columns plays [...] Read more.
The hydrosphere contains large amounts of suspended particulate material, including living and non-living material that can be found in different compositions and concentrations, and that can be composed of particles of different sizes. The study of this particulate material along water columns plays a key role in understanding a great variety of biological, chemical, and physical processes. This paper presents the conceptual design of two patented robotic platforms that have been conceived for carrying out studies of water properties at desired depths with very high accuracy in the vertical positioning. One platform has been specially designed for operating near to a reservoir bottom, while the other is intended to be used near the surface. Several experimental tests have been conducted in order to validate the proposed approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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5395 KiB  
Article
Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds
by Jared A. Frank, Anthony Brill and Vikram Kapila
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1331; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081331 - 20 Aug 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5944
Abstract
Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of [...] Read more.
Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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2669 KiB  
Article
On Event-Triggered Adaptive Architectures for Decentralized and Distributed Control of Large-Scale Modular Systems
by Ali Albattat, Benjamin C. Gruenwald and Tansel Yucelen
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081297 - 16 Aug 2016
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4405
Abstract
The last decade has witnessed an increased interest in physical systems controlled over wireless networks (networked control systems). These systems allow the computation of control signals via processors that are not attached to the physical systems, and the feedback loops are closed over [...] Read more.
The last decade has witnessed an increased interest in physical systems controlled over wireless networks (networked control systems). These systems allow the computation of control signals via processors that are not attached to the physical systems, and the feedback loops are closed over wireless networks. The contribution of this paper is to design and analyze event-triggered decentralized and distributed adaptive control architectures for uncertain networked large-scale modular systems; that is, systems consist of physically-interconnected modules controlled over wireless networks. Specifically, the proposed adaptive architectures guarantee overall system stability while reducing wireless network utilization and achieving a given system performance in the presence of system uncertainties that can result from modeling and degraded modes of operation of the modules and their interconnections between each other. In addition to the theoretical findings including rigorous system stability and the boundedness analysis of the closed-loop dynamical system, as well as the characterization of the effect of user-defined event-triggering thresholds and the design parameters of the proposed adaptive architectures on the overall system performance, an illustrative numerical example is further provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed decentralized and distributed control approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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5717 KiB  
Article
High Accuracy Passive Magnetic Field-Based Localization for Feedback Control Using Principal Component Analysis
by Shaohui Foong and Zhenglong Sun
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081280 - 12 Aug 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4863
Abstract
In this paper, a novel magnetic field-based sensing system employing statistically optimized concurrent multiple sensor outputs for precise field-position association and localization is presented. This method capitalizes on the independence between simultaneous spatial field measurements at multiple locations to induce unique correspondences between [...] Read more.
In this paper, a novel magnetic field-based sensing system employing statistically optimized concurrent multiple sensor outputs for precise field-position association and localization is presented. This method capitalizes on the independence between simultaneous spatial field measurements at multiple locations to induce unique correspondences between field and position. This single-source-multi-sensor configuration is able to achieve accurate and precise localization and tracking of translational motion without contact over large travel distances for feedback control. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used as a pseudo-linear filter to optimally reduce the dimensions of the multi-sensor output space for computationally efficient field-position mapping with artificial neural networks (ANNs). Numerical simulations are employed to investigate the effects of geometric parameters and Gaussian noise corruption on PCA assisted ANN mapping performance. Using a 9-sensor network, the sensing accuracy and closed-loop tracking performance of the proposed optimal field-based sensing system is experimentally evaluated on a linear actuator with a significantly more expensive optical encoder as a comparison. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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4952 KiB  
Article
Mathematical Model and Calibration Experiment of a Large Measurement Range Flexible Joints 6-UPUR Six-Axis Force Sensor
by Yanzhi Zhao, Caifeng Zhang, Dan Zhang, Zhongpan Shi and Tieshi Zhao
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1271; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081271 - 11 Aug 2016
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 6488
Abstract
Nowadays improving the accuracy and enlarging the measuring range of six-axis force sensors for wider applications in aircraft landing, rocket thrust, and spacecraft docking testing experiments has become an urgent objective. However, it is still difficult to achieve high accuracy and large measuring [...] Read more.
Nowadays improving the accuracy and enlarging the measuring range of six-axis force sensors for wider applications in aircraft landing, rocket thrust, and spacecraft docking testing experiments has become an urgent objective. However, it is still difficult to achieve high accuracy and large measuring range with traditional parallel six-axis force sensors due to the influence of the gap and friction of the joints. Therefore, to overcome the mentioned limitations, this paper proposed a 6-Universal-Prismatic-Universal-Revolute (UPUR) joints parallel mechanism with flexible joints to develop a large measurement range six-axis force sensor. The structural characteristics of the sensor are analyzed in comparison with traditional parallel sensor based on the Stewart platform. The force transfer relation of the sensor is deduced, and the force Jacobian matrix is obtained using screw theory in two cases of the ideal state and the state of flexibility of each flexible joint is considered. The prototype and loading calibration system are designed and developed. The K value method and least squares method are used to process experimental data, and in errors of kind Ι and kind II linearity are obtained. The experimental results show that the calibration error of the K value method is more than 13.4%, and the calibration error of the least squares method is 2.67%. The experimental results prove the feasibility of the sensor and the correctness of the theoretical analysis which are expected to be adopted in practical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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4523 KiB  
Article
Thermal Image Sensing Model for Robotic Planning and Search
by Lídice E. Castro Jiménez and Edgar A. Martínez-García
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1253; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081253 - 08 Aug 2016
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5138
Abstract
This work presents a search planning system for a rolling robot to find a source of infra-red (IR) radiation at an unknown location. Heat emissions are observed by a low-cost home-made IR passive visual sensor. The sensor capability for detection of radiation spectra [...] Read more.
This work presents a search planning system for a rolling robot to find a source of infra-red (IR) radiation at an unknown location. Heat emissions are observed by a low-cost home-made IR passive visual sensor. The sensor capability for detection of radiation spectra was experimentally characterized. The sensor data were modeled by an exponential model to estimate the distance as a function of the IR image’s intensity, and, a polynomial model to estimate temperature as a function of IR intensities. Both theoretical models are combined to deduce a subtle nonlinear exact solution via distance-temperature. A planning system obtains feed back from the IR camera (position, intensity, and temperature) to lead the robot to find the heat source. The planner is a system of nonlinear equations recursively solved by a Newton-based approach to estimate the IR-source in global coordinates. The planning system assists an autonomous navigation control in order to reach the goal and avoid collisions. Trigonometric partial differential equations were established to control the robot’s course towards the heat emission. A sine function produces attractive accelerations toward the IR source. A cosine function produces repulsive accelerations against the obstacles observed by an RGB-D sensor. Simulations and real experiments of complex indoor are presented to illustrate the convenience and efficacy of the proposed approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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6766 KiB  
Article
A Novel Single-Excitation Capacitive Angular Position Sensor Design
by Bo Hou, Bin Zhou, Mingliang Song, Zhihui Lin and Rong Zhang
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081196 - 29 Jul 2016
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 9448
Abstract
This paper presents a high-precision capacitive angular position sensor (CAPS). The CAPS is designed to be excited by a single voltage to eliminate the matching errors of multi-excitations, and it is mainly composed of excitation electrodes, coupling electrodes, petal-form sensitive electrodes and a [...] Read more.
This paper presents a high-precision capacitive angular position sensor (CAPS). The CAPS is designed to be excited by a single voltage to eliminate the matching errors of multi-excitations, and it is mainly composed of excitation electrodes, coupling electrodes, petal-form sensitive electrodes and a set of collection electrodes. A sinusoidal voltage is applied on the excitation electrodes, then the voltage couples to the coupling electrodes and sensitive electrodes without contact. The sensitive electrodes together with the set of collection electrodes encode the angular position to amplitude-modulated signals, and in order to increase the scale factor, the sensitive electrodes are patterned in the shape of petal-form sinusoidal circles. By utilizing a resolver demodulation method, the amplitude-modulated signals are digitally decoded to get the angular position. A prototype of the CAPS is fabricated and tested. The measurement results show that the accuracy of the sensor is 0.0036°, the resolution is 0.0009° and the nonlinearity over the full range is 0.008° (after compensation), indicating that the CAPS has great potential to be applied in high-precision applications with a low cost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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Graphical abstract

3872 KiB  
Article
Applying High-Speed Vision Sensing to an Industrial Robot for High-Performance Position Regulation under Uncertainties
by Shouren Huang, Niklas Bergström, Yuji Yamakawa, Taku Senoo and Masatoshi Ishikawa
Sensors 2016, 16(8), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16081195 - 29 Jul 2016
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6608
Abstract
It is traditionally difficult to implement fast and accurate position regulation on an industrial robot in the presence of uncertainties. The uncertain factors can be attributed either to the industrial robot itself (e.g., a mismatch of dynamics, mechanical defects such as backlash, etc.) [...] Read more.
It is traditionally difficult to implement fast and accurate position regulation on an industrial robot in the presence of uncertainties. The uncertain factors can be attributed either to the industrial robot itself (e.g., a mismatch of dynamics, mechanical defects such as backlash, etc.) or to the external environment (e.g., calibration errors, misalignment or perturbations of a workpiece, etc.). This paper proposes a systematic approach to implement high-performance position regulation under uncertainties on a general industrial robot (referred to as the main robot) with minimal or no manual teaching. The method is based on a coarse-to-fine strategy that involves configuring an add-on module for the main robot’s end effector. The add-on module consists of a 1000 Hz vision sensor and a high-speed actuator to compensate for accumulated uncertainties. The main robot only focuses on fast and coarse motion, with its trajectories automatically planned by image information from a static low-cost camera. Fast and accurate peg-and-hole alignment in one dimension was implemented as an application scenario by using a commercial parallel-link robot and an add-on compensation module with one degree of freedom (DoF). Experimental results yielded an almost 100% success rate for fast peg-in-hole manipulation (with regulation accuracy at about 0.1 mm) when the workpiece was randomly placed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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8888 KiB  
Article
A New Controller for a Smart Walker Based on Human-Robot Formation
by Carlos Valadão, Eliete Caldeira, Teodiano Bastos-Filho, Anselmo Frizera-Neto and Ricardo Carelli
Sensors 2016, 16(7), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071116 - 19 Jul 2016
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 7794
Abstract
This paper presents the development of a smart walker that uses a formation controller in its displacements. Encoders, a laser range finder and ultrasound are the sensors used in the walker. The control actions are based on the user (human) location, who is [...] Read more.
This paper presents the development of a smart walker that uses a formation controller in its displacements. Encoders, a laser range finder and ultrasound are the sensors used in the walker. The control actions are based on the user (human) location, who is the actual formation leader. There is neither a sensor attached to the user’s body nor force sensors attached to the arm supports of the walker, and thus, the control algorithm projects the measurements taken from the laser sensor into the user reference and, then, calculates the linear and angular walker’s velocity to keep the formation (distance and angle) in relation to the user. An algorithm was developed to detect the user’s legs, whose distances from the laser sensor provide the information necessary to the controller. The controller was theoretically analyzed regarding its stability, simulated and validated with real users, showing accurate performance in all experiments. In addition, safety rules are used to check both the user and the device conditions, in order to guarantee that the user will not have any risks when using the smart walker. The applicability of this device is for helping people with lower limb mobility impairments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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635 KiB  
Article
Flexible Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting from Mouse Click Motions
by Youngsu Cha, Jin Hong, Jaemin Lee, Jung-Min Park and Keehoon Kim
Sensors 2016, 16(7), 1045; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071045 - 06 Jul 2016
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 7595
Abstract
In this paper, we study energy harvesting from the mouse click motions of a robot finger and a human index finger using a piezoelectric material. The feasibility of energy harvesting from mouse click motions is experimentally and theoretically assessed. The fingers wear a [...] Read more.
In this paper, we study energy harvesting from the mouse click motions of a robot finger and a human index finger using a piezoelectric material. The feasibility of energy harvesting from mouse click motions is experimentally and theoretically assessed. The fingers wear a glove with a pocket for including the piezoelectric material. We model the energy harvesting system through the inverse kinematic framework of parallel joints in a finger and the electromechanical coupling equations of the piezoelectric material. The model is validated through energy harvesting experiments in the robot and human fingers with the systematically varying load resistance. We find that energy harvesting is maximized at the matched load resistance to the impedance of the piezoelectric material, and the harvested energy level is tens of nJ. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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10872 KiB  
Article
The Integration of the Image Sensor with a 3-DOF Pneumatic Parallel Manipulator
by Hao-Ting Lin and Mao-Hsiung Chiang
Sensors 2016, 16(7), 1026; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071026 - 01 Jul 2016
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5515
Abstract
The study aims to integrate the image sensor for a three-axial pneumatic parallel manipulator which can pick and place objects automatically by the feature information of the image processed through the SURF algorithm. The SURF algorithm is adopted for defining and matching the [...] Read more.
The study aims to integrate the image sensor for a three-axial pneumatic parallel manipulator which can pick and place objects automatically by the feature information of the image processed through the SURF algorithm. The SURF algorithm is adopted for defining and matching the features of a target object and an object database. In order to accurately mark the center of target and strengthen the feature matching results, the random sample and consensus method (RANSAC) is utilized. The ASUS Xtion Pro Live depth camera which can directly estimate the 3-D location of the target point is used in this study. A set of coordinate estimation calibrations is developed for enhancing the accuracy of target location estimation. This study also presents hand gesture recognition exploiting skin detection and noise elimination to determine the active finger count for input signals of the parallel manipulator. The end-effector of the parallel manipulator can be manipulated to the desired poses according to the measured finger count. Finally, the proposed methods are successfully to achieve the feature recognition and pick and place of the target object. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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Graphical abstract

2945 KiB  
Article
The Conceptual Design of a Mechatronic System to Handle Bedridden Elderly Individuals
by Silva Bruno, Machado José, Soares Filomena, Carvalho Vítor, Matos Demétrio and Bezerra Karolina
Sensors 2016, 16(5), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16050725 - 19 May 2016
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5284
Abstract
The ever-growing percentage of elderly people in developed countries have made Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions an important subject to be explored and developed. The increase in geriatric care requests are overburdening specialized institutions that cannot cope with the demand for support. Patients [...] Read more.
The ever-growing percentage of elderly people in developed countries have made Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions an important subject to be explored and developed. The increase in geriatric care requests are overburdening specialized institutions that cannot cope with the demand for support. Patients are forced to have to remain at their homes encumbering the spouse or close family members with the caregiver role. This caregiver is not always physically and technically apt to assist the bedridden person with his/her meals and hygiene/bath routine. Consequently, a solution to assist caregivers in these tasks is of the utmost importance. This paper presents an approach for supporting caregivers when moving and repositioning Bedridden Elderly Peoples (BEPs) in home settings by means of a mechatronic system inspired by industrial conveyers. The proposed solution is able to insert itself underneath the patient, due to its low-profile structural properties, and retrieve and reallocate him/her. Ideally, the proposed mechatronic system aims to promote autonomy by reducing handling complexity, alter the role of the caregiver from physically handler of the BEP to an operator/supervisor role, and lessen the amount of effort expended by caregivers and BEPs alike. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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Review

Jump to: Research

1694 KiB  
Review
Methods and Research for Multi-Component Cutting Force Sensing Devices and Approaches in Machining
by Qiaokang Liang, Dan Zhang, Wanneng Wu and Kunlin Zou
Sensors 2016, 16(11), 1926; https://doi.org/10.3390/s16111926 - 16 Nov 2016
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 8647
Abstract
Multi-component cutting force sensing systems in manufacturing processes applied to cutting tools are gradually becoming the most significant monitoring indicator. Their signals have been extensively applied to evaluate the machinability of workpiece materials, predict cutter breakage, estimate cutting tool wear, control machine tool [...] Read more.
Multi-component cutting force sensing systems in manufacturing processes applied to cutting tools are gradually becoming the most significant monitoring indicator. Their signals have been extensively applied to evaluate the machinability of workpiece materials, predict cutter breakage, estimate cutting tool wear, control machine tool chatter, determine stable machining parameters, and improve surface finish. Robust and effective sensing systems with capability of monitoring the cutting force in machine operations in real time are crucial for realizing the full potential of cutting capabilities of computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools. The main objective of this paper is to present a brief review of the existing achievements in the field of multi-component cutting force sensing systems in modern manufacturing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics Devices)
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