Design of a Low Cost 3D Printable Single-Component Compliant Mechanism for FWMAV’s Wing Actuation

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-49
Author(s):  
Giovanni Carollo ◽  
Tommaso Ingrassia ◽  
Antonio Pantano
Keyword(s):  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Single Component

Design of a low-cost nano-manipulator which utilizes a monolithic, spatial compliant mechanism

2004 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 469-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin L. Culpepper ◽  
Gordon Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost

An Assessment of Fused Deposition Modeling for the Manufacturing of Flexural Pivots in an Anthropomorphic Robotic Hand Design

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Hill ◽  
Stephen Canfield
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Fused Deposition Modeling ◽  
Compliant Mechanisms ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
High Mobility ◽  
Robotic Hand ◽  
Fused Deposition ◽  
Compliant Joints ◽  
Deposition Modeling

There is a significant rise in the design of robots performing ever-more complicated tasks. This has motivated more-anthropomorphic grasping hands for these robots. These hands or grippers are complex machines requiring numerous joints to provide high mobility within a relatively small device. Compliant mechanisms and grippers based on compliant joints provide a viable approach to design improved grippers. The use of compliant joints in the design of a hand yields a number of features that can potentially benefit the design; it allows for more lifelike mobility and can eliminate the need for traditional bearings that yield high contact stresses. This allows for much more variety in material choices. The freedom of choosing from a wider range of materials provides many benefits. For example, plastics can provide softer finger members, improved gripping characteristics and components that are less stiff, making them inherently safer for systems that operate in proximity to people. They can provide the flexibility to more naturally conform to the contour of a particular object when grasping it and reduce the necessary gripping forces to achieve reliable operation. Additionally, a solid-state design compliant mechanism design allows more freedom in designing mechanisms that will be constructed for high mobility and operating in a small space. This approach is further enhanced by the increased availability of additive manufacturing tools that enables ready implementation of compliant mechanism designs with almost any topology. This paper will examine the application additive manufacturing tools to create an anthropomorphic gripper based on compliant mechanism components. The primary contribution of this paper is the empirical evaluation of a set of compliant joints for use as the fingers in an anthropomorphic robotic hand produced using additive manufacturing. Three compliant joints will be considered: the simple straight-axis flexural pivot, cross-axis flexural pivot, and leaf-type isosceles-trapezoidal flexural pivot. Each joint type has demonstrated characteristics that may be suitable for fingers in gripping mechanism and are readily suited to be manufactured using low-cost fused deposition modeling techniques that allow for quick and low-cost production. Further, three materials are evaluated for application as the build material of each compliant joint individually and as a complete solid-state anthropomorphic gripper. These materials are: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Nylon 6, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). Each joint and each material option is compared on the basis of their feasibility for rapid prototyping and suitability for substitution of the interphalangeal joints of the human hand. Deflection tests and finite element analysis are used to gather the empirical data for comparison. An evaluation of the tests is provided to determine which compliant joints are well suited for this application. The paper will also consider the as-built material characteristics relative to their application as gripper elements and will compare and contrast the suitability and any impact on the empirical testing and design. This work will provide information on the combination of joint topology, material and manufacturing processes and can be used to inform the design of soft or highly compliant mechanisms.

Towards the Development of a Low-Cost Minimally Invasive Highly Articulated MRI-Compatible Neurosurgical Robot

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagar Chowdhury ◽  
Jaydev P. Desai ◽  
Mahamadou Diakite ◽  
Taehoon Shin ◽  
Rao P. Gullapalli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injection Molding ◽  
Health Care Cost ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Surgical Robots ◽  
Minimal Damage ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
Plastic Parts ◽  
Neurosurgical Robot

Treatment for deeply seated brain tumors requires developing articulated surgical robots that are capable of navigating through narrow spaces with minimal damage to the surrounding tissues. These robots need to be low-cost to make them patient-specific as well as to reduce the health-care cost. This in turn requires lowering the manufacturing costs of the robots so that robots can be discarded after the surgical procedure. Injection molding is a mass manufacturing process for making low-cost plastic parts. We have developed a four degree-of-freedom surgical robot with multiple joints that can be manufactured using injection molding. We have designed a novel compliant mechanism to provide multiple articulated joints. The robot is currently actuated with servo motors located outside the robot that drive the joints using passive cables. Cables are routed through the robot to reduce the cross coupling between the joints and enable independent joint actuation. By detaching the actuation from the robot structure, we have made the robot suitable for operating under continuous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

scholarly journals Origami-like creases in sheet materials for compliant mechanism design

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. C. Francis ◽  
J. E. Blanch ◽  
S. P. Magleby ◽  
L. L. Howell
Keyword(s):  
Mechanism Design ◽  
Compliant Mechanisms ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Homogeneous Material ◽  
Paper Sheet ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Indirect Methods ◽  
Sheet Materials ◽  
Compliant Mechanism Design

Abstract. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the creasing of non-paper sheet materials, such as plastics and metals, to facilitate origami-based compliant mechanism design. Although it is anticipated that most origami-based design will result from surrogate folds (indirect methods of replacing the crease), it is valuable to provide information that may help in more direct approaches for origami-based design in materials other than paper. Planar sheets of homogeneous material are considered as they maintain the principles fundamental to origami (flat initial state, low cost, readily available). The reduced stiffness along the axis of the crease is an enabling characteristic of origami. Hence a metric based on the deformation of the crease compared to the deformation of the panels enables engineering materials to be evaluated based on their ability to achieve the "hinge-like" behavior observed in folded paper. Advantages of both high and low values of this metric are given. Testing results (hinge indexes, residual angles, localized hinge behavior and cyclic creasing to failure) are presented for various metals and polymers. This methodology and subsequent findings are provided to enable origami-based design of compliant mechanisms.

scholarly journals Fully Polymeric Domes as High-Stroke Biasing System for Soft Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Neu ◽  
Jonas Hubertus ◽  
Sipontina Croce ◽  
Günter Schultes ◽  
Stefan Seelecke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Dielectric Elastomer Actuators ◽  
Compliance Requirements ◽  
Actuator Design ◽  
Force Displacement ◽  
Robotic Applications

The availability of compliant actuators is essential for the development of soft robotic systems. Dielectric elastomers (DEs) represent a class of smart actuators which has gained a significant popularity in soft robotics, due to their unique mix of large deformation (>100%), lightweight, fast response, and low cost. A DE consists of a thin elastomer membrane coated with flexible electrodes on both sides. When a high voltage is applied to the electrodes, the membrane undergoes a controllable mechanical deformation. In order to produce a significant actuation stroke, a DE membrane must be coupled with a mechanical biasing system. Commonly used spring-like bias elements, however, are generally made of rigid materials such as steel, and thus they do not meet the compliance requirements of soft robotic applications. To overcome this issue, in this paper we propose a novel type of compliant mechanism as biasing elements for DE actuators, namely a three-dimensional polymeric dome. When properly designed, such types of mechanisms exhibit a region of negative stiffness in their force-displacement behavior. This feature, in combination with the intrinsic softness of the polymeric material, ensures large actuation strokes as well as compliance compatibility with soft robots. After presenting the novel biasing concept, the overall soft actuator design, manufacturing, and assembly are discussed. Finally, experimental characterization is conducted, and the suitability for soft robotic applications is assessed.

A Compliant Mechanism Design for Refreshable Braille Display Using Shape Memory Alloy

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pulkit Sapra ◽  
Ankit Kumar Parsurampuria ◽  
Dhruv Gupta ◽  
Suman Muralikrishnan ◽  
Mayank Raj ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shape Memory Alloy ◽  
Shape Memory ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Heat Accumulation ◽  
Refresh Rate ◽  
Visually Impaired People ◽  
High Power Consumption ◽  
Braille Literacy ◽  
Braille Display

Refreshable Braille Display (RBD) is a device that enables people with visual imparity to read digital text through tactile interface. Braille literacy is essential for empowerment of visually impaired people and offers several advantages over auditory aids. Commercially available RBDs have not been able to penetrate the market due to their high cost. Shape memory alloy (SMA) based Braille display is a low cost alternative but faces the challenge of high power consumption, heat accumulation and low refresh rate. This paper discusses the design, analysis and experimental validation of a cantilever based compliant mechanism for SMA based RBD to solve these issues.

Dynamics, Vibrations and Control Lab Equipment Design

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayse Tekes ◽  
Kevin Van Der Horn ◽  
Zach Marr ◽  
Chong Tian
Keyword(s):  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Equations Of Motion ◽  
Forced Response ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Free Response ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Flexible Beams ◽  
Simulink Model

Take home lab equipment and hands-on learning tools are still in demand for control theory and vibrations courses. The existing equipment are extremely expensive and require wide lab space. The aim of this research is to build vibratory mechanical system that is compact, modular and small scale so that each student can work on their setup and take it home if necessary. For this purpose, in this study, a semi-compliant mechanism is designed to be utilized in systems control and vibrations courses which would enhance the understanding of students by using experimental demonstration of the theoretical systems. The superiorities of the design over commercially available equipment are their low cost and simplicity. A parallel arm mechanism consisting of several flexible links that can be attached at different points on the slider is designed, finite element analysis (FEA) is performed in Solidworks, and the flexible beams are 3D printed using polyactic acid (PLA) and Polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG) filaments. Different configurations of the mechanism are explored by changing the number of flexible beams attached to the slider. The mathematical model of the proposed mechanism can be represented by a single mass and multiple springs in parallel. Since mass is a known property, the equivalent stiffness can be experimentally found from the frequency analysis of free response. For this purpose, a PCB model tri-axial accelerometer is attached to the slider and the equations of motion are derived from the analysis of frequency characteristics of the complaint dual arm mechanism for each configuration. System properties including the equivalent friction are obtained from the acceleration vs time data using logarithmic decrement. The forced response is studied by attaching a load to the mass through a pulley system. The load deflection curve is obtained experimentally from LabVIEW. Since the system parameters are obtained from the free response, Matlab Simulink model outputs for the same initial displacement and force input are verified with the experimental data.

scholarly journals Uptake of Metals from Single and Multi-Component Systems by Spirulina Platensis Biomass

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inga Zinicovscaia ◽  
Alexey Safonov ◽  
Varvara Tregubova ◽  
Victor Ilin ◽  
Liliana Cepoi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metal Binding ◽  
Spirulina Platensis ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Metal Removal ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Single Component ◽  
Component System ◽  
Component Systems ◽  
Vanadium Accumulation ◽  
Multi Component System

Abstract Spirulina platensis biomass is widely applied for different technological purposes. The process of lanthanum, chromium, uranium and vanadium accumulation and biosorption by Spirulina platensis biomass from single- and multi-component systems was studied. The influence of multi-component system on the spirulina biomass growth was less pronounced in comparison with the single-component ones. To trace the uptake of metals by spirulina biomass the neutron activation analysis was used. In the experiment on the accumulation the efficiency of studied metal uptake changes in the following order: La(V) > Cr(III) > U(VI) > V(V) (single-metal solutions) and Cr(III) > La(V) > V(V) > U(VI) (multi-metal system). The process of metals biosorption was studied during a two-hour experiment. The highest rate of metal adsorption for single-component systems was observed for lanthanum and chromium. While for the multi-component system the significant increase of vanadium and chromium content in biomass was observed. In biosorption experiments the rate of biosorption and the Kd value were calculated for each metal. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify functional groups responsible for metal binding. The results of the present work show that spirulina biomass can be implemented as a low-cost sorbent for metal removal from industrial wastewater.

Experimental Validation of an Elastically Averaged Binary Manipulator for MRI-Guided Prostate Cancer Interventions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Proulx ◽  
Genevie`ve Miron ◽  
Alexandre Girard ◽  
Jean-Se´bastien Plante
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Compliant Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Parallel Architecture ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Needle Insertion ◽  
Average Accuracy ◽  
Mri Guided ◽  
Point To Point ◽  
Uncalibrated Model

Polymer-based binary robots and mechatronics devices can lead to simple, robust, and cost effective solutions for Magnetic Resonnace Image-guided (MRI) medical procedures. A binary manipulator using 12 elastically averaged air muscles has been proposed for MRI-guided biopsies and brachytherapies procedures used for prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment. In this design, radially-distributed air muscles position a needle guide relatively to the MRI table. The system constitutes an active compliant mechanism where the compliance relieves the over-constraint imposed by the redundant parallel architecture. This paper presents experimental results for repeatability, accuracy, and stiffness of a fully functional manipulator prototype. Results show an experimental repeatability of 0.1 mm for point-to-point manipulation on a workspace diameter of 80 mm. Manipulator average accuracy is 4.7 mm when based on the nominal (uncalibrated) model and improves to 2.1 mm when using a calibrated model. The estimated stiffness at the end-effector is ∼0.95 N/mm and is sufficient to withstand the needle insertion forces without major deflection. Needle trajectories during state change appear to be primarily driven by the system’s elastic energy gradient. The study shows the manipulator prototype to meet its design criteria and to have the potential of becoming an effective and low-cost manipulator for MRI-guided prostate cancer treatment.

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