scholarly journals Untethered and ultrafast soft-bodied robots

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Wang ◽  
Guoyong Mao ◽  
Jin Ge ◽  
Michael Drack ◽  
Gilbert Santiago Cañón Bermúdez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomedical Applications ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
Strongly Nonlinear ◽  
Specific Energy Density

Abstract Acting at high speed enables creatures to survive in their harsh natural environments. They developed strategies for fast actuation that inspire technological embodiments like soft robots. Here, we demonstrate a series of simulation-guided lightweight, durable, untethered, small-scale soft-bodied robots that perform large-degree deformations at high frequencies up to 100 Hz, are driven at very low magnetic fields down to 0.5 mT and exhibit a specific energy density of 10.8 kJ m−3 mT−1. Unforeseen asynchronous strongly nonlinear cross-clapping behavior of our robots is observed in experiments and analyzed by simulation, breaking ground for future designs of soft-bodied robots. Our robots walk, swim, levitate, transport cargo, squeeze into a vessel smaller than their dimensions and can momentarily close around a living fly. Such ultrafast soft robots can rapidly adapt to varying environmental conditions, inspire biomedical applications in confined environments, and serve as model systems to develop complex movements inspired by nature.

scholarly journals Task space adaptation via the learning of gait controllers of magnetic soft millirobots

2021 ◽  
pp. 027836492110218
Author(s):  
Sinan O. Demir ◽  
Utku Culha ◽  
Alp C. Karacakol ◽  
Abdon Pena-Francesch ◽  
Sebastian Trimpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Bayesian Optimization ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Modeling And Control ◽  
Walking Gait ◽  
Physical Experiments ◽  
Efficient Learning ◽  
Task Environments

Untethered small-scale soft robots have promising applications in minimally invasive surgery, targeted drug delivery, and bioengineering applications as they can directly and non-invasively access confined and hard-to-reach spaces in the human body. For such potential biomedical applications, the adaptivity of the robot control is essential to ensure the continuity of the operations, as task environment conditions show dynamic variations that can alter the robot’s motion and task performance. The applicability of the conventional modeling and control methods is further limited for soft robots at the small-scale owing to their kinematics with virtually infinite degrees of freedom, inherent stochastic variability during fabrication, and changing dynamics during real-world interactions. To address the controller adaptation challenge to dynamically changing task environments, we propose using a probabilistic learning approach for a millimeter-scale magnetic walking soft robot using Bayesian optimization (BO) and Gaussian processes (GPs). Our approach provides a data-efficient learning scheme by finding the gait controller parameters while optimizing the stride length of the walking soft millirobot using a small number of physical experiments. To demonstrate the controller adaptation, we test the walking gait of the robot in task environments with different surface adhesion and roughness, and medium viscosity, which aims to represent the possible conditions for future robotic tasks inside the human body. We further utilize the transfer of the learned GP parameters among different task spaces and robots and compare their efficacy on the improvement of data-efficient controller learning.

Design, manufacturing and applications of small-scale magnetic soft robots

2021 ◽  
pp. 101268
Author(s):  
Mehdi Eshaghi ◽  
Mohsen Ghasemi ◽  
Korosh Khorshidi
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Soft Robots

scholarly journals Fully Automated Cultivation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in the StemCellDiscovery—A Robotic Laboratory for Small-Scale, High-Throughput Cell Production Including Deep Learning-Based Confluence Estimation

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 575
Author(s):  
Jelena Ochs ◽  
Ferdinand Biermann ◽  
Tobias Piotrowski ◽  
Frederik Erkens ◽  
Bastian Nießing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
High Throughput ◽  
High Speed ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
System Capacity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Production Environment

Laboratory automation is a key driver in biotechnology and an enabler for powerful new technologies and applications. In particular, in the field of personalized therapies, automation in research and production is a prerequisite for achieving cost efficiency and broad availability of tailored treatments. For this reason, we present the StemCellDiscovery, a fully automated robotic laboratory for the cultivation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in small scale and in parallel. While the system can handle different kinds of adherent cells, here, we focus on the cultivation of adipose-derived hMSCs. The StemCellDiscovery provides an in-line visual quality control for automated confluence estimation, which is realized by combining high-speed microscopy with deep learning-based image processing. We demonstrate the feasibility of the algorithm to detect hMSCs in culture at different densities and calculate confluences based on the resulting image. Furthermore, we show that the StemCellDiscovery is capable of expanding adipose-derived hMSCs in a fully automated manner using the confluence estimation algorithm. In order to estimate the system capacity under high-throughput conditions, we modeled the production environment in a simulation software. The simulations of the production process indicate that the robotic laboratory is capable of handling more than 95 cell culture plates per day.

scholarly journals Detonation effects of shallow buried explosive in sandy soil on target plate acceleration in a small-scale blast test

2018 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 02028
Author(s):  
Hassan Zulkifli Abu ◽  
Ibrahim Aniza ◽  
Mohamad Nor Norazman
Keyword(s):  
Sandy Soil ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Time History ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Target Plate ◽  
Air Blast ◽  
High Speed Video Camera ◽  
The Impact

Small-scale blast tests were carried out to observe and measure the influence of sandy soil towards explosive blast intensity. The tests were to simulate blast impact imparted by anti-vehicular landmine to a lightweight armoured vehicle (LAV). Time of occurrence of the three phases of detonation phase in soil with respect to upward translation time of the test apparatus were recorded using high-speed video camera. At the same time the target plate acceleration was measured using shock accelerometer. It was observed that target plate deformation took place at early stage of the detonation phase before the apparatus moved vertically upwards. Previous data of acceleration-time history and velocity-time history from air blast detonation were compared. It was observed that effects of soil funnelling on blast wave together with the impact from soil ejecta may have contributed to higher blast intensity that characterized detonation in soil, where detonation in soil demonstrated higher plate velocity compared to what occurred in air blast detonation.

Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulation of hydrofoil effects on hydrodynamic coefficients of a catamaran in forced oscillation

2016 ◽  
Vol 231 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-383
Author(s):  
Amin Najafi ◽  
Mohammad Saeed Seif
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Hydrodynamic Coefficients ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
Frequency Independent ◽  
Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes

Determination of high-speed crafts’ hydrodynamic coefficients will help to analyze the dynamics of these kinds of vessels and the factors affecting their dynamic stabilities. Also, it can be useful and effective in controlling the vessel instabilities. The main purpose of this study is to determine the coefficients of longitudinal motions of a planing catamaran with and without a hydrofoil using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes method to evaluate the foil effects on them. Determination of hydrodynamic coefficients by experimental approach is costly and requires meticulous laboratory equipment; therefore, utilizing the numerical methods and developing a virtual laboratory seem highly efficient. In this study, the numerical results for hydrodynamic coefficients of a high-speed craft are verified against Troesch’s experimental results. In the following, after determination of hydrodynamic coefficients of a planing catamaran with and without foil, the foil effects on its hydrodynamic coefficients are evaluated. The results indicate that most of the coefficients are frequency-independent especially at high frequencies.

scholarly journals Monitoring and Modeling Railway Structures on High-Speed Lines with Asphalt Concrete Underlay: A Study on the Bretagne–Pays de la Loire Line

2020 ◽  
Vol 2674 (12) ◽  
pp. 600-607
Author(s):  
Diana Khairallah ◽  
Olivier Chupin ◽  
Juliette Blanc ◽  
Pierre Hornych ◽  
Jean-Michel Piau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Asphalt Concrete ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Strain Gages ◽  
Railway Transportation ◽  
Dynamic Stresses ◽  
High Speed Railway ◽  
High Frequencies ◽  
High Acceleration ◽  
High Speed Trains

The design and durability of high-speed railway lines is a major challenge in the field of railway transportation. In France, 40 years of feedback on the field behavior of ballasted tracks led to improvements in the design rules. However, the settlement and wear of ballast, caused by dynamic stresses at high frequencies, remains a major problem on high-speed tracks leading to high maintenance costs. Studies have shown that this settlement is linked to the high acceleration produced in the ballast layer by high-speed trains traveling on the track, disrupting the granular assembly. The “Bretagne–Pays de la Loire” high-speed line (BPL HSL), with its varied subgrade conditions, represents the first large-scale application of asphalt concrete (GB) as the ballast sublayer. This line includes 77 km of conventional track with a granular sublayer of unbound granular material (UGM) and 105 km of track with an asphalt concrete sublayer under the ballast. During construction, instruments such as accelerometers, anchored deflection sensors, and strain gages, among others, were installed on four sections of the track. This paper examines the instrumentation as well as the acquisition system installed on the track. The data processing is explained first, followed by a presentation of the ViscoRail software, developed for modeling railway tracks. The bituminous section’s behavior and response is modeled using a multilayer dynamic response model, implemented in the ViscoRail software. A good match between experimental and calculated results is highlighted.

Abstract 371: Down Regulation of ECM Genes Laminin and Collagen IV Lead to Preserved Cardiac Function With Age and Increased Lifespan in Drosophila

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayla O Sessions
Keyword(s):  
Diastolic Dysfunction ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Collagen Iv ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Heart Tube ◽  
Ecm Remodeling ◽  
Intercalated Discs ◽  
And Performance

Increased deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) is observed in all advanced age heart failure patients, but current model systems are complex and slow to age. To investigate the effect of extracellular remodeling on mechanical function in genetically tractable, rapidly aging, and simple model organisms, we employed Drosophila melanogaster, which has a simple trilayered heart tube. We found that two common wildtype strains of Drosophila, i.e. yellow-white (yw) and white-1118 (w1118), exhibit different cytoskeletal and ECM remodeling with age. Using a recently developed nanoindentation method to measure cardiomyocyte stiffness and high speed optical imaging to assess contractility of intact Drosophila hearts, we found that yw flies had stiffer intercalated discs (ICD) and exhibited diastolic dysfunction with age. On the other hand, w1118 flies had a shorter lifespan compared to yw, did not exhibit ICD stiffening, had a less severe diastolic dysfunction, and showed an increase in ECM layer thickness between ventral muscle (VM) and cardiomyocyte (CM) layers of the heart tube. To modulate ECM and assess its effect in the aged w1118 flies, we knocked-down ECM genes LamininA and Viking (homologous to Collagen IV). Both ECM KD genotypes exhibited diastolic dilation with increased fractional shortening at adult (1wk) and aged (5wk) time points. The LamininA KD resulted in decreased cardiomyocyte stiffness correlating with increased relaxation velocities in adult flies and preservation of shortening and relaxation velocities in aged flies over controls. However, both the LamininA and Collagen IV KD flies experienced a basal increase in the decoupling of their cardiomyocytes as determined by heart period variance and % fibrillar heart-beats. These conductance issues were not enough to counteract the increased cardiac output and performance with age, and the Collagen IV KD outlived controls by 1.5 weeks median survival and the LamininA KD by 3 weeks. This suggests that the cell-ECM contacts in the basement membrane are intimately tied not only to the coupling of the cardiomyocytes of the Drosophila heart tube but also to cytoskeletal remodeling, but perhaps different ECM proteins have different mechanisms for interacting with the cardiomyocyte cytoskeleton.

Fluttering Amplitude Amplification by Utilizing Flapping Moment in Flutter-Driven Triboelectric Nanogenerator

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Ka Chung Chan ◽  
Sau Chung Fu ◽  
Christopher Yu Hang Chao
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Aerodynamic Force ◽  
Short Circuit ◽  
Short Circuit Current ◽  
Open Circuit ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Triboelectric Nanogenerator ◽  
Peak Value

Abstract Flutter-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (FTENG) is one of the most promising methods to harvest small-scale wind energy. Wind causes self-fluttering motion of a flag in the FTENG to generate electricity by contact electrification. A lot of studies have been conducted to enhance the energy output by increasing the surface charge density of the flag, but only a few researches tried to increase the converting efficiency by enlarging the flapping motion. In this study, we show that by simply replacing the rigid flagpole in the FTENG with a flexible flagpole, the energy conversion efficiency is augmented and the energy output is enhanced. It is found that when the flag flutters, the flagpole also undergoes aerodynamic force. The lift force generated from the fluttering flag applies a periodic rotational moment on the flagpole, and causes the flagpole to vibrate. The vibration of the flagpole, in turn amplifies the flutter of the flag. Both the fluttering dynamics of the flags with rigid and flexible flagpoles have been recorded by a high-speed camera. When the flag was held by a flexible flagpole, the fluttering amplitude and the contact area between the flag and electrode plates were increased. The energy enhancement increased as the flow velocity increased and the enhancement can be 113 times when the wind velocity is 10 m/s. The thickness of the flagpole was investigated. An optimal output of open-circuit voltage reaching 1128 V (peak-to-peak value) or 312.40 V (RMS value), and short-circuit current reaching 127.67 μA (peak-to-peak value) or 31.99 μA (RMS value) at 12.21 m/s flow velocity was achieved. This research presents a simple design to enhance the output performance of an FTENG by amplifying the fluttering amplitude. Based on the performance obtained in this study, the improved FTENG has the potential to apply in a smart city for driving electronic devices as a power source for IoT applications.

Tribological Characterization of Machining at Very Small Contact Areas

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Lovell ◽  
P. Cohen ◽  
Pradeep L. Menezes ◽  
R. Shankar
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Friction Mechanisms ◽  
High Speed Steel ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Machining Processes ◽  
Macroscopic Theory ◽  
Contact Areas ◽  
Tribological Characterization ◽  
Physical Phenomena

When machining miniaturized components, the contact conditions between the tool and the workpiece exhibit very small contact areas that are on the order of 10−5 mm2. Under these conditions, extremely high contact stresses are generated, and it is not clear whether macroscopic theories for the chip formation, cutting forces, and friction mechanisms are applicable. For this reason, the present investigation has focused on creating a basic understanding of the frictional behavior in very small scale machining processes so that evaluations of standard macroscale models could be performed. Specialized machining experiments were conducted on 70/30 brass materials using high-speed steel tools over a range of speeds, feeds, depths of cut, and tool rake angles. At each operating condition studied, the friction coefficient and the shear factor τk were obtained. Based on the experimental results, it was determined that the standard macroscopic theory for analyzing detailed friction mechanisms was insufficient in very small scale machining processes. An approach that utilized the shear factor, in contrast, was found to be better for decoupling the physical phenomena involved. Utilizing the shear factor as an analysis parameter, the parameters that significantly influence the friction in microscale machining processes were ascertained and discussed.

scholarly journals Thin Gas Film Isothermal Condensation in Aerodynamic Bearings

2019 ◽  
Vol 141 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliott Guenat ◽  
Jürg Schiffmann
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Saturation Pressure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Fluid Film ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vapor Compression ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
Film Pressure

Abstract High-speed small-scale turbomachinery for waste heat recovery and vapor compression cycles is typically supported on gas-lubricated bearings operating close to the saturation conditions of the lubricant. Under particular conditions, the gas film might locally reach the saturation pressure with potentially hazardous effects on the performance of the gas bearing. The present work introduces a model based on the Reynolds equation and the development of cavitation modeling in liquid-lubricated bearings for condensing gas bearings. The effect of condensation on load capacity and pressure and density profiles is investigated for two one-dimensional bearing geometries (parabolic and Rayleigh step) and varying operating conditions. The results suggest that the load capacity is generally negatively affected if condensation occurs. An experimental setup consisting of a Rayleigh-step gas journal bearing with pressure taps to measure the local fluid film pressure is presented and operated in R245fa in near-saturated conditions. The comparison between the evolution of the fluid film pressure under perfect gas and near saturation conditions clearly suggests the occurrence of condensation in the fluid film. These results are corroborated by the very good agreement with the model prediction.

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