scholarly journals Self-Sensing Pneumatic Compressing Actuator

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan Lin ◽  
Hui Zheng ◽  
Yuxuan Li ◽  
Ruolin Wang ◽  
Xiaoping Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Load Capacity ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Force Sensor ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
High Price ◽  
Flexible Membrane ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Output Force ◽  
Soft Actuators

Using soft pneumatic actuator is a feasible solution in the complex unstructured environment, owing to their inherent compliance, light weight, and safety. However, due to the limitations of soft actuators' materials and structures, they fall short of motion accuracy and load capacity, or need large-size, bulky compressors. Meanwhile, in order to gain better control, it is essential for them to sense the environments as well. This leads to high-price sensors or a complicated manufacture technique. Here, a self-sensing vacuum soft actuation structure is proposed, aiming at acquiring good balance among precision, output force, and actuation pressure. The actuator mainly comprises a flexible membrane and a compression spring. When actuated, the flexible membrane outside the actuator compresses the internal spring skeleton, realizing large contractile motion in axial direction. Its built-in force sensor can indirectly measure the absolute displacement of the actuator with certain accuracy (about 5% F.S.). Besides, it does not require high actuation pressure to generate enough output force. The actuator is quite easy to manufacture with low cost, and there are a variety of materials to choose from. We established quasi-static models for actuators built of two different kinds of membrane materials, and tested their accuracy and output force. In addition, to break through the limits of vacuum actuation, a method of positive-negative pressure combined actuation has been proposed, which lowers the requirements for air source equipments, increases actuation pressure, and reduces potential safety threats at the same time. This kind of soft actuators can also effectively resist and detect impacts. The design of a two-finger dexterous robot hand and robot joint based on this soft actuator illustrates its broad application prospects in the fields of mobile robots, wearable devices, and human–robot interaction.

Model-based online learning and adaptive control for a “human-wearable soft robot” integrated system

2019 ◽  
pp. 027836491987337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi Qiang Tang ◽  
Ho Lam Heung ◽  
Kai Yu Tong ◽  
Zheng Li
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Adaptive Control ◽  
Stroke Rehabilitation ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Human Hand ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Output Force ◽  
Bidirectional Movement ◽  
Soft Actuators

Soft robots are considered intrinsically safe with regard to human–robot interaction. This has motivated the development and investigation of soft medical robots, such as soft robotic gloves for stroke rehabilitation. However, the output force of conventional purely soft actuators is usually limited. This restricts their application in stroke rehabilitation, which requires a large force and bidirectional movement. In addition, accurate control of soft actuators is difficult owing to the nonlinearity of purely soft actuators. In this study, a soft robotic glove is designed based on a soft-elastic composite actuator (SECA) that integrates an elastic torque compensating layer to increase the output force as well as achieving bidirectional movement. Such a hybrid design also significantly reduces the degree of nonlinearity compared with a purely soft actuator. A model-based online learning and adaptive control algorithm is proposed for the wearable soft robotic glove, taking its interaction environment into account, namely, the human hand/finger. The designed hybrid controller enables the soft robotic glove to adapt to different hand conditions for reference tracking. Experimental results show that satisfactory tracking performance can be achieved on both healthy subjects and stroke subjects (with the tracking root mean square error (RMSE) < 0.05 rad). Meanwhile, the controller can output an actuator–finger model for each individual subject (with the learning error RMSE < 0.06 rad), which provides information on the condition of the finger and, thus, has further potential clinical application.

scholarly journals A Compact Soft Robotic Wrist Brace With Origami Actuators

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sicong Liu ◽  
Zhonggui Fang ◽  
Jianhui Liu ◽  
Kailuan Tang ◽  
Jianwen Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wrist Joint ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate ◽  
Wearable Devices ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
Rehabilitation Devices ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Soft Actuators ◽  
Robotic Wrist

Wrist disability caused by a series of diseases or injuries hinders the patient’s capability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). Rehabilitation devices for the wrist motor function have gained popularity among clinics and researchers due to the convenience of self-rehabilitation. The inherent compliance of soft robots enabled safe human-robot interaction and light-weight characteristics, providing new possibilities to develop wearable devices. Compared with the conventional apparatus, soft robotic wearable rehabilitation devices showed advantages in flexibility, cost, and comfort. In this work, a compact and low-profile soft robotic wrist brace was proposed by directly integrating eight soft origami-patterned actuators on the commercially available wrist brace. The linear motion of the actuators was defined by their origami pattern. The extensions of the actuators were constrained by the brace fabrics, deriving the motions of the wrist joint, i.e., extension/flexion, ulnar/radial deviation. The soft actuators were made of ethylene-vinyl acetate by blow molding, achieving mass-production capability, low cost, and high repeatability. The design and fabrication of the soft robotic wrist brace are presented in this work. The experiments on the range of motion, output force, wearing position adaptivity, and performance under disturbance have been carried out with results analyzed. The modular soft actuator approach of design and fabrication of the soft robotic wrist brace has a wide application potential in wearable devices.

scholarly journals Position Control for Soft Actuators, Next Steps toward Inherently Safe Interaction

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1116
Author(s):  
Dongshuo Li ◽  
Vaishnavi Dornadula ◽  
Kengyu Lin ◽  
Michael Wehner
Keyword(s):  
Visual Servoing ◽  
Position Control ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Deformation Characteristic ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Soft Robots ◽  
Great Opportunity ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
Soft Actuators

Soft robots present an avenue toward unprecedented societal acceptance, utility in populated environments, and direct interaction with humans. However, the compliance that makes them attractive also makes soft robots difficult to control. We present two low-cost approaches to control the motion of soft actuators in applications common in human-interaction tasks. First, we present a passive impedance approach, which employs restriction to pneumatic channels to regulate the inflation/deflation rate of a pneumatic actuator and eliminate the overshoot/oscillation seen in many underdamped silicone-based soft actuators. Second, we present a visual servoing feedback control approach. We present an elastomeric pneumatic finger as an example system on which both methods are evaluated and compared to an uncontrolled underdamped actuator. We perturb the actuator and demonstrate its ability to increase distal curvature around the obstacle and maintain the desired end position. In this approach, we use the continuum deformation characteristic of soft actuators as an advantage for control rather than a problem to be minimized. With their low cost and complexity, these techniques present great opportunity for soft robots to improve human–robot interaction.

An Analysis on the Forming Load of AA 2024 Aluminium Alloy in Combined and Sequence Operation Process

2006 ◽  
Vol 519-521 ◽  
pp. 949-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beong Bok Hwang ◽  
J.H. Shim ◽  
Jung Min Seo ◽  
H.S. Koo ◽  
J.H. Ok ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Forming Load ◽  
Mechanical Press ◽  
Combined Operation ◽  
Aa 2024 ◽  
Load Characteristics ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Selection Of

This paper is concerned with the analysis of the forming load characteristics of a forward-backward can extrusion in both combined and sequence operation. A commercially available finite element program, which is coded in the rigid-plastic finite element method, has been employed to investigate the forming load characteristics. AA 2024 aluminum alloy is selected as a model material. The analysis in the present study is extended to the selection of press frame capacity for producing efficiently final product at low cost. The possible extrusion processes to shape a forward-backward can component with different outer diameters are categorized to estimate quantitatively the force requirement for forming forward-backward can part, forming energy, and maximum pressure exerted on the die-material interfaces, respectively. The categorized processes are composed of combined and/or some basic extrusion processes such as sequence operation. Based on the simulation results about forming load characteristics, the frame capacity of a mechanical press of crank-drive type suitable for a selected process could be determined along with securing the load capacity and with considering productivity. In addition, it is suggested that different load capacities be selected for different dimensions of a part such as wall thickness in forward direction and etc. It is concluded quantitatively from the simulation results that the combined operation is superior to sequence operation in terms of relatively low forming load and thus it leads to low cost for forming equipments. However, it is also known from the simulation results that the precise control of dimensional accuracy is not so easy in combined operation. The results in this paper could be a good reference for analysis of forming process for complex parts and selection of proper frame capacity of a mechanical press to achieve low production cost and thus high productivity.

scholarly journals Hobbit: Providing Fall Detection and Prevention for the Elderly in the Real World

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Bajones ◽  
David Fischinger ◽  
Astrid Weiss ◽  
Daniel Wolf ◽  
Markus Vincze ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Fall Detection ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Service Robot ◽  
Emergency Situations

We present the robot developed within the Hobbit project, a socially assistive service robot aiming at the challenge of enabling prolonged independent living of elderly people in their own homes. We present the second prototype (Hobbit PT2) in terms of hardware and functionality improvements following first user studies. Our main contribution lies within the description of all components developed within the Hobbit project, leading to autonomous operation of 371 days during field trials in Austria, Greece, and Sweden. In these field trials, we studied how 18 elderly users (aged 75 years and older) lived with the autonomously interacting service robot over multiple weeks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a multifunctional, low-cost service robot equipped with a manipulator was studied and evaluated for several weeks under real-world conditions. We show that Hobbit’s adaptive approach towards the user increasingly eased the interaction between the users and Hobbit. We provide lessons learned regarding the need for adaptive behavior coordination, support during emergency situations, and clear communication of robotic actions and their consequences for fellow researchers who are developing an autonomous, low-cost service robot designed to interact with their users in domestic contexts. Our trials show the necessity to move out into actual user homes, as only there can we encounter issues such as misinterpretation of actions during unscripted human-robot interaction.

Prototype Design of a High-Speed Viscous Air Spindle

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido M. J. Delhaes ◽  
Anton van Beek ◽  
Ron A. J. van Ostayen ◽  
Robert H. Munnig Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Axial Direction ◽  
Cylindrical Part ◽  
Traction Forces ◽  
Micro Cutting ◽  
Tool Holder ◽  
Air Spindle ◽  
Prototype Design

In this paper an innovative air driven spindle for micro cutting applications is presented. The spindle uses a viscous traction concept which has the advantage that the viscous traction forces can act directly on the cylindrical part of the tool, which makes the tool-holder redundant. Furthermore, the tool can be actuated in the axial direction within the housing. In this paper the concept of the viscous turbine, a design of a prototype spindle along with the traction and load-capacity of the spindle are discussed.

scholarly journals Recent Progress on Catalysts for the Positive Electrode of Aprotic Lithium-Oxygen Batteries †

Inorganics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yichao Cai ◽  
Yunpeng Hou ◽  
Yong Lu ◽  
Jun Chen
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Noble Metals ◽  
Catalytic Mechanism ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Rate Capability ◽  
Positive Electrode ◽  
Safety Hazards ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Lithium Oxygen Batteries

Rechargeable aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries have attracted significant interest in recent years owing to their ultrahigh theoretical capacity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. However, the further development of Li-O2 batteries is hindered by some ineluctable issues, such as severe parasitic reactions, low energy efficiency, poor rate capability, short cycling life and potential safety hazards, which mainly stem from the high charging overpotential in the positive electrode side. Thus, it is of great significance to develop high-performance catalysts for the positive electrode in order to address these issues and to boost the commercialization of Li-O2 batteries. In this review, three main categories of catalyst for the positive electrode of Li-O2 batteries, including carbon materials, noble metals and their oxides, and transition metals and their oxides, are systematically summarized and discussed. We not only focus on the electrochemical performance of batteries, but also pay more attention to understanding the catalytic mechanism of these catalysts for the positive electrode. In closing, opportunities for the design of better catalysts for the positive electrode of high-performance Li-O2 batteries are discussed.

scholarly journals Ion exchange resin selection for concentration and purification of uranium leached by sulphuric acid solution

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
Quang Thai Le ◽  
Minh Tuan Pham ◽  
Nguyen Quynh Trinh ◽  
Khac Tuan Vu ◽  
Hong Ha Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ion Exchange ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Acid Leaching ◽  
Ion Exchange Resin ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
High Price ◽  
Strong Base ◽  
Total Exchange Capacity ◽  
Total Exchange ◽  
Uranium Solution

Ion exchange is one of the most popular techniques for recovery and purification of uranium from sulfuric acid leaching solution, especially for recovery of uranium from a low uranium containing solutions. Resins commonly used are strong base or weak base anion resins with amine functional group. The anionic form of resins may be NO3-, Cl- , SO­42- or OH-. The selection of  a resin depends on the uranium total exchange capacity, selectivity and the cost. The previous studies often use Amberlite IRA-420 for concentration and purification of uranium solution from Pa Lua sandstone ores. This is a good and suitable resin but high price. To diversify the resins and reduce the costs, instead of IRA-420, the authors tested two commercial resins Indion GS300 (India) and Purolite A400 (UK) in the processing of uranium solution from sandstone ores. The results showed that the uranium total exchange capacity of  these resins is only about 80 - 85% over  Amberlite IRA-420, but these resins should be able to be used instead of Amberlite IRA-420 due to their low cost and availability in Vietnam.

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