Growing and Evolving Soft Robots

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Rieffel ◽  
Davis Knox ◽  
Schuyler Smith ◽  
Barry Trimmer
Keyword(s):  
Material Properties ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Seed Structure ◽  
Soft Body ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Body Shapes ◽  
And Control ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Degree Of Coupling

Completely soft and flexible robots offer to revolutionize fields ranging from search and rescue to endoscopic surgery. One of the outstanding challenges in this burgeoning field is the chicken-and-egg problem of body-brain design: Development of locomotion requires the preexistence of a locomotion-capable body, and development of a location-capable body requires the preexistence of a locomotive gait. This problem is compounded by the high degree of coupling between the material properties of a soft body (such as stiffness or damping coefficients) and the effectiveness of a gait. This article synthesizes four years of research into soft robotics, in particular describing three approaches to the co-discovery of soft robot morphology and control. In the first, muscle placement and firing patterns are coevolved for a fixed body shape with fixed material properties. In the second, the material properties of a simulated soft body coevolve alongside locomotive gaits, with body shape and muscle placement fixed. In the third, a developmental encoding is used to scalably grow elaborate soft body shapes from a small seed structure. Considerations of the simulation time and the challenges of physically implementing soft robots in the real world are discussed.

scholarly journals SmartFit: Smartphone Application for Garment Fit Detection

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Kamrul H. Foysal ◽  
Hyo Jung Chang ◽  
Francine Bruess ◽  
Jo Woon Chong
Keyword(s):  
Body Shape ◽  
Online Shopping ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Shape Detection ◽  
Time Saving ◽  
Apparel Shopping ◽  
Promising Solution ◽  
Clothing Fit ◽  
Body Shapes ◽  
Garment Fit

The apparel e-commerce industry is growing day by day. In recent times, consumers are particularly interested in an easy and time-saving way of online apparel shopping. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated more need for an effective and convenient online shopping solution for consumers. However, online shopping, particularly online apparel shopping, has several challenges for consumers. These issues include sizing, fit, return, and cost concerns. Especially, the fit issue is one of the cardinal factors causing hesitance and drawback in online apparel purchases. The conventional method of clothing fit detection based on body shapes relies upon manual body measurements. Since no convenient and easy-to-use method has been proposed for body shape detection, we propose an interactive smartphone application, “SmartFit”, that will provide the optimal fitting clothing recommendation to the consumer by detecting their body shape. This optimal recommendation is provided by using image processing and machine learning that are solely dependent on smartphone images. Our preliminary assessment of the developed model shows an accuracy of 87.50% for body shape detection, producing a promising solution to the fit detection problem persisting in the digital apparel market.

Design and Control of Soft Robots Using Differentiable Simulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Bächer ◽  
Espen Knoop ◽  
Christian Schumacher
Keyword(s):  
Soft Robots ◽  
And Control

Design, Development, and Control of a Fabric-Based Soft Ankle Module to Mimic Human Ankle Stiffness

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunny Amatya ◽  
Amir Salimi Lafmejani ◽  
Souvik Poddar ◽  
Saivimal Sridar ◽  
Thomas Sugar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Development ◽  
Ankle Stiffness ◽  
Human Ankle ◽  
And Control

scholarly journals Measurement and Process Control in Precision Hot Embossing

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maia R. Bageant ◽  
David E. Hardt
Keyword(s):  
Process Control ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Disturbance Rejection ◽  
Closed Loop ◽  
Hot Embossing ◽  
Commercial Production ◽  
Bulk Deformation ◽  
Functional Tests ◽  
Medical Field ◽  
High Degree

Microfluidic technologies hold a great deal of promise in advancing the medical field, but transitioning them from research to commercial production has proven problematic. We propose precision hot embossing as a process to produce high volumes of devices with low capital cost and a high degree of flexibility. Hot embossing has not been widely applied to precision forming of hard polymers at viable production rates. To this end we have developed experimental equipment capable of maintaining the necessary precision in forming parameters while minimizing cycle time. In addition, since equipment precision alone does not guarantee consistent product quality, our work also focuses on real-time sensing and diagnosis of the process. This paper covers both the basic details for a novel embossing machine, and the utilization of the force and displacement data acquired during the embossing cycle to diagnose the state of the material and process. The precision necessary in both the forming machine and the instrumentation will be covered in detail. It will be shown that variation in the material properties (e.g. thickness, glass transition temperature) as well as the degree of bulk deformation of the substrate can be detected from these measurements. If these data are correlated with subsequent downstream functional tests, a total measure of quality may be determined and used to apply closed-loop cycle-to-cycle control to the entire process. By incorporating automation and specialized precision equipment into a tabletop “microfactory” setting, we aim to demonstrate a high degree of process control and disturbance rejection for the process of hot embossing as applied at the micron scale.

scholarly journals Effects Of Combinations Of Patternmaking Methods And Dress Forms On Garment Appearance

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chinami Fujii ◽  
Masayuki Takatera ◽  
KyoungOk Kim
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Evaluation ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Front Side ◽  
Calculation Methods ◽  
Ideal Body ◽  
Sensory Evaluations ◽  
Body Shapes ◽  
Made In ◽  
The Ideal

AbstractWe investigated the effects of the combinations of patternmaking methods and dress forms on the appearance of a garment. Six upper garments were made using three patternmaking methods used in France, Italy, and Japan, and two dress forms made in Japan and France. The patterns and the appearances of the garments were compared using geometrical measurements. Sensory evaluations of the differences in garment appearance and fit on each dress form were also carried out. In the patterns, the positions of bust and waist darts were different. The waist dart length, bust dart length, and positions of the bust top were different depending on the patternmaking method, even when the same dress form was used. This was a result of differences in the measurements used and the calculation methods employed for other dimensions. This was because the ideal body shape was different for each patternmaking method. Even for garments produced for the same dress form, the appearances of the shoulder, bust, and waist from the front, side, and back views were different depending on the patternmaking method. As a result of the sensory evaluation, it was also found that the bust and waist shapes of the garments were different depending on the combination of patternmaking method and dress form. Therefore, to obtain a garment with better appearance, it is necessary to understand the effects of the combinations of patternmaking methods and body shapes.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Greenhouse Humidity Prediction and Control Models Using Fuzzy Inference Systems

2022 ◽  
Vol 2022 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Sebastian-Camilo Vanegas-Ayala ◽  
Julio Barón-Velandia ◽  
Daniel-David Leal-Lara
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Control ◽  
Fuzzy Inference ◽  
Fuzzy Inference Systems ◽  
Clustering Techniques ◽  
Control Models ◽  
Environment Variables ◽  
Prediction And Control ◽  
Inference Systems ◽  
And Control ◽  
High Degree

Cultivating in greenhouses constitutes a fundamental tool for the development of high-quality crops with a high degree of profitability. Prediction and control models guarantee the correct management of environment variables, for which fuzzy inference systems have been successfully implemented. The purpose of this review is determining the various relationships in fuzzy inference systems currently used for the modelling, prediction, and control of humidity in greenhouses and how they have changed over time to be able to develop more robust and easier to understand models. The methodology follows the PRISMA work guide. A total of 93 investigations in 4 academic databases were reviewed; their bibliometric aspects, which contribute to the objective of the investigation, were extracted and analysed. It was finally concluded that the development of models based in Mamdani fuzzy inference systems, integrated with optimization and fuzzy clustering techniques, and following strategies such as model-based predictive control guarantee high levels of precision and interpretability.

Body shapes and apparel fit for overweight and obese women in the US: the implications of current sizing system

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eonyou Shin ◽  
Elahe Saeidi
Keyword(s):  
Body Shape ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Body Measurements ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Us ◽  
Sizing System ◽  
Body Shapes ◽  
Apparel Fit

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to categorize the whole body shapes of overweight and obese females in the US and examine apparel fit based on the current ASTM sizing standards related to the body shapes categorized.Design/methodology/approachBody scan data from 2,672 subjects were used. To categorize their whole body shapes using 97 body measurements, principal component analysis with varimax rotation, a hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means cluster analysis were used. To compare the ASTM sizing standards for plus sizes (curvy and straight) and missy sizes (curvy and straight), five body parts (bust, under bust, waist, top hip, hip) using the formula for fit tolerance (measurement plus half of the interval) were compared with the ASTM sizing standards to determine the size appropriate for each body part.FindingsFive whole body shapes among overweight and obese females in the US were categorized: Rectangle-curvy; parallelogram-moderately curvy; parallelogram-hip tilt; inverted trapezoid-moderately curvy and inverted trapezoid-hip tilt. When the body measurements in each body shape were compared with the current ASTM sizing systems for both misses and plus sizes, four-fifths or more of overweight and obese female adults in the US would find it difficult to obtain a perfect fit for both tops and bottoms.Originality/valueIdentifying whole body shapes among overweight and obese women in the US contributes significantly, as it will help apparel companies that target the markets of larger women develop a new sizing system. This study is the first attempt to analyze fit by comparing the ASTM sizing charts with body measurements in each body shape group. Further, the study contributes to the body-related literature by filling gaps in missing whole BS categories among overweight and obese females.

Mechanisms of helical swimming: asymmetries in the morphology, movement and mechanics of larvae of the ascidian Distaplia occidentalis

2001 ◽  
Vol 204 (17) ◽  
pp. 2959-2973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. McHenry
Keyword(s):  
Body Shape ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Body ◽  
Hydrodynamic Theory ◽  
Helical Motion ◽  
Body Rotation ◽  
Oblique Angle ◽  
Free Swimming ◽  
Three Point Bending ◽  
And Control

SUMMARY A great diversity of unicellular and invertebrate organisms swim along a helical path, but it is not well understood how asymmetries in the body shape or the movement of propulsive structures affect a swimmer’s ability to perform the body rotation necessary to move helically. The present study found no significant asymmetries in the body shape of ascidian larvae (Distaplia occidentalis) that could operate to rotate the body during swimming. By recording the three-dimensional movement of free-swimming larvae, it was found that the tail possessed two bends, each with constant curvature along their length. As these bends traveled posteriorly, the amplitude of curvature changes was significantly greater in the concave-left direction than in the concave-right direction. In addition to this asymmetry, the tail oscillated at an oblique angle to the midline of the trunk. These asymmetries generated a yawing moment that rotated the body in the counterclockwise direction from a dorsal view, according to calculations from hydrodynamic theory. The tails of resting larvae were bent in the concave-left direction with a curvature statistically indistinguishable from the median value for tail curvature during swimming. The flexural stiffness of the tails of larvae, measured in three-point bending, may be great enough to allow the resting curvature of the tail to have an effect on the symmetry of kinematics. This work suggests that asymmetrical tail motion is an important mechanism for generating a yawing moment during swimming in ascidian larvae and that these asymmetries may be caused by the tail’s bent shape. Since helical motion requires that moments also be generated in the pitching or rolling directions, other mechanisms are required to explain fully how ascidian larvae generate and control helical swimming.

Application of Ultra-Low NOx Combustor to the MHPS Existing Gas Turbine

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Nishiumi ◽  
Hirofumi Ohara ◽  
Kotaro Miyauchi ◽  
Sosuke Nakamura ◽  
Toshishige Ai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Operational Experience ◽  
Emission Rates ◽  
Gas Temperature ◽  
Design Development ◽  
And Control

Abstract In recent years, MHPS achieved a NET M501J gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) efficiency in excess of 62% operating at 1,600°C, while maintaining NOx under 25ppm. Taking advantage of our gas turbine combustion design, development and operational experience, retrofits of earlier generation gas turbines have been successfully applied and will be described in this paper. One example of the latest J-Series technologies, a conventional pilot nozzle was changed to a premix type pilot nozzle for low emission. The technology was retrofitted to the existing F-Series gas turbines, which resulted in emission rates of lower than 9ppm NOx(15%O2) while maintaining the same Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT: Average Gas Temperature at the exit of the transition piece). After performing retrofitting design, high pressure rig tests, the field test prior to commercial operation was conducted on January 2019. This paper describes the Ultra-Low NOx combustor design features, retrofit design, high pressure rig test and verification test results of the upgraded M501F gas turbine. In addition, it describes another upgrade of turbine to improve efficiency and of combustion control system to achieve low emissions. Furthermore it describes the trouble-free upgrade of seven (7) units, which was completed by utilizing MHPS integration capabilities, including handling all the design, construction and service work of the main equipment, plant and control systems.

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