Actuators, Volume 11, Issue 2 (February 2022) – 36 articles

A control design is presented for a cable driven parallel manipulator for performing a controlled motion assistance of a human ankle. Requirements are discussed for a portable, comfortable, and light-weight solution of a wearable device with an overall design with low-cost features and user-oriented operation. The control system utilizes various operational and monitoring sensors to drive the system and also obtain continuous feedback during motion to ensure an effective recovery. This control system for CABLEankle device is designed for both active and passive rehabilitation to facilitate the improvement in both joint mobility and surrounding muscle strength. Full article

In this paper, the implementation of a robotic painting system using a sponge and the watercolor painting technique is presented. A collection of tools for calibration and sponge support operations was designed and built. A contour-filling algorithm was developed, which defines the sponge positions and orientations in order to color the contour of a generic image. Finally, the proposed robotic system was employed to realize a painting combining etching and watercolor techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of robotic painting that uses the watercolor technique and a sponge as the painting media. Full article

Path tracking is a key technique for intelligent electric vehicles, while four-wheel steering (4WS) technology is of great significance to improve its accuracy and flexibility. However, the control methods commonly used in path tracking for a 4WS vehicle cannot take full advantage of the additional steering freedom of the 4WS vehicle, because of restricting the relationship between the front and rear wheels steering angle. To address this issue, we derive a kinematic model without the restriction based on the small-angle assumption. Then, the objective function and constraints of system control quantity optimization are designed based on the tracking error model. After the optimization problem is solved in the form of quadratic programming with constraints, the control sequence with the smallest performance index is obtained through rolling optimization. The proposed method is tested on a high-fidelity Carsim/Simulink co-simulation platform and an experimental vehicle. The results show that the standard deviation of the lateral error and the yaw angle error of the algorithm is less than 0.1 m and 3.0°, respectively. Compared with the other two algorithms, the control of the front and rear wheels angle of this method is more flexible and the tracking accuracy is higher. Full article

The better application of crawl robots depends on their ability to adapt to unstructured environments with significant variations in their structural shape and size. This paper presents the design and analysis of a novel robot with different locomotion configurations to move through varying environments. The leg of the robot, inspired by insects, was designed as a multi-link structure, including the Hoekens linkage and multiple parallel four-link mechanisms. The end trajectory was a symmetrical closed curve composed of an approximate straight line and a shell curve with a downward opening. The special trajectory allowed the robot to share drives and components to achieve structural deformation and locomotion. The structural characteristics of the crawl robot on the inner and outer arcs were obtained based on the working space. The constraint relationship between the structure size, the radius of the arc, and the coefficient of static friction with which the robot could crawl on the arc were established. The feasible support posture and support position of the robot under different arc radii were obtained. The simulation tested the locomotion of the robot on the plane, arc, and restricted space. The robot can be used for detection, search, and rescue missions in unstructured environments. Full article

The accurate estimation of the tyre-road peak friction coefficient is the key basis for the normal operation of the vehicle active safety control system. The estimation algorithm needs to be able to adapt to various conditions encountered in the actual driving process of the vehicle and obtain the estimation results timely and accurately. Therefore, a new normalized strategy is proposed in this paper. The core is the equal ratio between the peak friction coefficient and the utilization friction coefficient between adjacent typical roads. This strategy can establish the direct connection (normalization) between tyre force and tyre-road peak friction coefficient through most tyre models in the field of vehicle dynamics and accomplish estimation by combining with the filtering algorithm. In addition, most of the vehicle dynamic estimation algorithms are limited by road excitation, and it is difficult to obtain satisfactory estimation results. This strategy can greatly reduce the system error caused by insufficient road excitation (slip rate is not 0.15–0.20) and improve the applicability of the estimation algorithm to the actual driving process of the vehicle. Finally, the magic formula (MF) tyre model is selected to describe the tyre characteristics after treatment of the normalized strategy; the tyre-road peak friction coefficient is estimated by combining the extended Kalman filter and vehicle dynamics model. Satisfactory estimation results are obtained in both simulation and real vehicle tests, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed normalized strategy. Full article

The paper proposes a novel data-driven approximation kinematic (DAK) model to estimate the shape and opening level of a PneuNets soft gripper in relation to the applied pressure signal. The model offers suitable capabilities for implementing in real-time applications involving soft grasping planning and size recognition of fragile objects with different sizes and shapes. The proposed DAK model estimates the free bending behavior of a PneuNets actuator (soft gripper finger) based on a set of approximation functions derived from experimental data and an equivalent serial mechanism that mimics the shape of the actuator. The model was tested for a commercial PneuNets actuator with decreasing chamber height, produced by SoftGripping Co. (Hamburg, Germany). The model validation is accomplished through a set of experiments, where the shape and elementary displacements were measured using a digital image processing technique. The experimental data and the estimated data from the DAK model were compared and analyzed, respectively. The proposed approach has applicability in sensorless/self-sensing bending control algorithms of PneuNets actuators and in soft grasping applications where the robotic system must estimate the opening level of the gripper in order to be able to accomplish its task. Full article

Passive rotors are often limited in rotational speed due to bearing constraints, stability and excessive vibration levels. To address the vibration issue, Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) levitating the rotor with a magnetic field can be used. They offer a clearance and variable stiffness and damping to the rotor support, which help to mitigate greatly the vibration issue. However, they are also limited at large rotational speed because of the high frequency control force required to levitate the rotor safely. To overcome the frequency limitation, a dual AMBs/internal bending control concept is investigated with associated modelling and control algorithms. This approach is examined in simulation with a 19 kg rotor running up to 10,000 RPM, where three resonance frequencies are present at 2700, 5300, and 9300 RPM, with the first resonant frequency being the most strongly excited. Using internal rotor bending control, a maximum radial displacement of 15 $\mathsf{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ for the rotor mid-point is achieved, which gives a reduction in vibration amplitude of 45% compared to the case of no control. Variations of the algorithm are presented and discussed, showing the potential of the proposed approach. Full article

Cable failure is an extremely critical situation in the operation of cable-driven parallel robots (CDPR), as the robot might be instantly outside of its predefined workspace. Therefore, the calculation of a cable force distribution might fail and, thus, the controller might not be able to master the guidance of the system anymore. However, as long as there is a remaining set of cables, the dynamic behavior of the system can be influenced to prevent further damage, such as collisions with the ground. The paper presents a feasible algorithm, introduces the models for dynamical multi-body simulation and verifies the algorithm within control loop closure. Full article

A rigid in-plane matrix of suction cups is widely used in robotic end-effectors to grasp objects with flat surfaces. However, this grasping strategy fails with objects having different geometry e.g., spherical and cylindrical. Articulated rigid grippers equipped with suction cups are an underinvestigated solution to extend the ability of vacuum grippers to grasp heavy objects with various shapes. This paper extends previous work by the authors in the development of a novel underactuated vacuum gripper named Polypus by analyzing the impact of dynamic effects and grasping location on the vacuum force required during a manipulation cycle. An articulated gripper with suction cups, such as Polypus, can grasp objects by adhering to two adjacent faces, resulting in a decrease of the required suction action. Moreover, in the case of irregular objects, many possible grasping locations exist. The model explained in this work contributes to the choice of the most convenient grasping location that ensures the minimum vacuum force required to manipulate the object. Results obtained from an extensive set of simulations are included to support the validity of the proposed analytical approach. Full article

A Pseudo-satellite system that transmits signals similar to GNSS can provide positioning services in places where GNSS signals are not captured and have enormous potential for indoor machine system and airports. Different paths of the device have different carrier phase initial solution positioning accuracy. Existing methods rely on measuring instruments or use many coordinate points for solving ambiguity resolution (AR), which creates inconvenience for real-time ground positioning. This study aims to find a new on-the-fly (OTF) method to achieve high accuracy and convenient positioning. A new method is proposed based on a two-difference observation model for ground-based high-precision point positioning. We used an adaptive particle swarm algorithm to solve the initial solution, followed by a nonlinear least-squares method to optimize the localization solution. It is free of priori information or measuring instruments. We designed several different paths, such as circular trajectory and square trajectory, to study the positioning accuracy of the solution. Simulation experiments with different trajectories showed that geometric changes significantly impact solutions. In addition, it does not require precise time synchronization of the base stations, making the whole system much easier to deploy. We built a real-world pseudo-satellite system and used a multi-sensor crewless vehicle as a receiver. Real-world experiments showed that our approach could achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy in applications. Full article

Helicopters are still an indispensable addition to aviation in this day and age. They are characterized by their ability to master both forward flight and hover. These characteristics result in a wide range of possible operations. Key for the design of the rotor blades is a blade design that always represents a compromise between the different flight conditions, which enables safe and efficient flight in the various flight conditions. In order to operate the rotor blade even more efficiently in all flight conditions, a new morphing concept, the so-called linear variable chord extension, has been developed. Here, the blade chord length in the root area is changed with the help of an elastic skin to adapt it to the respective flight condition. The simulations performed for this concept showed a promising increase in overall helicopter performance. The fabrication of the resulting demonstrator as well as the tests in the whirl-tower and wind tunnel are presented in this paper. The results of the tests show that the concept of linear variable chord extension has a positive influence and a great potential for hovering flight. Full article

Different driving styles should be considered in path planning for autonomous vehicles that are travelling alongside other traditional vehicles in the same traffic scene. Based on the drivers’ characteristics and artificial potential field (APF), an improved local path planning algorithm is proposed in this paper. A large amount of driver data are collected through tests and classified by the K-means algorithm. A Keras neural network model is trained by using the above data. APF is combined with driver characteristic identification. The distances between the vehicle and obstacle are normalized. The repulsive potential field functions are designed according to different driver characteristics and road boundaries. The designed local path planning method can adapt to different surrounding manual driving vehicles. The proposed human-like decision path planning method is compared with the traditional APF planning method. Simulation tests of an individual driver and various drivers with different characteristics in overtaking scenes are carried out. The simulation results show that the curves of human-like decision-making path planning method are more reasonable than those of the traditional APF path planning method; the proposed method can carry out more effective path planning for autonomous vehicles according to the different driving styles of surrounding manual vehicles. Full article

Pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) is attractive in rehabilitation and biomimetic robots due to its flexibility. However, there exists a strong hysteretic nonlinearity in PAMs and strong coupling between the output displacement and the output force. At present, most commonly used hysteresis models can be treated as two-dimensional models, which only consider the nonlinearity between the input and the output displacement of the PAM without considering the coupling of the output force. As a result, high-precision modeling and estimation of the PAM’s behavior is difficult, especially when the external load of the system varies significantly. In this paper, the influence of the output force on the displacement is experimentally investigated. A three-dimensional model based on the modified Prandtl–Ishlinskii (MPI) model and the Nonlinear AutoRegressive Moving Average with eXogenous inputs (NARMAX) model is proposed to describe the relationship and couplings among the input, the output displacement, and the output force of the PAM. Experiments are conducted to verify the modeling accuracy of the proposed model when the external load of the PAM varies across a wide range. The experimental results show that the proposed model captures well the hysteresis and couplings of the PAM and can precisely predict the PAM’s behavior. Full article

The nonlinear characteristics of the pneumatic servo system are the main factors limiting its control accuracy. A new mathematical model of the nonlinear system of the valve control cylinder is proposed in order to improve the control accuracy of the pneumatic servo system. Firstly, the mass flow equation of the gas flowing through each port is established by analyzing the physical structure of the proportional directional control valve. Then, the dynamic equation of the system is set up by applying the Stribeck friction model for the friction model of the valve control cylinder and building a pneumatic circuit experiment to identify the friction model parameters. Finally, the correctness of the mathematical model is verified by the inflation and deflation experiment of the fixed capacitive chamber and the servo controls experiment based on PID position. The Simulink simulation of the mathematical model better reflects the characteristics of the pneumatic position servo system. Full article

The planetary gear train is often used as the main device for decelerating and increasing the torque of the drive motor of electric vehicles. Considering the lightweight requirement and existing uncertainty in structural design, a multi-objective uncertainty optimization design (MUOD) framework is developed for the planetary gear train of the electric vehicle in this study. The volume and transmission efficiency of the planetary gear train are taken into consideration as optimization objectives. The manufacturing size, material, and load input of the planetary gear train are considered as uncertainties. An approximate direct decoupling model, based on subinterval Taylor expansion, is applied to evaluate the propagation of uncertainties. To improve the convergence ability of the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, the improved non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is designed by using chaotic and adaptive strategies. The improved NSGA-II has better convergence efficiency than classical NSGA-II and multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO). In addition, the multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method is applied to choose the most satisfactory solution in Pareto sets from the multi-objective evolutionary algorithm. Compared with the multi-objective deterministic optimization design (MDOD), the proposed MUOD framework has better reliability than MDOD under different uncertainty cases. This MUOD method enables further guidance pertaining to the uncertainty optimization design of transportation equipment, containing gear reduction mechanisms, in order to reduce the failure risk. Full article

Superconducting techniques are applied to a superconducting magnetic suspension system. A superconducting coil, copper coils, a magnetically suspended object, a photo sensor, a PID controller, and power amplifiers are the main components of the suspension system. A persistent current in the superconducting coil and a control current in the copper coils are used for suspending the object and controlling the object, respectively. This paper discusses a large gap trial for the suspension system, and the static and dynamic characteristics of the suspension system are studied. As a result, it is found that the magnetically suspended object continues to be suspended at a distance of 82 mm for more than 60 s. Since a superconducting persistent current has a maximum limit for the suspension system, a persistent current of 50 A is adopted. The details of the superconducting persistent current are studied for the performance of the suspension system. There are few reports about such a suspension system with a large gap of more than 80 mm using a superconducting persistent current. Full article

This paper presents the development and experimentations of transparent vibrating piezoelectric micromembranes dedicated to protecting immersed measurement instruments from marine biofouling. As any surface immersed is subject to the adhesion and settlement of organisms, especially in seawater, transparent materials quickly become opaque, resulting in deteriorated accuracy for optical sensors. According to this, we developed a transparent vibrating membrane to promote biofouling detachment in order to reduce the data quality drift and the frequency of maintenance operations on deployed optical sensors. In the first part, the design, the materials, and the steps to manufacture demonstrators are described. Then, the electromechanical characterizations of the demonstrators are carried out and interpreted with the support of FEM simulations. The last part describes the laboratory bioassays and the field immersion tests. Laboratory bioassays assess the antifouling potential of the vibrating piezoelectric membranes by exposing their surface to a suspended bacterial solution. In situ assays allow the membrane to perform in the Mediterranean Sea to assess their effectiveness in real conditions. Laboratory bioassays showed a great potential against the adhesion and settlement of a bacterial solution, while in situ tests confirmed the antifouling effect of piezoelectric vibrating micromembrane. Nevertheless, in situ experimentations revealed troubles with the piezo driver actuating the vibrating membranes, and tests should be carried out again with an improved piezo driver to reveal the full potential of the vibrating membranes. These are the first steps to set up an efficient antifouling vibrating system for immersed optical sensors. Full article

Dynamic stall is a critical limiting factor for airfoil aerodynamics and a challenging problem for active flow control. In this experimental study, dynamic stall was measured by high-frequency surface pressure tapes and pressure-sensitive paint (PSP). The influence of the oscillation frequency was examined. Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) with time-delay embedding was proposed to predict the pressure field on the oscillating airfoil based on scattered pressure measurements. DMD with time-delay embedding was able to reconstruct and predict the dynamic stall based on scattered measurements with much higher accuracy than standard DMD. The reconstruction accuracy of this method increased with the number of delay steps, but this also prolonged the computation time. In summary, using the Koopman operator obtained by DMD with time-delay embedding, the future dynamic pressure on an oscillating airfoil can be accurately predicted. This method provides powerful support for active flow control of dynamic stall. Full article

This paper presents an extension of impedance control of robots based on fractional calculus. In classical impedance control, the end-effector reactions are proportional to the end-effector position errors through the stiffness matrix K, while damping is proportional to the first-order time-derivative of the end-effector coordinate errors through the damping matrix D. In the proposed approach, a half-derivative damping is added, proportional to the half-order time-derivative of the end-effector coordinate errors through the half-derivative damping matrix HD. The discrete-time digital implementation of the half-order derivative alters the steady-state behavior, in which only the stiffness term should be present. Consequently, a compensation method is proposed, and its effectiveness is validated by multibody simulation on a 3-PUU parallel robot. The proposed approach can be considered the extension to MIMO robotic systems of the PDD^1/2 control scheme for SISO mechatronic systems, with potential benefits in the transient response performance. Full article

This review article presents various multi-DOF application systems that utilize smart magnetorheological (MR) fluid. It is well known that MR fluid has been actively studied and applied in many practical systems such as vehicle suspension dampers. The design requirements for the effective applications of MR fluid include geometry optimization, working principles, and control schemes. The geometry optimization is mostly related to the size minimization with high damping force, while the working principles are classified into the shear mode, the flow mode, and the squeeze mode depending on the dominant dynamic motion of the application system. The control schemes are crucial to achieve final targets such as robust vibration control against disturbances. It should be addressed that advanced output performances of MR application systems heavily depends on these three requirements. This review article presents numerous application systems such as sandwich structures, dampers, mounts, brakes, and clutches, which have been developed considering the three design requirements. In addition, in this article some merits and demerits of each application system are discussed to enable potential researchers to develop more effective and practical MR application systems featuring the multi-DOF dynamic motions. Full article

In this paper, an actuator fault diagnosis and reconfiguration problem is discussed for an uncertain vehicle steering system with external disturbances. Aiming at the factors affecting the control performance, a fault reconstruction strategy based on H-infinity observer is designed to improve the vehicle stability under complex conditions when the actuator fails. Firstly, aiming at the uncertain part caused by the road condition transformation, a mathematical model of dual input and dual output four-wheel steering system is established. Secondly, an augmented system is constructed in which the augmented state vector consists of the original state and actuator faults. Thirdly, the H-infinity observer is designed, and the gain of the observer is obtained by the Lyapunov function and linear matrix inequality. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed strategy is verified by MATLAB/Simulink and Carsim co-simulation. Full article

High-speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) systems have been widely used in industry and other fields for their advantages of having a simple structure, low processing cost and high efficiency. At present, the control precision of PMSM is required to be higher and higher, but it faces two major challenges. The first is that the PMSM system possesses (possibly fast) time-varying uncertainty. The second is that there exist nonlinear portions in the PMSM system, such as nonlinear elasticity, etc. To resolve these challenges, a novel performance measure $\widehat{\beta }$ is introduced as a dynamic depiction of the constraint-following error, and a new robust control design is proposed based on $\widehat{\beta }$. While this control renders guaranteed performance regardless of uncertainty, an optimal design of a control parameter is further pursued. This inquiry is summed up as a semi-infinite constrained optimization problem. After the induction of the necessary condition, the candidate solutions can be identified. These are further screened by a sufficient condition, which results in the actual solution. To verify the effectiveness of the control design, the compressor powered by a super high-speed PMSM system is simulated, and its performance is discussed. Full article

This paper presents a control strategy with a linear extended state observer (LESO) and Kalman filter to achieve a high performance of the motion control system. The moment of inertia of the system, which is variable with the robotic joint motion, is estimated in the established model. A LESO with variable gain is designed, which could estimate the states and the total disturbance of the plant without a precision mathematical model. The disturbance caused by variable load and unknown dynamics can be compensated based on the LESO, while the moment of inertia is variable. In order to restrain the process noise and measure the noise of the system, the Kalman filter was applied. Tracking differentiator was utilized to avoid the overshoot of the system for the step signal. The designed control strategy with the LESO and the Kalman filter could improve the tracking performance for the servo system with parametric uncertainties, unknown dynamics, and disturbances. The effectiveness of the proposed method is implemented and validated in the experiment of the robotic joint, for which desired servo tracking performance is achieved with the conditions of load variation and sudden disturbance. Full article

The current work aims to compare the effects of systematic A-site substitutions on the electrical properties of potassium sodium niobate (KNN)-based coating. The A-site elements were replaced by Li⁺ to form (K_0.4675Na_0.4675Li_0.065) NbO₃ (KNLN). The pure KNN coating and the Li⁺-doped potassium sodium niobate (KNLN) coating with dense morphology and single perovskite structure were successfully prepared by supersonic plasma spraying, and the phase composition, microscopic morphology and electrical properties of the two coatings were compared and analyzed in detail by XRD, XPS, three-dimensional morphology and SEM on an Agilent 4294A (Santa Clara, CA, USA) and FE-5000 wide-range ferroelectric performance tester. The results show that: as the polarization voltage increases, the pure KNN coating is flatter and fuller, but the leakage current is large. The KNLN coating has a relatively long hysteresis loop and is easily polarized. The domain deflection responds faster to the external electric field, and the resistance of the domain wall motion to the external electric field is small. The dielectric constant of KNLN coating is 375, which is much higher than that of the pure KNN coating with 125, and the dielectric loss is stable at 0.01, which is lower than that of pure KNN coating at 0.1–0.35. This is because Li⁺ doping has successfully constructed a polycrystalline phase boundary in which O-T phases coexist, and has higher dielectric properties, piezoelectric properties and ferroelectric properties. At the same time, due to the high-temperature acceleration process in supersonic plasma spraying, the violent volatilization of the alkaline elements Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺ leads to the presence of oxygen vacancies and part of Nb⁴⁺ in the coating, which seriously affects the electrical properties of the coating. Full article

The dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator is a promising flow control device that uses surface discharge. The actuator generates an electrohydrodynamic force and Joule heating that contribute to the flow control. Thus, it is important to investigate the electrohydrodynamic and thermal effects on the air flow. To this end, the flow velocity field, density field, and surface temperature distribution induced by an alternating current dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator were experimentally examined, adopting particle image velocimetry, the background oriented schlieren technique, and an infrared camera. These experiments were conducted for plate- and wire-exposed electrode plasma actuators to investigate the effect of the shape of the exposed electrode. It was confirmed that the topology of the discharge is different between the two types of plasma actuators. This results in a difference in the spatial distributions of the velocity and density fields between the two actuators. In particular, we clarified that there is an obvious difference in the peak position of the density and temperature distribution between the two actuators. We also confirmed that the difference in the spatial distribution of the vertical velocity makes the above difference. Full article

Topology and shape optimization are still rarely applied to problems in electromagnetic design due to the computational complexity and limited commercial tooling, even though components such as electrical motors, magnetic springs or magnetic bearings could benefit from it, either to improve performance (reducing torque ripple and losses through shaping harmonic content in back electromotive force) or reduce the use of rare-earth materials. Magnetic springs are a fatigue free alternative to mechanical springs, where shape optimization can be exploited to a great degree—allowing for advanced non-linear stiffness characteristic shaping. We present the optimization methodology relying on a combination of several approaches for characteristic shaping of magnetic springs through either a modular design approach based on: (i) Fourier order decomposition; (ii) breaking conventional design symmetry; or (iii) free shaping of magnets through deviation from a nominal design using problem formulations such as spline and polynomials for material boundary definitions. Each of the parametrizations is formulated into a multi-objective optimization problem with both performance and material cost, and solved using gradient free optimization techniques (direct search, genetic algorithm). The methodology is employed on several benchmark problems—both academic and application inspired magnetic spring torque characteristic requirements. The resulting designs fit well with the requirements, with a relatively low computational cost. As such, the methodology presented is a promising candidate for other design problems in 2D shape optimization in electrical motor research and development. Full article

The electroadhesion pad is mainly studied for applications, such as climbing robots and grippers. In this paper, we present our study with the confirmation of the adhesion properties of the electroadhesion pad with a double-insulating layer, pad modeling, and optimal design. Modeling and analysis consider the air layer generated during the manufacturing of both conventional single-insulated structures and dual-insulated structures. Through the finite element analysis simulation, the characteristics of the electroadhesion were verified, and modeling verification was performed, based on the variables that had a large influence as follows: applied voltage, electrode area, dielectric thickness, and permittivity. The electrode is made of aluminum, the substrate is made of silicon, and the dielectric is made of polyimide film. An error of up to 8.3% was found between the modeling and simulation. The optimization results were validated based on a pad applied to a climbing robot measuring $320\times 480$$\mathrm{mm}²$ and weighing 2.8 $\mathrm{kg}$. As a result, the optimal pad design resulted in an error of 7.3% between the modeling and simulation. Full article

Torsional vibrations play a critical role in the design and operation of a mechanical or mechatronic drivetrain due to their impact on lifetime, performance, and cost. A magnetic spring allows one to reduce these vibrations and improve the actuator performance yet introduces additional challenges on the identification. As a direct torque measurement is generally not favourable because of its intrusive nature, this paper proposes a nonintrusive approach to identify torsional load profiles. The approach combines a physics-based lumped parameter model of the torsional dynamics of the drivetrain with measurements coming from a motor encoder and two MEMS accelerometers in a combined state/input estimation, using an augmented extended Kalman filter (A-EKF). In order to allow a generic magnetic spring torque estimation, a random walk input model is used, where additionally the angle-dependent behaviour is exploited by constructing an angle-dependent estimate and variance map. Experimental validation leads to a significant reduction in bias in the load torque estimation for this approach, compared to conventional estimators. Moreover, this newly proposed approach significantly reduces the variance on the estimated states by exploiting the angle dependency. The proposed approach provides knowledge of the torsional vibrations in a nonintrusive way, without the need for an extensive magnetic spring torque identification. Further, the approach is applicable on any drivetrain with angle-dependent input torques. Full article

The preview model is one of the common methods used in trajectory tracking. The traditional fixed preview time is not adaptable to most speeds and road conditions, which not only reduces the tracking accuracy but also reduces the vehicle stability. Therefore, a controller can be designed to determine the adaptive preview time based on an optimization function of the lateral deviation, the road boundary, and the road boundary of the whole vehicle motion response characteristics. Traditional optimal preview control theory predicts the next state of the vehicle by the assumption of constant transverse pendulum angular velocity. In this paper, an expectation-based approach is used to find the ideal steering wheel turning angle based on the adaptive preview time, and a single-point preview model is established. Based on the two-degree-of-freedom dynamics model, a sliding mode controller is designed for control, and the low-pass filters are designed to suppress jitter in the sliding mode controller. Simulation results with different preview times, different speeds and different road adhesion coefficients prove that the controller has a good control effect and has good effectiveness and adaptability to speed and adhesion coefficient. Full article