IeCAT 2020 - 41 articles
Online | 23–27 November 2020
Volume Editors:
José Luis Sánchez Rojas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Tatiana Minav, Tampere University, Finland
Machine-induced vibrations and their control represent, for several reasons, a crucial design issue for buildings, and especially for industrial facilities. A special attention is required, at the early design stage, for the structural and dynamic pe...
For the longest time, valve-controlled, centralized hydraulic systems have been the state-of-the-art technology to actuate heavy-duty mobile machine (HDMM) implements. Due to the typically low energy efficiency of those systems, a high number of prom...
Electro-hydrostatic actuators (EHAs) combine the advantages of electric and hydraulic actuation, and it results in a preferable solution for heavy load actuation. The required power level of the EHA is increasing because it is being introduced to lar...
In recent years, soft robots, such as those with high human affinity and those that excellently imitate the movements of natural creatures, have gained considerable attention. In soft robots, structurally flexible soft actuators need to be used, not...
For the next generation of soft robotics, novel materials are needed that overcome the limitations of established active materials, such as shape memory alloys or dielectric elastomer actuators. These new actuator types should offer fast actuation an...
In this paper, a mechanical system model based on Simulink software was developed for a proposed design for a stick-slip motor. Only the orientation of a cubic PZT element identifies the mode configuration of the motor. The preliminary results showed...
The versatility of the form factors of thermal shape memory alloys (SMA) in combination with their unique actuation and sensing abilities allow for the design and construction of innovative multifunctional systems. Despite the considerable number of...
The Hands exert a vital role in the simplest to most complex daily tasks. Losing the ability to make hand movements, which is usually caused by spinal cord injury or stroke, dramatically impacts the quality of life. In order to counteract this proble...
A switching power amplifier is a key component of the actuator of an active magnetic bearing, and its reliability has an important impact on the performance of a magnetic bearing system. This paper analyzes the topologies of a switching power amplifi...
Fault detection on automotive engine components is an important feature that motivates research from different engineering areas due to the interest of automakers in its potential to increase safety, reliability, and lifespan and to reduce pollutant...
“Hi-Fi Stake” piezoelectric actuators are constructed by bonding [011]-poled d32-mode lead-based relaxor-PT single crystals with polycarbonate edge guides into a square-pipe structure. They contract under positive-polarity applied voltage...
Lower-limb prostheses have an important function to partially recover the leg movement after amputation. In order to improve the mechanical joint behavior towards a healthy human knee, compliant elements have been introduced to the active prostheses,...
Soft actuators are compliant material-based devices capable of producing large deformations upon external stimuli. Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) are a type of soft actuators that operate on voltage stimuli. Apart from soft robotics, these act...
This paper presents a study on design and development of an alternating pressure overlay consists of inflatable mini air bladders, which could be used in relieving and reducing tissue pressure for the treatment of pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers, wh...
“HAPA” stands for High-Authority Piezoelectric Actuator, which describes high-performance piezoelectric actuators of large stroke and blocking force. “HAPAs” are made possible by high-bending-stiffness connectors that connect...
Shape memory alloys and polymers are a class of smart materials that remember a pre-trained shape or form when exposed to an appropriate temperature. In this work, shape memory alloys consisting of wires, 1-way springs, and 2-way springs are describe...
The pronation/supination of the forearm are important movements to properly accomplish the activities of daily living. While several exoskeletons have been proposed for the rehabilitation of the arm, few of them have actively implemented the movement...
Individuals with impaired upper limbs have motor limitations that interfere with functionality. An alternative to rehabilitation is robot-assisted therapy, a method that increases the effectiveness of treatment. New robotic actuators have been develo...
In recent years, several legged/wheeled robots have been developed, and their effective functionality in locomotion on uneven terrains has been proved. Many robotics researchers have been focusing on improving the locomotion speed as well as the stab...
In this paper, a novel monolithic structural design of a piezoelectric (PZT) inchworm motor utilizing three force amplification mode (FAM) mechanisms is presented as an approach to overcome the design challenges of common PZT inchworm motors. A mecha...
Acoustic levitation forces can be used to manipulate small objects and liquid without mechanical contact or contamination. To use acoustic levitation for contactless robotic grippers, automated insertion of objects into the acoustic pressure field is...
Multistable structures that possess more than one elastically stable equilibrium state are highly attractive for advanced shape-changing (morphing) applications due to the nominal control effort required to maintain the structure in any of its specif...
A novel monolithic structural design of an electrostatic actuator with a multiple degree of freedom is presented as an approach for a system that is capable of performing scalable stroke and large electrostatic force beyond mN range. An electromechan...
Earlier research demonstrated that a pump-controlled hydraulic system combines the best properties of traditional hydraulics and electric intelligence. Thus, the new system has been proposed as a replacement for conventional valve-controlled systems,...
A current goal for microactuators is to extend their usually small working ranges, which typically result from mechanical connections and restoring forces imposed by cantilevers. In order to overcome this, we present a bistable levitation setup to re...
Dielectric elastomer (DE) technology opens up the possibility of constructing novel lightweight and energy-efficient mechatonic systems, whose design can be tailored to several applications. Numerous types of DE actuator (DEA) configurations, capable...
Recent advances in miniaturized actuators and sensors have enabled the development of cooperative systems, in which a complex global task is achieved through the joint collaboration of several microunits. Achieving system miniaturization while mainta...
Piezoelectric Actuators (PEAs) are devices that can support large actuation forces compared to their small size and are widely used in high-precision applications where micro- and nano-positioning are required. Nonetheless, these actuators have unden...
Due to the advantages of high energy efficiency and environmental friendliness, the electro-hydraulic actuator (EHA) plays a vital role in fluid power control. One variant of EHA, double pump direct driven hydraulics (DDH), is proposed, which consis...
This paper focuses on the electromechanical properties of novel sub-micron compliant metallic thin film electrodes for dielectric elastomer membranes. Electrodes with thicknesses within the range of 10–20 nm and different residual stress states...
This paper presents the design, fabrication and performance of origami-based folding microactuators based on NiTi films showing the one-way shape memory effect. Freestanding NiTi films are micromachined by laser cutting or photolithography to achieve...
This document reports the design, fabrication and performance of miniaturized locomotion systems employing flexible materials and 3D printed legs. The movement of the system was achieved by the first extensional mode of vibration of the platform of t...
The high work density and beneficial downscaling of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation performance provide a basis for the development of actuators and systems at microscales. Here, we report a novel monolithic fabrication approach for the co-integra...
This paper reports the design, fabrication and performance of Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) piezoelectric bidirectional conveyors featuring 3D-printed legs in bridge resonators. The structures consisted of aluminium-nitride (AlN) piezoelectr...
As a result of the energy crisis and further development of the electro-hydraulic actuator, double-pump direct driven hydraulics (DDH) was brought forward, which mainly comprises a servo motor, double fixed displacement pumps, a differential cylinde...
To provide high output force and to reduce the installation space, the electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) usually adopts asymmetric cylinder. However, comprehensive effects produced by its asymmetric flow, parameter uncertainties and unknown disturba...
This paper presents a low-cost, small-scale, electrohydrostatic actuator (EHA). This actuator leverages low-cost, mass-produced hydraulic components from the radio-controlled model industry, combined with a novel 3D printed valve. The system is capab...
A novel self-contained, electro-hydraulic cylinder drive capable of passive load-holding, four-quadrant operations, and energy recovery was presented recently and implemented successfully. This solution greatly improved energy efficiency and motion c...
A control circuit for inductive levitation micro-actuators was developed in this research, the circuit’s performance and its electrical parameters are discussed. The developed control circuit was fabricated on a four-layer printed circuit board (PCB)...
Increased performance in modern hydraulics is achieved by crucial investigation of possible enhancements of its components. Previous research has pointed out that electromechanical actuators can represent an alternative to hydraulic pilot control sys...
It is difficult to describe precisely, and thus control satisfactorily, the dynamics of an electrohydraulic actuator to drive a high thrust liquid launcher engine, whose structural resonant frequency is usually low due to its heavy inertia and its co...
