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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 53042

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Prof. Dr. Domenico Mundo

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Guest Editor

DIMEG, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: gearing and transmissions; vehicle dynamics; numerical modelling of composite material for NVH simulations; kinematic synthesis and analysis of planar mechanisms
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Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Niola

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Napoli, Via Claudio 21, 80125 Napoli, Italy
Interests: vibrations; materials; mechanical properties; tribology and diagnostics of mechanical system; robotic finger; sensor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Third International Conference of IFToMM ITALY (ITIF 2020) (http://www.iftommitaly.it/ifit2020/) will be held in Naples, Italy, 9–11 September 2020.

The aim of this conference is to bring together researchers, industry professionals, and students not only from the Italian community and also representing the broad ranges of disciplines relevant to Mechanism Science, and gather in an intimate, collegial, and stimulating environment. The Third International Conference of the IFToMM ITALY association will be held at the School of Polytechnic and Basic Sciences of the University of Napoli “Federico II”, in Naples, Italy. The conference is under the patronage of IFToMM, the International Federation for the Promotion of Mechanism and Machine Science.

Papers are welcome on topics related to the aspects of theory, design, practice, and application of Mechanism and Machine Science, including but not limited to:

Biomechanical Engineering
Computational Kinematics
Dynamics of Machinery
Gearing and Transmissions
History of Mechanism Science
Industrial and Non-Industrial Applications
Mechanism Design
Mechatronics
Multibody Dynamics
Robotics
Rotor Dynamics
Tribology
Vehicle Dynamics and Control
Vibrations
Diagnostics of Mechanical Systems

Prof. Vincenzo Niola
Prof. Domenico Mundo
Guest Editors

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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.

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 165 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Italian Advances on MMS

by Vincenzo Niola and Domenico Mundo

Machines 2021, 9(4), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9040080 - 12 Apr 2021

Viewed by 1601

Abstract

The aim of this Special Issue is to disseminate recent developments in the field of Mechanism and Machine Science achieved by the Italian community through international collaborations, ranging from theoretical contributions to experimental and practical applications [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

16 pages, 5771 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Dual-Motor Planetary Transmission to Improve Efficiency in Electric Vehicles

by Giacomo Mantriota and Giulio Reina

Machines 2021, 9(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9030058 - 11 Mar 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 7512

Abstract

Electric cars are typically subject to highly variable operational conditions, especially when they drive in urban environments. Consequently, the efficiency of the electric motors may degrade significantly, possibly leading to lower autonomy and higher running costs. Latest advances in power electronics and motion control have paved the way to the development of novel architectures of full electric power transmissions. In this paper, a dual-motor solution is proposed where two smaller motors are coupled via a planetary gear, in contrast to the standard configuration that uses one larger motor directly connected to the drive wheels with a fixed ratio reducer. The dual-motor architecture guarantees that both motors operate in the vicinity of their optimal working range, resulting in a higher overall energy efficiency. The technical requirements and the control strategy of the dual-motor system are selected through a parametric optimization process. Results included were obtained from extensive simulations performed over different standard driving cycles, showing that the dual-motor power transmission generally outperforms the single-motor counterpart with an average efficiency improvement of about 9% that is reached in both the power delivery and regeneration stage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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21 pages, 31268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geometric Design and Prototyping of a (2-RRU)-URR Parallel Mechanism for Thumb Rehabilitation Therapy

by Woo-hyeok Choi and Yukio Takeda

Machines 2021, 9(3), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9030050 - 26 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4158

Abstract

In this paper, the geometrical design of a (2-RRU)-URR (where R and U stand for the revolute and universal joints, respectively) parallel mechanism was demonstrated for thumb rehabilitation therapy. This paper consists of two parts: the design procedure for the development of a thumb rehabilitation device and the user experiment with the prototype. Because the hand generally has a limited working area, the design of the hand attachment parts and the placement of the actuators requires careful consideration of the various factors. Along with the kinematic requirements of the device, the interaction between the mechanism and the fingers must be considered. The proposed mechanism has three actuators placed in the hand attachment. When the mechanism is attached to the hand, there is the possibility of collisions between the fingers of the user and the mechanism. Two design candidates were devised while considering the limited working area of the hand and the need to avoid collisions. Due to the dependency of the workspace on the placement of the actuators, a comparison of the workspace of the two candidate designs and the target workspace was carried out. The target workspace was determined through the use of thumb trajectory measurement data. A prototype was manufactured using 3D printed plastic and aluminum materials. To confirm the practical performance of the prototype, user experiments were conducted in which a comparison between the thumb measurement data and the controlled trajectory of each person was done. Motion in two directions, specifically, adduction–abduction and flexion–extension were performed. The results showed that the controlled trajectory of flexion–extension were closely matched to the thumb measurement trajectory. Finally, the experimental results are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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16 pages, 4110 KiB

Open AccessArticle

On the Benefits of Using Object-Oriented Programming for the Objective Evaluation of Vehicle Dynamic Performance in Concurrent Simulations

by Michele Perrelli, Francesco Cosco, Giuseppe Carbone, Basilio Lenzo and Domenico Mundo

Machines 2021, 9(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9020041 - 15 Feb 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3566

Abstract

Assessing passenger cars’ dynamic performance is a critical aspect for car industries, due to its impact on the overall vehicle safety evaluation and the subjective nature of the involved handling and comfort metrics. Accordingly, ISO standards, such as ISO 4138 and ISO 3888, define several specific driving tests to assess vehicle dynamics performance objectively. Consequently, proper evaluation of the dynamic behaviour requires measuring several physical quantities, including accelerations, speed, and linear and angular displacements obtained after instrumenting a vehicle with multiple sensors. This experimental activity is highly demanding in terms of hardware costs, and it is also significantly time-consuming. Several approaches can be considered for reducing vehicle development time. In particular, simulation software can be exploited to predict the approximate behaviour of a vehicle using virtual scenarios. Moreover, motion platforms and detail-scalable numerical vehicle models are widely implemented for the purpose. This paper focuses on a customized simulation environment developed in C++, which exploits the advantages of object-oriented programming. The presented framework strives to perform concurrent simulations of vehicles with different characteristics such as mass, tyres, engine, suspension, and transmission systems. Within the proposed simulation framework, we adopted a hierarchical and modular representation. Vehicles are modelled by a 14 degree-of-freedom (DOF) full-vehicle model, capable of capturing the dynamics and complemented by a set of scalable-detail models for the remaining sub-systems such as tyre, engine, and steering system. Furthermore, this paper proposes the usage of autonomous virtual drivers for a more objective evaluation of vehicle dynamic performances. Moreover, to further evaluate our simulator architecture’s efficiency and assess the achieved level of concurrency, we designed a benchmark able to analyse the scaling of the performances with respect to the number of different vehicles during the same simulation. Finally, the paper reports the proposed simulation environment’s scalability resulting from a set of different and varying driving scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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23 pages, 8684 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Analytical Study on the Cornering Behavior of an Articulated Tracked Vehicle

by Antonio Tota, Enrico Galvagno and Mauro Velardocchia

Machines 2021, 9(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9020038 - 9 Feb 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4754

Abstract

Articulated tracked vehicles have been traditionally studied and appreciated for the extreme maneuverability and mobility flexibility in terms of grade and side slope capabilities. The articulation joint represents an attractive and advantageous solution, if compared to the traditional skid steering operation, by avoiding any trust adjustment between the outside and inside tracks. This paper focuses on the analysis and control of an articulated tracked vehicle characterized by two units connected through a mechanical multiaxial joint that is hydraulically actuated to allow the articulated steering operation. A realistic eight degrees of freedom mathematical model is introduced to include the main nonlinearities involved in the articulated steering behavior. A linearized vehicle model is further proposed to analytically characterize the cornering steady-state and transient behaviors for small lateral accelerations. Finally, a hitch angle controller is designed by proposing a torque-based and a speed-based Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) logics. The controller is also verified by simulating maneuvers typically adopted for handling analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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16 pages, 5085 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Collision Avoidance Strategy for Redundant Manipulators in Dynamically Variable Environments: On-Line Perturbations of Off-Line Generated Trajectories

by Cecilia Scoccia, Giacomo Palmieri, Matteo Claudio Palpacelli and Massimo Callegari

Machines 2021, 9(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9020030 - 4 Feb 2021

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3768

Abstract

In this work, a comprehensive control strategy for obstacle avoidance in redundant manipulation is presented, consisting of a combination of off-line path planning algorithms with on-line motion control. Path planning allows the avoidance of fixed obstacles detected before the start of the robot’s motion; it is based on the potential fields method combined with a smoothing process realized by means of interpolation with Bezier curves. The on-line motion control is designed to compensate for the motion of the obstacles and to avoid collisions along the kinematic chain of the manipulator; it is realized by means of a velocity control law based on the null space method for redundancy control. A new term is introduced in the control law to take into account the speed of the obstacles as well as their position. Simulations on a simplified planar case are presented to assess the validity of the algorithms and to estimate the computational effort in order to verify the transferability of our approach to a real system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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22 pages, 30199 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scalable Output Linear Actuators, a Novel Design Concept Using Shape Memory Alloy Wires Driven by Fluid Temperature

by Andres Osorio Salazar, Yusuke Sugahara, Daisuke Matsuura and Yukio Takeda

Machines 2021, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9010014 - 14 Jan 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4318

Abstract

In this paper, the concept of scalability for actuators is introduced and explored, which is the capability to freely change the output characteristics on demand: displacement and force for a linear actuator, angular position and torque for a rotational actuator. This change can either be used to obtain power improvement (with a constant scale factor), or to improve the usability of a robotic system according to variable conditions (with a variable scale factor). Some advantages of a scalable design include the ability to adapt to changing environments, variable resolution of step size, ability to produce designs that are adequate for restricted spaces or that require strict energy efficiency, and intrinsically safe systems. Current approaches for scalability in actuators have shortcomings: the method to achieve scalability is complex, so obtaining a variable scaling factor is challenging, or they cannot scale both output characteristics simultaneously. Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wire-based actuators can overcome these limitations, because its two output characteristics, displacement and force, are physically independent from each other. In this paper we present a novel design concept for linear scalable actuators that overcome SMA design and scalability limitations by using a variable number of SMA wires mechanically in parallel, immersed in a liquid that transmits heat from a separate heat source (wet activation). In this concept, more wires increase the maximum attainable force, and longer wires increase the maximum displacement. Prototypes with different number of SMA wires were constructed and tested in isometric experiments to determine force vs. temperature behavior and time response. The heat-transmitting liquid was either static or flowing using pumps. Scalability was achieved with a simple method in all tested prototypes with a linear correlation of maximum force to number of SMA wires. Flowing heat transmission achieved higher actuation bandwidth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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17 pages, 10547 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Definition of Damage Indices for Railway Axle Bearings: Results of Long-Lasting Tests

by Paolo Pennacchi, Steven Chatterton, Andrea Vania and Davide Massocchi

Machines 2021, 9(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9010012 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3965

Abstract

The European Rail Transport System has set goals of improving the reliability, availability, durability, high-speed capacity, and maintenance. In this context, the condition monitoring approach is of fundamental importance for all components of the “train” system. The authors have long been in the diagnostics of the railway traction system, with a focus on rolling element bearings. In this paper, signal processing techniques, already developed in the past and experimentally validated in the railway field, are applied to vibration data for the definition of damage indices for railway axle bearings. This allows to evaluate the “status” of the bearing and the monitoring of the evolution of any damage that may occur. The experimental data were obtained by means of a test-rig built according to EN 12082:2017 and following the test specifications of the same standard. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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19 pages, 7843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Position and Singularity Analysis of a Class of Planar Parallel Manipulators with a Reconfigurable End-Effector

by Tommaso Marchi, Giovanni Mottola, Josep M. Porta, Federico Thomas and Marco Carricato

Machines 2021, 9(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9010007 - 11 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3579

Abstract

Parallel robots with configurable platforms are a class of robots in which the end-effector has an inner mobility, so that its overall shape can be reconfigured: in most cases, the end-effector is thus a closed-loop kinematic chain composed of rigid links. These robots have a greater flexibility in their motion and control with respect to rigid-platform parallel architectures, but their kinematics is more challenging to analyze. In our work, we consider n-RRR planar configurable robots, in which the end-effector is a chain composed of n links and revolute joints, and is controlled by n rotary actuators located on the base of the mechanism. In particular, we study the geometrical design of such robots and their direct and inverse kinematics for

n = 4

n = 5

and

n = 6

; we employ the bilateration method, which can simplify the kinematic analysis and allows us to generalize the approach and the results obtained for the 3-RRR mechanism to n-RRR robots (with

n > 3

). Then, we study the singularity configurations of these robot architectures. Finally, we present the results from experimental tests that have been performed on a 5–RRR robot prototype. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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12 pages, 6176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical System Control by RGB-D Device

by Chiara Cosenza, Armando Nicolella, Daniele Esposito, Vincenzo Niola and Sergio Savino

Machines 2021, 9(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines9010003 - 27 Dec 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3335

Abstract

Computer vision for control is a growing domain of research and it is widespread in industry and the autonomous vehicle field. A further step is the employment of low-cost cameras to perform these applications. To apply such an approach, the development of proper algorithms to interpret vision data is mandatory. Here, we firstly propose the development of an algorithm to measure the displacement of a mechanical system in contactless mode. Afterwards, we show two procedures that use a 3D camera as a feedback in control strategies. The first one aims to track a moving object. In the second one, the information gained from vision data acquisition allows the mechanical system control to ensure the equilibrium of a ball placed on a moving slide. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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15 pages, 4044 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

A Smart Stent for Monitoring Eventual Restenosis: Computational Fluid Dynamic and Finite Element Analysis in Descending Thoracic Aorta

by Betsy D. M. Chaparro-Rico, Fabio Sebastiano and Daniele Cafolla

Machines 2020, 8(4), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines8040081 - 24 Nov 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4366

Abstract

Even though scientific studies of smart stents are extensive, current smart stents focus on pressure sensors. This paper presents a novel implantable biocompatible smart stent for monitoring eventual restenosis. The device is comprised of a metal mesh structure, a biocompatible and adaptable envelope, and pair-operated ultrasonic sensors for restenosis monitoring through flow velocity. Aside from continuous monitoring of restenosis post-implantation, it is also important to evaluate whether the stent design itself causes complications such as restenosis or thrombosis. Therefore, computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis before and after stent implantation were carried out as well as finite element analysis (FEA). The proposed smart stent was put in the descending thoracic section of a virtually reconstructed aorta that comes from a computed tomography (CT) scan. Blood flow velocity showed that after stent implantation, there is not liquid retention or vortex generation. In addition, blood pressures after stent implantation were within the normal blood pressure values. The stress and the factor of safety (FOS) analysis showed that the stress values reached by the stent are very far from the yield strength limit of the materials and that the stent is stiff enough to support the applied loads exported from the CFD results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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16 pages, 2777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of a Wearable Robotic System for Ankle Rehabilitation

by Matteo Russo and Marco Ceccarelli

Machines 2020, 8(3), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines8030048 - 27 Aug 2020

Cited by 44 | Viewed by 6346

Abstract

As one of the most commonly injured joints of the human body, the ankle is often subject to sprains or fractures that require motion assistance to recover mobility. Whereas physiotherapists usually perform rehabilitation in one-on-one sessions with patients, several successful robotic rehabilitation solutions have been proposed in the last years. However, their design is usually bulky and requires the patient to sit or stand in a static position. A lightweight wearable device for ankle motion assistance, the CABLEankle, is here proposed for motion ankle exercising in rehabilitation and training. The CABLEankle is based on a cable-driven S-4SPS parallel architecture, which enables motion assistance over the large motion range of the human ankle in a walking gait. The proposed mechanism design is analyzed with kinematic and static models, and the force closure workspace of the mechanism is discussed with analytical results. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed design is investigated through numerical simulations over the ankle motion range as a characterization of the peculiar motion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Italian Advances on MMS)

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