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Mechanism and Machine Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Contributions from...
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Mechanism and Machine Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Contributions from the I4SDG 2025 Conference

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 2160

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Carbone

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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: robotics; robot design; mechatronics; walking hexapod; design procedure; mechanics of machinery; leg–wheel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Andrea Botta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Interests: applied mechanics; articulated robots; automation and robotics; autonomous robot; mchanism design; mobile manipulator; mobile robots; precision agriculture; robotics rehabilitation devices; service robotics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue featuring selected papers from the Third IFToMM International Conference for Sustainable Development Goals (I4SDG 2025). This collection will highlight outstanding research presented at the forum that aligns with the United Nations 2030 Development Agenda and emphasizes the role of Mechanism and Machine Science (MMS) in fostering sustainable development.

About the IFToMM and this Special Issue

The International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science (IFToMM) is a globally active scientific community committed to advancing mechanical engineering knowledge and practice. Through initiatives like I4SDG, the IFToMM actively contributes to addressing global challenges by supporting technologies that promote sustainability, inclusiveness, and responsible innovation.

This Special Issue aims to:

  • Showcase the IFToMM’s contributions toward achieving selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
  • Present cutting-edge research from the IFToMM community with direct relevance to sustainability within the MMS domain;
  • Raise awareness of the SDGs in the context of MMS research and education;
  • Foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, engineers, and scholars from both technological and humanistic disciplines;
  • Strengthen the global network of researchers committed to developing sustainable engineering solutions.

Topics of Interest

We welcome original research articles, case studies, and reviews related to the theory, design, application, and practice of Mechanism and Machine Science in the context of sustainability. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Biomechanical Engineering;
  • Linkages and Mechanical Control;
  • Sustainable Energy Systems;
  • Robotics and Mechatronics;
  • Intelligent Mechatronics;
  • Green Tribology;
  • Humanitarian Engineering and Appropriate Technologies;
  • Socio-Technical Systems for Sustainable and Inclusive Development;
  • Education in MMS and SDGs;
  • Computational Kinematics;
  • Gearing and Transmissions;
  • Vibrations and Reliability;
  • Rotordynamics and Multibody Dynamics;
  • Micromachines;
  • Engines and Powertrains;
  • History and Terminology of MMS.

We look forward to your valuable contributions that support the mission of leveraging MMS for sustainable development.

Dr. Giuseppe Carbone
Dr. Andrea Botta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • robotics and mechatronics
  • green tribology
  • gearing and transmissions
  • rotordynamics and multibody dynamics
  • engines and powertrains
  • sustainable energy systems

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1179 KB  
Article
CO2 Footprint Reduction in Hydraulically Driven Industrial Machinery: Applications of a Sustainability-Conscious Management Strategy Based on a Controlled Pressure Supply
by Paolo Righettini, Roberto Strada, Filippo Cortinovis, Jasmine Santinelli and Federico Tabaldi
Machines 2026, 14(5), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14050503 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 240
Abstract
Energy efficiency and sustainability are core issues in the modern design and management of industrial machinery and plants. These concerns are reflected and reinforced by the Sustainable Development Goal 9 of the United Nations (SDG9), “Industry, innovation and infrastructure”, which enshrines efficiency and [...] Read more.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are core issues in the modern design and management of industrial machinery and plants. These concerns are reflected and reinforced by the Sustainable Development Goal 9 of the United Nations (SDG9), “Industry, innovation and infrastructure”, which enshrines efficiency and optimized energy use as key features of sustainable production systems. As the engineering of industrial machinery reorients itself towards energy sustainability, attention is naturally shifting to actuators, since these components unavoidably waste part of the considerable amount of energy they absorb to execute their functions. Hydraulic actuation systems, while uniquely suited to heavy-duty applications, are particularly affected by poor energy conversion efficiency, in part due to their intrinsic properties but also because of outdated yet still common industrial practices. Consequently, for this actuation technology, there are wide margins for improvement in terms of energy waste reduction and increased environmental sustainability. This paper, therefore, investigates new applications for a management and control method conceived by the authors to drastically and systematically reduce the energy consumption of hydraulic actuators. The method is easily retrofittable to existing plants, being based on the unconventional and non-invasive deployment of a continuous-control electrohydraulic valve (CCEV) to control the supply pressure, whose required value is estimated according to the instantaneous load demands. Through the simulation of several industrial processes characterized by process parameters of varying orders of magnitude, this paper demonstrates that this innovative use of a CCEV for supply pressure regulation is an effective and widely applicable solution for energy savings and CO2 footprint reduction in production systems that rely on hydraulic servo axes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Machine Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Contributions from the I4SDG 2025 Conference)
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21 pages, 37555 KB  
Article
Design Criteria for Robotic Rehabilitation Medical Devices: The PICO-Driven Approach
by Cinzia Amici, Riccardo Buraschi, Mihai Dragusanu, Massimiliano Gobbo, Silvia Logozzo, Monica Malvezzi, Joel Pollet, Monica Tiboni and Maria Cristina Valigi
Machines 2026, 14(3), 303; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14030303 - 6 Mar 2026
Viewed by 570
Abstract
The translation of knowledge and methodologies across disciplines represents a valuable source of innovation, particularly in user-centered design approaches that have become essential in medical device development. This study explores the use of the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) framework, a cornerstone [...] Read more.
The translation of knowledge and methodologies across disciplines represents a valuable source of innovation, particularly in user-centered design approaches that have become essential in medical device development. This study explores the use of the PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome) framework, a cornerstone of evidence-based medicine for formulating clinical questions, as a conceptual structure to support the alignment between clinical needs and engineering design consideration in robotic rehabilitation devices, with a focus on hand exoskeletons. Through a conceptual reinterpretation and application-oriented exploration supported by illustrative case studies involving both rigid and soft robotic glove prototypes, this study shows how each PICO component can inform engineering parameters, from defining user impairments and intervention strategies to benchmarking and outcome measurements. The analysis highlights the potential of PICO in fostering a user-centered design perspective and bridging clinical and engineering domains while also identifying its structural limitations when applied to device design contexts. This study concludes that while the PICO framework offers a valuable foundational structure, it requires customization to fully address the multifactorial requirements of effective, patient-specific robotic rehabilitation device design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Machine Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Contributions from the I4SDG 2025 Conference)
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16 pages, 2221 KB  
Article
A Comparative Study of Natural and Exact Elastic Balancing Methods for the RR-4R-R Manipulator
by Luca Bruzzone, Matteo Verotti and Pietro Fanghella
Machines 2025, 13(11), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13111023 - 6 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 650
Abstract
If elastic elements are introduced into the mechanical architecture of a robotic manipulator, a free vibration response (Natural Motion) arises that can be exploited to reduce energy consumption in cyclic motions, such as pick-and-place tasks. In this work, this approach is applied to [...] Read more.
If elastic elements are introduced into the mechanical architecture of a robotic manipulator, a free vibration response (Natural Motion) arises that can be exploited to reduce energy consumption in cyclic motions, such as pick-and-place tasks. In this work, this approach is applied to the RR-4R-R manipulator, which is derived from the SCARA robot by replacing the prismatic joint that drives the vertical motion of the end-effector with a four-bar mechanism. This mechanical modification lowers friction and facilitates the introduction of a balancing elastic element. If the elastic element is designed to provide indifferent equilibrium at any position (exact elastic balancing), the actuators need only to overcome the inertial forces; this approach is convenient for slow motions. Conversely, if the elastic element balances gravity exactly only in the median vertical position of the end-effector, Natural Motion around this position arises, and it can be exploited to reduce energy consumption in fast cyclic motions, where inertial forces become prevalent. The threshold of convenience between exact balancing and natural balancing has been evaluated for the RR-4R-R robot by means of a multibody model, assessing different performance indices: the maximum torque of the four-bar actuator, the integral control effort, and the mechanical energy. The simulation campaign was carried out considering different trajectory shapes and the influence of finite stop phases, highlighting the potential benefits of exploiting Natural Motion in robotized manufacturing lines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism and Machine Science for Sustainable Development Goals: Contributions from the I4SDG 2025 Conference)
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