Search Results (19)

This paper presents robotic manipulation methods for rapid high-arc object transfer using dynamic, non-prehensile interactions. Two complementary techniques are introduced, two-fingered scoop-and-flick and one-fingered topple-and-flick, designed for objects with low and high centers of mass, respectively. Both methods enable a robot to retrieve objects resting on a surface and launch them into controlled projectile trajectories without requiring stable grasp formation. To support these maneuvers, we develop physics-based models of object acquisition and release, and combine them with a data-driven framework. While analytical modeling guides the acquisition phase, the highly nonlinear flicking dynamics are captured using learned predictive models that enable accurate selection of control parameters for desired trajectories. The proposed techniques enable dynamic object transfer, reduced grasp planning complexity, and adaptability to environmental constraints. Experiments conducted on a custom robotic platform demonstrate reliable and accurate high-arc object transfer, in which the majority of object displacement is achieved through projectile motion. Full article

Contrast-induced encephalopathy (CIE) is a rare complication after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that mimics intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Its computed tomography (CT) findings (cortical contrast enhancement, sulci effacement) overlap with cerebrovascular conditions (e.g., cerebral infarction, subarachnoid hemorrhage). Dual-energy CT (DECT) differentiates blood/calcification from iodinated contrast medium (CM) extravasation via material decomposition, contributing to the accurate diagnosis of CIE. We report a CIE case highlighting DECT’s value. A 74-year-old woman underwent PCI. 50 min post-PCI, she had moderate headache (Numeric Rating Scale 4), dizziness, non-projectile vomiting (no seizures); vital signs were stable, no focal deficits, mannitol ineffective. Non-contrast CT demonstrated a left parietal 75 Hounsfield unit (HU) high-attenuation lesion, indistinguishable from acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Conventional non-contrast CT revealed a high-attenuation lesion (75 HU) in the left parietal lobe—indistinguishable from ICH. DECT clarified the diagnosis: virtual non-contrast maps showed CM extravasation, iodine concentration maps confirmed focal CM accumulation, and effective atomic number maps improved lesion visualization. The patient’s headache resolved within 5 h; follow-up non-contrast CT at 24 h showed complete disappearance of the lesion. She resumed clopidogrel, discharged day 3 without sequelae. This case underscores DECT’s role in distinguishing CIE (transient CM, normal neuro exam) from ICH (persistent hemorrhage), guiding safe post-PCI antiplatelet therapy. Full article

Water-powered projectile-assisted injection molding (W-PAIM) is a novel injection molding technology that has been recently developed based on the ripe water-assisted injection molding (WAIM). Fiber orientation pattern and residual wall thickness (RWT) are two crucial factors determining the quality of W-PAIM parts composed of short fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (SFRTCs). However, limited work has been conducted on W-PAIM of SFRTC parts, which restricts its application process. In this work, an intensive investigation of W-PAIM parts composed of short fiber-reinforced polypropylene was conducted via a newly lab-developed W-PAIM platform. The results indicated that fibers were quite well oriented in the region extending from the core zone to the water channel, especially in the water channel zone, but randomly aligned in a small region near the mold wall. Nevertheless, fibers in the water channel zone of W-PAIM part were highly oriented, presenting an opposite alignment trend in fiber orientation compared to that in the water channel zone of the WAIM part as reported earlier. These disparities in fiber orientation between W-PAIM and WAIM parts were primarily attributed to the strong flow fields generated by projectile penetration. Additionally, the influence of three main processing parameters that significantly affected the projectile penetration on these two crucial factors was also investigated using the single-factor method. It was discovered that water injection delay time constituted the primary factor affecting the projectile penetration process, and reducing this time could greatly increase the relative thickness of the ordered area and the uniformity of RWT. More importantly, within the value range of the tested processing parameters, increased water pressure, elevated melt temperatures, and shorter water injection delay time could simultaneously improve fiber orientation and the uniformity of RWT in W-PAIM parts, which may improve the properties of W-PAIM parts and enlarge their application scope. This work provides a comprehensive guide for the fabrication of W-PAIM parts of SFRTCs. Full article

Aimed at addressing the strong nonlinearity and strong external disturbances that cause flight control issues in conventional guided projectiles, as well as the slow response and structural vibrations that often occur in sliding mode control systems, which have a detrimental impact on the control effect and ultimate hit precision, a new type of fast and robust control algorithm with a unidirectional mode has been designed. The objective is to design an optimized aerodynamic shape for the projectile and to establish a dynamic model of the roll channel and a motion model of the entire trajectory. The dynamics of a new global terminal sliding mode are proposed, and an adaptive parameter term is realized by calculating the state of the critical sliding mode surface, which ensures that the tracking error converges within a finite time. Its combination with an adaptive approaching law is used to further speed up convergence while damping the structural vibration of the system. The bias error of the roll angle is constructed as the controller and simulation calculations are conducted on the basis of the aforementioned framework. The stability and time convergence of the control system are demonstrated through Lyapunov theory. The results indicate that, in comparison to the conventional terminal sliding mode controller, the designed controller exhibits a markedly rapid convergence rate and stronger robustness in tracking the command signal. Moreover, it also maintains a stable motion attitude of the projectile throughout the entire process. The superior control effect under different guidance schemes and the strong external disturbances also further reflect the anti-jamming capability and tracking performance of the system. Full article

Due to constraints in launch platforms and cost, the maneuverability of gliding-guided projectiles is limited, necessitating a rational design of their trajectory schemes. To reduce the sensitivity of trajectory schemes to uncertainties while ensuring compatibility between flight schemes and guidance control systems and fully exploiting the control capability of the projectile, a closed-loop robust trajectory planning method is proposed. Models of major uncertain factors and state deviation at the control start point are established. Based on the NIPCE method, the stochastic dynamic model is transformed into a high-dimensional deterministic model with PCE coefficients as state variables, and the uncertainty propagation law is obtained. A PID algorithm is employed to design a tracking guidance law based on position error feedback, and open-loop and closed-loop robust trajectory planning models are established accordingly. The optimal control problem is solved by transforming it into a nonlinear programming problem using the direct shooting method. Our simulation results indicate that the NIPCE method can significantly improve the computational efficiency of uncertainty propagation while ensuring accuracy; compared with parallel MCS, the computation time is reduced by 96.8%. Open-loop robust planning can effectively mitigate the sensitivity of gliding trajectories to uncertainties (the standard deviations of terminal altitude and lateral deviations are reduced by 23.6% and 35.3%, respectively, compared to deterministic planning) but cannot completely eliminate terminal dispersion. Closed-loop robust planning effectively improves control effort consumption on the basis of open-loop planning. Full article

The accuracy of aerodynamically controlled guided projectile simulations is largely determined by the aerodynamic model employed in flight simulations which impacts vehicle interaction with the surrounding air. In this work, the performance of projectile path following with two distinct aerodynamic models is examined for their possible influence on trajectory following accuracy. The study incorporates the path following guidance algorithm, which enables the object to navigate along a predefined path. The simulation mathematical model is developed in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. In addition, by integrating the path-following algorithm with the two aerodynamic models, the dynamic behaviour of the aerodynamically controlled projectile can be compared. This allows for a more comprehensive analysis of the trajectory and the effects of each model on the desired flight path. Further research can explore the differences between the two models in greater detail and quantify their impact on unmanned projectile trajectory predictions, in addition to further exploring the specific characteristics and limitations of each model. This will involve analysing their assumptions, computational methods, and inputs to identify potential sources of error or uncertainty in the simulations. Moreover, these results have important implications for the design of aerodynamically controlled projectiles as well as a deeper understanding of aerodynamic mathematical modelling in flight simulation. Full article

The attitude measurement system based on geomagnetic information offers advantages such as small space requirements, fast response times, excellent resistance to high-overload conditions, and cost-effectiveness. However, during the flight process of a high-mobility guided spinning projectile, calculating attitude based on geomagnetic information often leads to non-unique solutions. To address this challenge, this paper proposes the Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter (AEKF) attitude estimation algorithm, based on geomagnetic vector information. Based on the analysis of the short-term attitude motion characteristics of the projectile, the Kalman state system equation and the nonlinear observation equation are established, along with real-time correction of the yaw angle and adaptive updates of parameters. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulations and experiments, demonstrating its ability to eliminate the dual solution problem inherent in traditional Single-Epoch algorithms. It notably improves the accuracy of pitch and roll angle estimation while providing precise estimates of attitude angular rates. Furthermore, the algorithm effectively mitigates the impact of magnetic disturbances on attitude determination. The proposed method has many potential applications in attitude measurement and navigation using geomagnetic data. Full article

This paper presents a deep learning approach to estimate a projectile trajectory in a GNSS-denied environment. For this purpose, Long-Short-Term-Memories (LSTMs) are trained on projectile fire simulations. The network inputs are the embedded Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data, the magnetic field reference, flight parameters specific to the projectile and a time vector. This paper focuses on the influence of LSTM input data pre-processing, i.e., normalization and navigation frame rotation, leading to rescale 3D projectile data over similar variation ranges. In addition, the effect of the sensor error model on the estimation accuracy is analyzed. LSTM estimates are compared to a classical Dead-Reckoning algorithm, and the estimation accuracy is evaluated via multiple error criteria and the position errors at the impact point. Results, presented for a finned projectile, clearly show the Artificial Intelligence (AI) contribution, especially for the projectile position and velocity estimations. Indeed, the LSTM estimation errors are reduced compared to a classical navigation algorithm as well as to GNSS-guided finned projectiles. Full article

Single-axis rotation modulation (SRM) still accumulates errors in the roll axis direction, which leads to the navigation accuracy not meeting the requirements of guided missiles. Compound rotation modulation (CRM) superimposes one-dimensional rotation on the basis of SRM, so that the error of the projectile in the direction of the roll axis is also modulated. However, the error suppression effect of CRM is not only affected by the error of the IMU itself, but also related to the modulation angular velocity. In order to improve the accuracy of rotary semi-strapdown inertial navigation system (RSSINS), this paper proposes an optimal rotation angular velocity determination method. Firstly, the residual error in CRM scheme is analyzed; then, the relationship between the incomplete modulation error and the modulation angular velocity in CRM is discussed; finally, a method for determining the optimal modulation angular velocity is proposed (K-value method). The analysis of the results shows that the navigation accuracy of the guided projectile is effectively improved with the rotation scheme set at the modulation angular velocity determined by the K-value method. Full article

In this review work, the passage of charged and neutral beams through dielectric capillary guides is described from a uniform point of view of beams channeling in capillaries. The motion of beams into the hollow channels formed by the inner walls of capillaries is mainly determined by multiple small-angle scattering (reflection) and can be described in the approximation of surface channeling. It is shown that the surface interaction potential in the case of micro- and nano-capillaries is actually conditioned by the curvature of the reflecting surface. After presenting the analysis of previously performed studies on X-rays propagation into capillaries, which is valid for thermal neutrons, too, the surface channeling formalism is also developed for charged particle beams, in particular, moving in curved cylindrical capillaries. Alternative theories explaining experimental results on the beams passage through capillaries are based on simple thermodynamic estimates, on various diffusion models, and on the results of direct numerical simulations as well. Our work is the first attempt to explain the effective guiding of a charged beam by a capillary from the general standpoint of quantum mechanics, which made it possible to analytically explore the interaction potential for surface channeling. It is established that, depending on the characteristics of a projectile and a dielectric forming the channel, the interaction potential can be either repulsive or attractive; the limiting values of the potential function for the corresponding cases are determined. It has been demonstrated that the surface channeling behaviour can help in explaining the efficient capillary guiding for radiations and beams. Full article

Projectiles are subjected to a high acceleration shock at launch (20,000 g and higher) and can spin very fast. Thus, the components of onboard navigation units must therefore withstand such constraints in addition to being inexpensive. This makes only a few inertial sensors suitable for projectiles navigation. Particularly, rate gyroscopes which are gun-hardened and have an appropriate operating range are not widely available. On the other hand, magneto-resistive sensors are inexpensive and can satisfy both gun-hardening and operating range requirements, making them an alternative for angular estimation in guided projectiles. This paper presents a gyroless navigation algorithm for projectiles. The lack of gyroscope is handled by the usage of attitude kinematics computed over past attitude estimates of the filter, coupled with a measurement model based on magnetometer and GPS observations of the attitude. The observability of the attitude when considering non-calibrated magnetometers and its dependency on the initialization is addressed. Then, to cope with the initialization dependency of the filter, we proposed a multi-hypothesis initialization algorithm. In terms of performance, the algorithm is shown to provide a high-rate navigation solution with an interesting performance. Full article

In this paper, a new dual-spin guided projectile that is equipped with ten lateral impulse jets is proposed for trajectory correction. To guide the overall design of the projectile and the control system, a linear motion model of the projectile that was subjected to a lateral impulse was obtained based on a full nonlinear seven-degree-of-freedom (7-DOF) dynamic model. The trajectory correction process of a lateral impulse was divided into two stages. To explain the principle of lateral impulse trajectory correction, the analytical solutions of the linear model of these two stages were obtained. Analytical and numerical solutions were compared to verify the accuracy of the linear model. It is concluded that the analytical and numerical solutions are in good agreement. Full article

In order to calibrate the magnetic measurement system used in guided munition on site, a two-stage calibration (TSC) scheme without reference is proposed in this paper. Analyzing the interfering magnetic field in the projectile and misalignment angles between the projectile coordinate system and measurement coordinate system establishes a proper mathematical equivalent model and derives a calibration method. The first stage is ellipsoid fitting to obtain the equivalent zero-offset, equivalent sensitivity and equivalent non-orthogonal angles of the sensor; the second stage is to calibrate the misalignment angles between the projectile coordinate system and the measurement coordinate system with the three-position calibration (TPC) method. Complete calibration is convenient to operate and does not need an additional reference, which has wide applicability. The simulation results show that the deviation in the measured value after compensation is within 100 nT. The experiment proves that the error of compensated magnetic value is about 150 nT, which meets the accuracy of requirements in guided munitions. Full article

Precision-guided projectiles, which can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of fire strikes, are on the rise in current military engagements. The accurate measurement of roll angular rate is critical to guide a gun-launched projectile. However, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) gyroscope with low cost and large range cannot meet the requirement of high precision roll angular rate measurement due to the limitation by the current technology level. Aiming at the problem, the optimization-based angular rate estimation (OBARS) method specific for projectiles is proposed in this study. First, the output angular rate model of redundant gyroscope system based on the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is established, and then the conventional random error model is improved with the ARIMA model. After that, a Sage-Husa Adaptive Kalman Filter (SHAKF) algorithm that can suppress the time-varying process and measurement noise under the flight condition of the high dynamic of the projectile is designed for the fusion of dynamic data. Finally, simulations and experiments have been carried out to validate the performance of the method. The results demonstrate the proposed method can effectively improve the angular rate accuracy more than the related traditional methods for high spinning projectiles. Full article

When designing a hand caliber with a high-temperature, high-pressure internal fluid transport pipe, reliability, safe use, and performance must be considered. Reliability refers to the stress caused by thermo-mechanical load; safe use refers to the low-temperature burns that might occur upon contact, and high-temperature burns caused by gas leakage occurring in the cylinder gap; and performance refers to projectile velocity. In this study, numerical simulation methods for heat transfer, structure analysis, and gas leakage are proposed so that solutions can be designed to account for the above three criteria. Furthermore, a hand-caliber design guide is presented. For heat transfer and structural analysis, mesh size, the transient convective heat transfer coefficient, and boundary conditions are described. Regarding gas leakage, methods reflecting projectile motion and determination of the molecular weight of the propellant are described. As a result, a designed hand caliber will have a high reliability, because the thermo-mechanical stress is lower than the yield stress. There will be little risk of low-temperature burns, but there will be a high temperature-burn risk, owing to gas leakage in the cylinder gap. The larger the cylinder-gap size, the greater the gas leakage and the smaller projectile velocity. The presented numerical simulation method can be applied to evaluate various aspects of other structures that require high-temperature, high-pressure fluid-transport pipes. Full article