Daniel Feliu-Talegon

Bio: Daniel Feliu-Talegon is an academic researcher from University of Seville. The author has contributed to research in topics: Computer science & Robot. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 18 publications receiving 90 citations. Previous affiliations of Daniel Feliu-Talegon include University of Castilla–La Mancha.

A Bio-Inspired Manipulator with Claw Prototype for Winged Aerial Robots: Benchmark for Design and Control

Abstract: Nature exhibits many examples of birds, insects and flying mammals with flapping wings and limbs offering some functionalities. Although in robotics, there are some examples of flying robots with wings, it has not been yet a goal to add to them some manipulation-like capabilities, similar to ones that are exhibited on birds. The flying robot (ornithopter) that we propose improves the existent aerial manipulators based on multirotor platforms in terms of longer flight duration of missions and safety in proximity to humans. Moreover, the manipulation capabilities allows them to perch in inaccessible places and perform some tasks with the body perched. This work presents a first prototype of lightweight manipulator to be mounted to an ornithopter and a new control methodology to balance them while they are perched and following a desired path with the end effector imitating their beaks. This allows for several possible applications, such as contact inspection following a path with an ultrasonic sensor mounted in the end effector. The manipulator prototype imitates birds with two-link legs and a body link with an actuated limb, where the links are all active except for the first passive one with a grabbing mechanism in its base, imitating a claw. Unlike standard manipulators, the lightweight requirement limits the frame size and makes it necessary to use micro motors. Successful experimental results with this prototype are reported.

Control of Very Lightweight 2-DOF Single-Link Flexible Robots Robust to Strain Gauge Sensor Disturbances: A Fractional-Order Approach

Abstract: This article deals with the control of two degrees of freedom manipulators that have a flexible and very lightweight link. These robots have a single low-frequency and high-amplitude vibration mode. Their actuators have high friction, and their vibration sensors are often strain gauges that have offset and high-frequency noise. These problems reduce the robot precision and produce noisy control signals that saturate actuators. An efficient control system is proposed to overcome these drawbacks. Actuator friction effect is nearly removed by closing a high gain position control loop around the actuator. It causes the separation of the robot dynamics into the controlled actuator fast subsystem and the link dynamics slow subsystem. Based on that, an innovative control system is designed to remove vibrations using the singular perturbation theory combined with the input-state linearization technique. This control system includes fractional-order controllers that nearly remove unknown sensor offset and sensor ramp disturbances while reducing the high-frequency component of the control signal caused by sensor noise. Simulated and experimental results show the superior performance of these controllers over other standard integer-order controllers of similar complexity and nominal behavior.

On the Modelling and Control of a Laboratory Prototype of a Hydraulic Canal Based on a TITO Fractional-Order Model

Abstract: In this paper a two-input, two-output (TITO) fractional order mathematical model of a laboratory prototype of a hydraulic canal is proposed. This canal is made up of two pools that have a strong interaction between them. The inputs of the TITO model are the pump flow and the opening of an intermediate gate, and the two outputs are the water levels in the two pools. Based on the experiments developed in a laboratory prototype the parameters of the mathematical models have been identified. Then, considering the TITO model, a first control loop of the pump is closed to reproduce real-world conditions in which the water level of the first pool is not dependent on the opening of the upstream gate, thus leading to an equivalent single input, single output (SISO) system. The comparison of the resulting system with the classical first order systems typically utilized to model hydraulic canals shows that the proposed model has significantly lower error: about 50%, and, therefore, higher accuracy in capturing the canal dynamics. This model has also been utilized to optimize the design of the controller of the pump of the canal, thus achieving a faster response to step commands and thus minimizing the interaction between the two pools of the experimental platform.

How ornithopters can perch autonomously on a branch

Abstract: Abstract Flapping wings produce lift and thrust in bio-inspired aerial robots, leading to quiet, safe and efficient flight. However, to extend their application scope, these robots must perch and land, a feat widely demonstrated by birds. Despite recent progress, flapping-wing vehicles, or ornithopters, are to this day unable to stop their flight. In this paper, we present a process to autonomously land an ornithopter on a branch. This method describes the joint operation of a pitch-yaw-altitude flapping flight controller, an optical close-range correction system and a bistable claw appendage design that can grasp a branch within 25 milliseconds and re-open. We validate this method with a 700 g robot and demonstrate the first autonomous perching flight of a flapping-wing robot on a branch, a result replicated with a second robot. This work paves the way towards the application of flapping-wing robots for long-range missions, bird observation, manipulation, and outdoor flight.

Passivity-based control of a single-link flexible manipulator using fractional controllers

Abstract: This work presents a new methodology for the design of passivity-based controllers of fractional order for single-link flexible robots. In this work, some previously developed passivity-based controllers, which have robust stability to parametric uncertainties and spillover effects, are extended by using phase-lag controllers of fractional order. The extra degree of freedom supplied by these controllers is used to enhance the phase margin robustness of these systems and the sensitivity to sensor high-frequency noise. These controllers are applied to the position control of a single-link flexible robot. Experiments show that fast and precise vibration-free movements of a flexible robot are achieved. Also, the property of phase margin robustness to changes in the payload using this new controller is experimentally assessed.

Review on the use of piezoelectric materials for active vibration, noise, and flow control

Abstract: Considering the number of applications, and the quantity of research conducted over the past few decades, it wouldn't be an overstatement to label the piezoelectric materials as the cream of the crop of the smart materials. Among the various smart materials, the piezoelectric materials have emerged as the most researched material for practical applications. They owe it to a few key factors like low cost, large frequency bandwidth of operation, availability in many forms, and the simplicity offered in handling and implementation. For piezoelectric materials, from an application standpoint, the area of active control of vibration, noise, and flow, stands, alongside energy harvesting, as the most researched field. Over the past three decades, several authors have used piezoelectric materials as sensors and actuators, to (i) actively control structural vibrations, noise and aeroelastic flutter, (ii) actively reduce buffeting, and (iii) regulate the separation of flows. These studies are spread over several engineering disciplines-starting from large space structures, to civil structures, to helicopters and airplanes, to computer hard disk drives. This review is an attempt to concise the progress made in all these fields by exclusively highlighting the application of the piezoelectric material. The research carried out in the past five years, in the areas of modeling, and optimal positioning of piezoelectric actuators/sensors, for active vibration control, are covered. Along with this, investigations into different control algorithms, for the piezoelectric based active vibration control, are also reviewed. Studies reporting the use of piezoelectric modal filtering and self sensing actuators, for active vibration control, are also surveyed. Additionally, research on semi-active vibration control techniques like the synchronized switched damping (on elements like resistor, inductor, voltage source, negative capacitor) has also been covered

Model-free continuous nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control for cable-driven manipulators.

Abstract: This work proposes a model-free robust control for cable-driven manipulators with disturbance. To achieve accurate, singularity-free and fast dynamical control performance, we design a new NFTSM surface utilizing a new continuous TSM-type switch element. By replacing the integral power with fractional one for the error dynamics, the designed TSM-type switch element can effectively enhance the dynamical performance of the NFTSM surface. Time-delay estimation (TDE) technique is applied to cancel out complicated nonlinear dynamics guaranteeing an excellent model-free scheme. Thanks to the designed NFTSM surface, adopted reaching law and TDE, our control can provide good comprehensive control performance effectively. Stability and comparisons of control precision and convergence speed have been theoretically analyzed. Finally, comparative experiments were conducted to prove the superiorities of our control.

A Review of Flexible Wearable Antenna Sensors: Design, Fabrication Methods, and Applications

Abstract: This review paper summarizes various approaches developed in the literature for antenna sensors with an emphasis on flexible solutions. The survey helps to recognize the limitations and advantages of this technology. Furthermore, it offers an overview of the main points for the development and design of flexible antenna sensors from the selection of the materials to the framing of the antenna including the different scenario applications. With regard to wearable antenna sensors deployment, a review of the textile materials that have been employed is also presented. Several examples related to human body applications of flexible antenna sensors such as the detection of NaCl and sugar solutions, blood and bodily variables such as temperature, strain, and finger postures are also presented. Future investigation directions and research challenges are proposed.