Search Results (396)

Elevators exemplify mechatronics by integrating mechanical, electrical, and software systems. This paper discusses a four-story tabletop elevator model developed to demonstrate mechatronics and automation concepts in engineering education. The system utilized an Arduino MEGA microcontroller, 3D-printed components, an integrated servo motor, and standard electronics to replicate commercial elevator logic. The physical design features a ball screw linear actuator for vertical motion. It replicates dual-door systems with one door on the moving car and fixed doors at each floor that open simultaneously upon arrival. Development included designing the physical model, prototyping control algorithms, and integrating hardware and software. The model successfully demonstrated key functions: automatic dual-door operation, safety interlocks, smooth inter-floor motion, responsive floor-selection buttons with LED feedback, and efficient routing algorithms prioritizing requests based on current direction and location. Performance testing confirmed that the model accurately replicates modern elevator behavior and serves as an effective educational tool. Full article

An Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (EHA) constitutes a representative servo motor-driven control system, where motor torque ripple stands as a dominant contributor to electromagnetic noise and torsional vibration. Consequently, the suppression of torque ripple represents a pivotal challenge for elevating the operational performance of EHA. This work first investigates the fundamental operating principle of EHA and develops a model to characterize the origins of torque ripple. Building upon this model, a current harmonic analysis is conducted, and a harmonic injection strategy is employed to eliminate harmonic components within the EHA current during operation, thereby refining the EHA current waveform. Simulation outcomes validate the efficacy of the proposed approach, which realizes successful suppression of current harmonics and torque ripple in the EHA system. Full article

This paper proposes a novel asymptotic secure tracking controller for motor servo systems. By introducing a novel asymptotic disturbance observer, the system uncertainties can be asymptotically estimated and compensated. Furthermore, by introducing a tracking error-based barrier function, it can achieve that the system output remains within the prescribed time-varying constraint boundaries. Additionally, a nonlinear asymptotic filter is incorporated into the design, which effectively circumvents the inherent “explosion of complexity” issue and achieves asymptotic tracking performance. Finally, the stability of the system is demonstrated through Lyapunov-based theoretical analysis, and the effectiveness of the proposed controller is validated by simulation results. Full article

This paper presents the design and field evaluation of a low-cost automatic steering system for agricultural tractors. The system employs a PID controller whose gains are tuned using a metaheuristic optimization method. Core hardware includes an ESP32 microcontroller, an MPU9250 inertial measurement unit, a GPS module, and a servo motor for closed-loop yaw angle control, with a complementary filter fusing gyroscope and magnetometer data for robust heading estimation. Nine optimization algorithms were systematically compared: Grid Search, Random Search, Bayesian Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Moth-Flame Optimization (MFO), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA). A cost function combining overshoot and settling time was used. Step response analysis showed that WOA achieved the best performance, with an integral absolute error of 6.31°·s, a settling time of 2.15 s, and a minimal overshoot of 0.08°. In field tests on asphalt and farmland, the WOA-tuned system reduced lateral deviation by 69% (from 12.4 cm to 3.8 cm) and 67% (from 18.7 cm to 6.2 cm), respectively, compared to manual steering. Repeated-measures ANOVA and paired t-tests confirmed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.001) with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d > 2.7). The core components cost under $150 USD. The study offers a reproducible pipeline for comparative metaheuristic evaluation in agricultural vehicle guidance. Full article

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) have been widely used in new-energy vehicles and industrial servo systems. However, demagnetization faults (DMFs) can lead to severe issues, including torque ripple and magnetic field distortion. This paper proposes an intelligent diagnostic approach for DMFs based on stator tooth flux (STF). A mathematical model of STF is formulated, and the magnetic flux change is measured using multiple sets of anti-series-connected detection coils (DCs). By combining finite element simulation with signal processing technology, we establish a comprehensive diagnostic system covering fault feature extraction, fault location identification, and severity assessment is established. The proposed method employs wavelet transform (WT) to extract time-frequency features of voltage signals and combines it with a convolutional neural network (CNN) to form the WT-CNN intelligent diagnosis model. Based on the extracted voltage signal features, the method achieves intelligent identification and visual localization of DMFs. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves an accuracy above 80% for fault location identification (defined as sample-level multi-label classification accuracy across 12 PMs) and above 85% for demagnetization severity estimation (defined as classification accuracy across 9 severity degrees from 10% to 90%). These results provide an effective technical foundation for motor condition monitoring and fault early warning in simulation environments. Full article

Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven position servo systems in high-speed flight vehicles face severe challenges from extreme thermal environments, which induce significant parameter variations up to 25% (e.g., motor torque constant) and complex multi-scale disturbances. This paper proposes a novel adaptive robust control strategy integrating three key components: (1) an ultra-local model formulation motivated by physically consistent thermal effect analysis of electromagnetic, mechanical, and tribological parameters; (2) a dual-layer disturbance observer architecture comprising a third-order finite-time convergent extended state observer (FTCESO) for fast-varying disturbances and a σ-modification adaptive estimator for slow-varying thermal drifts; and (3) a global nonlinear integral terminal sliding mode controller with a cycloidal reaching law. Stability analysis based on homogeneous system theory and Lyapunov methods establishes practical finite-time convergence with explicit bounds. The experimental results on a TMS320F28335-based servo platform demonstrate that the proposed method reduces the maximum position deviation by 83–94% compared to PID, LADRC, and conventional SMC controllers under the tested disturbance conditions, achieving settling time reductions exceeding 90%. Under combined thermal drift and external loading, the proposed approach limits the maximum tracking error to below 0.45° while maintaining a steady-state error under 0.08°. Full article

Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-based servo actuators are fundamental to high-performance electromechanical systems. However, in energy-sensitive aerospace applications, the impact of tracking error on system-level efficiency remains insufficiently quantified. This paper establishes an energy-oriented analytical framework linking PMSM tracking accuracy to vehicle-level energy consumption and flight range. By employing a specific mechanical energy formulation, we demonstrate that tracking deviations modify aerodynamic drag and introduce additional dissipative work. Specifically, the accumulated dissipation is shown to admit a lower bound proportional to the integral of the squared tracking error, from which a range degradation bound is derived. These results reveal that “tracking-error energy” imposes a fundamental limit on achievable flight distance. A Lyapunov-based analysis further proves that minimizing this error energy reduces total aerodynamic dissipation without requiring modifications to propulsion scheduling or guidance laws. Numerical simulations comparing a conventional sliding mode controller with an advanced fuzzy-adaptive nonsingular terminal sliding mode controller confirm that enhanced servo precision directly improves velocity retention and range performance. This framework offers practical insights for designing energy-aware PMSM control strategies in energy-constrained aerospace platforms. Full article

The gimbal servo system in a control moment gyroscope (CMG) is critical for high-precision spacecraft attitude control, where comprehensive performance testing and evaluation are essential for ensuring spacecraft reliability and service life. Traditional motor testbenches exhibit limitations, whereas the electric motor emulator (EME) based on power electronic converters is a promising alternative for testing extreme operating conditions, such as ultra-low speed operation and fault scenarios. However, existing EME control methods suffer from limited system bandwidth and insufficient emulation accuracy, which limits their applicability. To address these issues, this paper proposes an improved current control strategy for the ultra-low speed permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) emulator. First, a mathematical model of the EME based on the topology of the voltage source converter is established. Then, based on the deadbeat control concept, a deadbeat predictive current control (DPCC) strategy is developed to enhance the dynamic performance. Furthermore, to suppress the parameter mismatch disturbance, an optimization scheme based on a cascaded extended state observer (CESO) is introduced. The first-stage ESO is applied to estimate and compensate for total disturbances, while the second-stage ESO is a supplement to suppress the remaining disturbances in the EME system, which improves the robustness of the DPCC controller. Finally, the effectiveness of the improved emulation accuracy of the proposed method is verified through experiments. Full article

The growing need for remote patient monitoring, accelerated by the global pandemic and an aging population, necessitates the development of advanced non-contact technologies for measuring vital signs. In this study, an integrated, non-contact system for accurately measuring heart rate (HR) and body temperature (BT) is developed and validated. The proposed system combines a 60 GHz radar sensor and infrared (IR) sensor for HR and BT measurements, respectively, enhanced with advanced signal processing and an AI-based computer vision algorithm. A Window Filter and a Peak Uniformity algorithm were applied to the raw radar signal to mitigate noise and motion artifacts. For Temp measurement, an IR sensor with a narrow five-degree field of view (FOV) was integrated with a YOLO Pose-based tracking system using a camera and servo motors to automatically orient the sensor towards the user’s face. The system was validated with 30 healthy adult participants, benchmarked against a MAX30102 PPG sensor and Braun ThermoScan 7 for BT and BT measurements, respectively. The advanced signal processing reduced the HR Mean Absolute Error from 13.73 BPM to 5.28 BPM (p = 0.002), while the AI-guided IR sensor reduced the BT MAE from 4.10 °C to 1.64 °C (p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate that integrating 60 GHz radar with AI-driven tracking provides a promising approach for home-based trend monitoring. Full article

Permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) are utilized in demanding conditions and applications requiring precision and accuracy, such as servo systems. Especially at low speeds, the effects of cogging torque, current measurement and offset errors, improper controller gains, mechanical resonance, and torque fluctuations caused by load torque and flux result in fluctuations at various frequencies in the motor output speed. This study, motivated by two factors, proposes an extended state observer (ESO)-based multivariable fast response extremum-seeking (FESC) interval type-2 fuzzy PID (IT2FPID) controller to improve dynamic response and reduce speed ripple at low speeds in situations where all these negative factors could arise. This approach enables the real-time adaptation of parameters to counteract the decline in controller performance caused by the nonlinear characteristics of PMSMs and parameter fluctuations while also optimizing disturbance rejection in the speed response under varying operating conditions and existing speed ripple. The experimental results from the prototype setup validate that the proposed control mechanism is functional, valid, and precise in diminishing speed ripples during low-speed operations. The simulation and test outcomes of the control scheme show that speed noise at low speeds is reduced from 26% to 3% compared to traditional proportional-integral (PI) controller and supertwisting (STW) sliding mode controller (SMC) responses and that the scheme exhibits a 16–23% reduction in undershoot amplitude and faster recovery in the presence of load torque variations. Full article

Reliable control of robotic hands using residual muscle activity is challenging due to low-amplitude myoelectric signals, susceptibility to noise, and the need for real-time actuation. This paper presents a myoelectric-controlled robotic hand capable of voluntary independent finger motion. Surface myoelectric signals from the forearm are processed via amplification, filtering, and digital analysis to enable accurate detection of muscle activity. The system achieves independent and simultaneous actuation of five fingers using a tendon-driven, servo-actuated mechanism in a lightweight ABS structure. Experimental evaluation demonstrates finger actuation delays ranging from 314 ms to 650 ms, maximum holding strengths between 1.75 N and 4.07 N, and minimum gripping distances between 22 mm and 49 mm across all five fingers, with peak motor currents remaining below 0.7 A. Results validate consistent muscle activity detection, successful execution of individual and combined finger movements, and the robustness of the proposed design. Full article

Addressing the challenges of large-scale gesture recognition models, high computational complexity, and inefficient deployment on embedded devices, this study designs and implements a visual dynamic gesture recognition system based on a lightweight CNN-LSTM-DSA model. The system captures user hand images via a camera, extracts 21 keypoint 3D coordinates using MediaPipe, and employs a lightweight hybrid model to perform spatial and temporal feature modeling on keypoint sequences, achieving high-precision recognition of complex dynamic gestures. In static gesture recognition, the system determines the gesture state through joint angle calculation and a sliding window smoothing algorithm, ensuring smooth mapping of the servo motor angles and stability of the robotic hand’s movements. In dynamic gesture recognition, the system models the key point time series based on the CNN-LSTM-DSA hybrid model, enabling accurate classification and reproduction of gesture actions. Experimental results show that the proposed system demonstrates good robustness under various lighting and background conditions, with a static gesture recognition accuracy of up to 96%, dynamic gesture recognition accuracy of 90.19%, and an overall response delay of less than 300 ms. Full article

The proportional integral derivative (PI) controller remains the predominant algorithm employed in engineering applications. Nevertheless, existing PI tuning methodologies, whether classical or contemporary, are often characterized by indirectness and limited accuracy or by excessive complexity that hinders practical implementation. Moreover, the influence of the noise filter incorporated within the feedback loop on the closed-loop system performance has not been comprehensively evaluated in these tuning strategies. Consequently, the resulting PI parameters frequently demonstrate suboptimal performance, necessitating empirical on-site adjustments through trial and error. To address these limitations, this study proposes a novel PI controller tuning approach that explicitly integrates the noise filter and directly designs the closed-loop system to meet specified bandwidth criteria. Additionally, the proposed method guarantees the absence of resonance peaks in the closed-loop amplitude frequency response and incorporates considerations of noise attenuation and phase margin. The efficacy and applicability of the method were validated experimentally on a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) servo system, confirming its practical utility. Full article

Parameter self-tuning of servo control systems is crucial for optimizing automation processes, especially in complex systems such as permanent magnet synchronous motors. In this paper, a nonlinear adaptive whale optimization algorithm (NAWOA) is proposed and applied to parameter self-tuning, which improves the traditional whale optimization algorithm (WOA) by nonlinearly adaptively adjusting two parameters during optimization to enhance fast convergence and global search capabilities. A servo control system with three parameters to be tuned is constructed using both simulation and physical methods. Simulation and experimental results show that the NAWOA outperforms the genetic algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and WOA in parameter self-tuning of the servo control system with lower error indicators and fast convergence speed. Although it still faces the challenge of initial condition dependency, the proposed NAWOA provides a powerful solution for real-time industrial applications. Full article

Aiming at the problem that the position control accuracy of the traditional semi-closed-loop control and the vibration caused by the nonlinear characteristics of the system are easily affected by the full closed-loop control, a double-loop position feedback control based on the state information feedback of the motor and the load is proposed. Based on the double-loop position feedback control framework, a vibration suppression method combining the linear extended state observer, torque feedback compensation and speed feedforward is introduced. The simulation results show that the proposed control method effectively suppresses load vibration, improves the system’s servo control performance, and maintains position control accuracy. Full article