The precise manipulation of fluid through pumping systems has been the technological challenge in microfluidic applications. The biomedical applications call for precise and accurate delivery of fluid through miniaturized pumping systems. This paper presents a novel valveless micropump for biomedical applications operated by the Amplified Piezo Actuator. Integrating the disposable chamber and reusable

This paper proposes a detection method to identify the drill bit position during assisted bone drilling. A platform has been developed to support the surgeon in the planning of the drilling path. Albeit constrained along a fixed trajectory, the advancement of the drilling tool is manual, in order to preserve the natural haptic perception of the surgeon, who remains in charge of modulating the drilling

Pump-controlled actuators generally use single-rod cylinders in order to provide high output forces and reduce the installation space. According to the working principle of such systems, there are four possible circuit configurations, corresponding to four operational quadrants. This paper presents the design and experimental validation of a robust, fixed-gain, linear position controller for a newly

The recent developments in micro/nano-positioning technologies have highlighted the demand for compact large range three-degrees-of-freedom (3-DOF) XYΘ mechanisms for applications such as sample positioning in nanoimprint lithography, scanning probe microscopy, precision machining, and many more. However, this type of mechanisms suffers from a large footprint, sensing difficulties, and low motion accuracy

The Dahl friction model is a simple dynamic model for friction obtained by adding dynamics to the stress strain curve. The model captures many aspects of friction and has been used for simulation for a long time. A drawback with the model is that it does not display the stick-slip effect. The LuGre friction model extends the Dahl model to capture the stick-slip motion but is does not capture the fact

In the study we propose and examine a novel concept, eMR-TMD as we call it, replacing a standard tuned mass damper (TMD) by an electrical harmonic oscillator (RLC circuit). The concept employs an electromagnetic energy harvester (EEH) to extract energy from vibrations, an RLC circuit in which serial resonance phenomenon occurs and a magnetorheological (MR) damper. The approach does not require modifications

This paper presents the design and implementation of a Tactile/Force sensor which has been used on a 3-DOF decoupled parallel mechanism for Human-Robot Interaction purposes.The sensor, called HexaTactile, is a soft tactile sensor array based on six MEMS barometers, where each of them is covered by a silicone layer in the form of an incomplete pyramid. HexaTactile consists of six soft and highly sensitive

In the field of wearable robots, actuator efficiency and user safety are frequently addressed by intentionally adding compliance to the actuation unit. However, the implications compliance has on the actuator’s overall performance in different conditions and activities are not fully understood, largely due to single task-focused experimental evaluations of these devices. To overcome this, our paper

This study presents the design and system integration of the 13-degree-of-freedom legged platform, GAZELLE. The goal of this research is to develop a fast and reliable biped platform for walking experiments. Rapid leg movement can increase robustness in walking stability. During external push or walking on uneven ground, fast leg movement can realize an abrupt change on the landing position. GAZELLE

Hydraulically actuated manipulators are commonly used for material handling or at construction sites due to the high power density of hydraulic systems. Dig assistance systems or payload monitoring systems for excavators become more common to increase the efficiency and productivity. In this paper, a novel approach for estimating the dynamic parameters of a payload (including the mass) attached to

We address in this paper the problem of planning motion of free floating robot with state constraints. Due to the conservation of angular and linear momentum during the in-air motion, the problem is two-fold: one needs to design, in addition to the in-air motion, the initial impulse that imparts the robot with the appropriate momentum to perform a desired motion. The existence of state constraints

The nano scale motions of piezoelectric actuated nano-positioning systems are very sensitive to operating tasks, external disturbances, as well as variations of system dynamics. In this paper, a data-driven Iterative Feedback Tuning (IFT) based Active Disturbance Rejection Control (ADRC) approach is developed to optimize the control performance by conducting controller parameter tuning iteratively

A technique to identify feedthrough coupling in an unstable one degree-of-freedom electrostatic bearing is described. The feedthrough is caused by the simultaneous use of electrodes for differential capacitive sensing and electrostatic actuation. Cancellation of the feedthrough over a broad frequency band is necessary for the system to be practically stabilizable. A feedforward filter based on open-loop

Transverse ricochetal brachiation is a sophisticated locomotion style that mimics athletes swinging their bodies with their hands on a ledge in order to propel themselves for a leap to a target ledge. This paper describes the development of a transverse ricochetal brachiation robot (TRBR) and outlines motion control strategies for active flight body posture compensation. The crucial design parameters

Energy harvesting by using functional materials in suspension systems bear potential to win-back certain (even if low) amounts of vibrational energy, otherwise dissipated via the conventional (passive) dampers. Piezoelectric (PE) ceramics are functional materials that can be used for transforming mechanical energy into electrical and vice versa. In this paper, we study the capabilities and efficiency

Soft robots and manipulators with inflatable links possess inherent safety characteristics that make them a very interesting choice for tasks requiring human-robot interaction. However, they may face important challenges in their performance due to low structural stiffness. Accurate positioning of the end effector may prove a difficult task due to limitations in gravity compensation, or due to the

This paper presents an approach to mobile robot 6D localization based on a 3D laser scanner in GPS-denied scenarios. Commonly, 6D localization using laser scanners is performed with the use of extraction and association of the features or by comparison of the whole scans (very often off-line) using the ICP algorithm or its modifications. However, in some unstructured non-urbanized rough terrain environments

Based on the multiple wedge effects, magnetically manipulated petal-shaped capsule robots (PCRs) using circle-based profiles have achieved an advantageous comprehensive driving performance, which lies in acquiring the high fluid dynamic pressure to ensure the good self-centering ability inside the pipe, the fast steady swimming speed and the low fluid resistance torsion moment. Nevertheless, the limited

Active magnetic bearing (AMB) supported rotor systems require advanced control strategies to meet the increased performance requirements of more and more demanding applications. To meet the particular requirements for the performance under changing dynamics, an adaptive control structure is a task worth pursuing. This paper studies adaptive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) pole placement applied to

This paper presents the design, analysis, and control of a novel compact, large range 1-DOF micro manipulation mechanism. Leaf flexures were incorporated into a modular multilayer design configuration to achieve large range motion with a high natural frequency. The modular design of the proposed mechanism makes it usable as a building block to construct higher DOF-mechanisms. Computational analysis

In bone surgery, drilling of bone without causing severe damage to tissue is a critical procedure. Particularly for skull, spine, and special kinds of orthopedic surgeries, the process of bone drilling requires high accuracy and precision since excessive drill protrusion can cause damage to nerves, blood vessels, and nearby organs. To enhance safety of drilling, a new breakthrough detection technique

This paper presents comprehensive investigations on a new multi-pole multi-layer magnetorheological (MR) brake. This unique design features MR working gaps set between two-layer individual coils. Independent current supply was proposed to generate more flexible braking torque and lower power consumption. In this article, an exploded-view drawing of the proposed MR brake was presented, and theoretical

Hydro viscous clutch (HVC) is a power transmission unit which relies on shear stress of fluid to transmit driving torque. The conventional pressure control system suffers from high minimum operating pressure problem. This makes the HVC has a large drag torque and greatly limits the usage flexibility. In this article, a valve-and-pump compounded pressure control (VCPC) system is proposed for the hydro

In order to improve the performance of a magnetically levitated (maglev) axial flow blood pump, three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis (FEA) was used to optimize the design of a hybrid magnetic bearing (HMB). Radial, axial, and current stiffness of multiple design variations of the HMB were calculated using a 3-D FEA package and verified by experimental results. As compared with the original

In most Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM), a piezoelectric tube scanner is used to position the sample underneath the measurement probe. Oscillations stemming from the weakly damped resonances of the tube scanner are a major source of image distortion, putting a limitation on the achievable imaging speed. This paper demonstrates active damping of these oscillations in multiple scanning axes without the