Showing papers in "Actuators in 2017"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors summarize the idea of designing high property BaTiO3 piezoceramic through domain engineering, defect-doping, as well as morphotropic phase boundary (MPB).
Abstract: Due to issues with Pb toxicity, there is an urgent need for high performance Pb-free alternatives to Pb-based piezoelectric ceramics. Although pure BaTiO3 material exhibits fairly low piezoelectric coefficients, further designing of such a material system greatly enhances the piezoelectric response by means of domain engineering, defects engineering, as well as phase boundary engineering. Especially after the discovery of a Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3–x(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 system with extraordinarily high piezoelectric properties (d33 > 600 pC/N), BaTiO3-based piezoelectric ceramics are considered as one of the promising Pb-free substitutes. In the present contribution, we summarize the idea of designing high property BaTiO3 piezoceramic through domain engineering, defect-doping, as well as morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). In spite of its drawback of low Curie temperature, BaTiO3-based piezoelectric materials can be considered as an excellent model system for exploring the physics of highly piezoelectric materials. The relevant material design strategy in BaTiO3-based materials can provide guidelines for the next generation of Pb-free materials with even better piezoelectric properties that can be anticipated in the near future.
143 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present controllable stiffness mechanisms described in the literature for applications with or without shape-locking performances, and a classification of the solutions based on their working principle is proposed.
Abstract: In the medical field and in soft robotics, flexible devices are required for safe human interaction, while rigid structures are required to withstand the force application and accuracy in motion. This paper aims at presenting controllable stiffness mechanisms described in the literature for applications with or without shape-locking performances. A classification of the solutions based on their working principle is proposed. The intrinsic properties of these adaptive structures can be modified to change their mechanical characteristics from a geometrical point of view or equivalent elastic properties (with internal mechanisms or with a change in material properties). These solutions are compared quantitatively, based on selected criteria linked to the medical field as the stiffness range, the activation time and the working conditions. Depending on the application and its requirements, the most suitable solution can be selected following the quantitative comparisons. Several applications of these tunable stiffness structures are proposed and illustrated by examples of the literature.
133 citations
TL;DR: A critical overview of the historical development, functional principles, and related terminology of stick-slip motors can be found in this article, where the most relevant aspects regarding their design are discussed, including aspects of control and simulation.
Abstract: Piezoelectric inertia motors—also known as stick-slip motors or (smooth) impact drives—use the inertia of a body to drive it in small steps by means of an uninterrupted friction contact. In addition to the typical advantages of piezoelectric motors, they are especially suited for miniaturisation due to their simple structure and inherent fine-positioning capability. Originally developed for positioning in microscopy in the 1980s, they have nowadays also found application in mass-produced consumer goods. Recent research results are likely to enable more applications of piezoelectric inertia motors in the future. This contribution gives a critical overview of their historical development, functional principles, and related terminology. The most relevant aspects regarding their design—i.e., friction contact, solid state actuator, and electrical excitation—are discussed, including aspects of control and simulation. The article closes with an outlook on possible future developments and research perspectives.
109 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the general structure and model of series elastic actuators are provided, and SEA configurations are categorized into Force-sensing Series Elastic Actuator (SEA), Reaction Force-Sensing SEAs, and Transmitted SEAs based on the relative location of the spring.
Abstract: The Series Elastic Actuator (SEA) has recently been developed by many research groups and applied in various fields. As SEA is the combination of motor, spring, gear and load, various types and configurations of mechanism have been developed as SEAs to satisfy many requirements necessary for the applications. This paper provides a theoretical framework to categorize and compare these various configurations of SEAs. The general structure and model of SEA is provided, and SEA configurations are categorized into Force-sensing Series Elastic Actuator, Reaction Force-sensing Series Elastic Actuator and Transmitted Force-sensing Series Elastic Actuator, based on the relative location of the spring. Criteria such as Force sensitivity, Compliance and Transmissibility of SEA are derived and compared using actual SEAs that have been developed previously.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an extension of the Actuators 2018, 7(1), 9.3390/ACT7010009, which is based on the work of the authors of this paper.
Abstract: Erratum published on 13 March 2018, see Actuators 2018, 7(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/act7010009
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the performance of the pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) is explained and modelled with three formulas, including the pulling force, the length and the stiffness of the actuator.
Abstract: To clarify the advantages of using soft robots in all aspects of life, the effective behaviour of the pneumatic muscle actuator (PMA) must be known. In this work, the performances of the PMA are explained and modelled with three formulas. The first formula describes the pulling force of the actuator based on the structure parameters; furthermore, the formula presented is the generalised contraction force for wholly-pneumatic muscle actuators. The second important model is the length formula, which is modified to our previous work to fit different actuator structures. Based on these two models, the stiffness of the actuator is formulated to illustrate its variability at different air pressure amounts. In addition, these formulas will make the selection of proper actuators for any robot arm structure easier using the knowledge gained from their performance. On the other hand, the desired behaviour of this type of actuator will be predefined and controlled.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a fractional order Proportional-Integral-Derivative (FOPID) controller for AMB systems, which consists of only two additional parameters in comparison with a conventional PID controller.
Abstract: One of the key issues in control design for Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) systems is the tradeoff between the simplicity of the controller structure and the performance of the closed-loop system. To achieve this tradeoff, this paper proposes the design of a fractional order Proportional-Integral-Derivative (FOPID) controller. The FOPID controller consists of only two additional parameters in comparison with a conventional PID controller. The feasibility of FOPID for AMB systems is investigated for rotor suspension in both the radial and axial directions. Tuning methods are developed based on the evolutionary algorithms for searching the optimal values of the controller parameters. The resulting FOPID controllers are then tested and compared with a conventional PID controller, as well as with some advanced controllers such as Linear Quadratic Gausian (LQG) and H ∞ controllers. The comparison is made in terms of various stability and robustness specifications, as well as the dimensions of the controllers as implemented. Lastly, to validate the proposed method, experimental testing is carried out on a single-stage centrifugal compressor test rig equipped with magnetic bearings. The results show that, with a proper selection of gains and fractional orders, the performance of the resulting FOPID is similar to those of the advanced controllers.
28 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a generalized unbiased control strategy for radial magnetic bearings with an arbitrary number of poles was proposed, and the applicability of the approach is broadened to the case of large rotors.
Abstract: The present work extends a method of unbiased control originally developed for three-pole radial magnetic bearings into a generalized unbiased control strategy that encompasses bearings with an arbitrary number of poles. By allowing the control of bearings with more than three poles, the applicability of the approach is broadened to the case of large rotors. Other ramifications of this generalized unbiased control strategy are fault tolerant unbiased bearings, control of bearings with more than three poles using 3-phase drives, and a novel approach to the unbiased control of eight-pole magnetic bearings.
27 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a hybrid electric-pneumatic actuator (EPA) was proposed as an enhanced variable impedance actuator. But the authors did not consider the effect of the electric motor on the actuator performance.
Abstract: A better understanding of how actuator design supports locomotor function may help develop novel and more functional powered assistive devices or robotic legged systems. Legged robots comprise passive parts (e.g., segments, joints and connections) which are moved in a coordinated manner by actuators. In this study, we propose a novel concept of a hybrid electric-pneumatic actuator (EPA) as an enhanced variable impedance actuator (VIA). EPA is consisted of a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) and an electric motor (EM). In contrast to other VIAs, the pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) within the EPA provides not only adaptable compliance, but also an additional powerful actuator with muscle-like properties, which can be arranged in different combinations (e.g., in series or parallel) to the EM. The novel hybrid actuator shares the advantages of both integrated actuator types combining precise control of EM with compliant energy storage of PAM, which are required for efficient and adjustable locomotion. Experimental and simulation results based on the new dynamic model of PAM support the hypothesis that combination of the two actuators can improve efficiency (energy and peak power) and performance, while does not increase control complexity and weight, considerably. Finally, the experiments on EPA adapted bipedal robot (knee joint of the BioBiped3 robot) show improved efficiency of the actuator at different frequencies.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the particle swarm optimization-support vector regression (PSO-SVR)-based estimation method with the generalized Gaussian kernel is proposed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Abstract: Soft actuators have been employed in various fields recently. A miniature pneumatic bending rubber actuator is one of the soft actuators. This actuator will be used for medical and biological fields. Its flexibility and high safety are suitable for fragile objects. However, its modeling is difficult due to its nonlinearity. There are no suitable sensors to measure the output of this actuator. In this paper, the particle swarm optimization-support vector regression (PSO-SVR)-based estimation method with the generalized Gaussian kernel is proposed. An experimental result with the operator-based robust nonlinear control system is employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the performance issues in common pump-controlled circuits for the single rod actuators and proposed a new design that employs a limited throttling valve alongside two pilot operated check valves for differential flow compensation to improve the performance.
Abstract: Pump-controlled hydraulic circuits are more efficient than valve-controlled circuits, as they eliminate the energy losses due to flow throttling in valves and require less cooling effort. Presently existing pump-controlled solutions for single rod cylinders encounter an undesirable performance during certain operating conditions. This paper investigates the performance issues in common pump-controlled circuits for the single rod actuators. Detailed analysis is conducted that identifies these regions in a load-velocity plane and the factors affecting them. The findings are validated by experimental results. A new design is then proposed that employs a limited throttling valve alongside two pilot operated check valves for differential flow compensation to improve the performance. The valve is of the flow control type and is chosen to have a throttling effect over critical regions; it has the least throttling over other operating regions, thus maintaining efficiency. Experimental work demonstrates improved performance in a full operating range of the actuator as compared to a circuit that uses only the pilot-operated check valves. This circuit is energy efficient and capable of recuperating energy.
TL;DR: In this paper, a robust control strategy is proposed for ensuring levitation recovery, which utilizes model-based μ-synthesis to find the requisite AMB control law with unique provisions to account for the contact forces and to prevent control effort saturation at the large deflections that occur during levitation failure.
Abstract: A rotor supported on active magnetic bearings (AMBs) is levitated inside an air gap by electromagnets controlled in feedback. In the event of momentary loss of levitation due to an acute exogenous disturbance or external fault, reestablishing levitation may be prevented by unbalanced forces, contact forces, and the rotor’s dynamics. A novel robust control strategy is proposed for ensuring levitation recovery. The proposed strategy utilizes model-based μ-synthesis to find the requisite AMB control law with unique provisions to account for the contact forces and to prevent control effort saturation at the large deflections that occur during levitation failure. The proposed strategy is demonstrated experimentally with an AMB test rig. First, rotor drop tests are performed to tune a simple touchdown-bearing model. That model is then used to identify a performance weight, which bounds the contact forces during controller synthesis. Then, levitation recovery trials are conducted at 1000 and 2000 RPM, in which current to the AMB coils is momentarily stopped, representing an external fault. The motor is allowed to drive the rotor on the touchdown bearings until coil current is restored. For both cases, the proposed control strategy shows a marked improvement in relevitation transients.
TL;DR: In this paper, a vibrotactile button based on printed piezoelectric polymer actuation was developed for the automotive industry, where the mechanical feedback induced by a haptic system enables the user to receive information while their attention is kept on the road and on driving.
Abstract: Nowadays, the haptic effect is used and developed for many applications—particularly in the automotive industry, where the mechanical feedback induced by a haptic system enables the user to receive information while their attention is kept on the road and on driving. This article presents the development of a vibrotactile button based on printed piezoelectric polymer actuation. Firstly, the characterization of the electro-active polymer used as the actuator and the development of a model able to predict the electromechanical behavior of this device are summarized. Then, the design of circular membranes and their dynamic characterization are presented. Finally, this work is concluded with the construction of a fully functional demonstrator, integrating haptic buttons leading to a clear haptic sensation for the user.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the key design elements and fabrication of pneumatic multi-pocket elastomer actuators for a soft rehabilitation glove for finger abduction-adduction.
Abstract: During recent years, interest has been rising towards developing fluidic fiber-reinforced elastomer actuators for wearable soft robotics used in hand rehabilitation and power-assist. However, they do not enable finger abduction-adduction, which plays an important role in activities of daily living, when grasping larger objects. Furthermore, the developed gloves often do not have separate control of joints, which is important for doing various common rehabilitation motions. The main obstacle for the development of a fully-assisting glove is moving a joint with multiple degrees of freedom. If the functions are built into the same structure, they are naturally coupled and affect each other, which makes them more difficult to design and complex to control than a simple flexion-extension actuator. In this study, we explored the key design elements and fabrication of pneumatic multi-pocket elastomer actuators for a soft rehabilitation glove. The goal was to gain more control over the metacarpophalangeal joint’s response by increasing the degree of actuation. Three main functional designs were tested for achieving both flexion and abduction-adduction. Five prototypes, with four different actuator geometries and four different reinforcement types, were designed and fabricated. They were evaluated by recording their free motion with motion capture and measuring their torque output using a dummy finger. Results showed the strengths and weaknesses of each design in separating the control of the two functions. We discuss the different improvements that are needed in order to make each design plausible for developing an actuator that meets the requirements for full assist of the hand’s motions. In conclusion, we show that it is possible to produce multi-pocket actuators for assisting MCP joint motion in both flexion and abduction-adduction, although coupling between the separate functions is still problematic and should be considered further.
TL;DR: In this paper, a bearingless flux-switching slice motor is proposed for high-temperature applications, which does not require permanent rotor magnets and offers advantages for disposable devices such as those used in the medical industry.
Abstract: This work introduces a novel bearingless slice motor design: the bearingless flux-switching slice motor. In contrast to state-of-the-art bearingless slice motors, the rotor in this new design does not include any permanent rotor magnets. This offers advantages for disposable devices, such as those used in the medical industry, and extends the range of bearingless slice motors toward high-temperature applications. In this study, our focus is on the analytical modeling of the suspension force torque generation of a single coil and the bearingless motor. We assessed motor performance in relation to motor topology by applying performance factors. A prototype motor was optimized, designed, and manufactured. We also presented the state-of-the-art nonlinear feedback control scheme used. The motor was operated, and both static and dynamic measurements were taken on a test bench, thus successfully demonstrating the functionality and applicability of the novel bearingless slice motor concept.
TL;DR: Wang et al. as mentioned in this paper designed an industrial grade series elastic actuator (SEA) performed via re-engineering a research grade version of it, which matched the capabilities of a high performance SEA while cutting down its production cost significantly.
Abstract: Cost is an important consideration when transferring a technology from research to industrial and educational use. In this paper, we introduce the design of an industrial grade series elastic actuator (SEA) performed via re-engineering a research grade version of it. Cost-constrained design requires careful consideration of the key performance parameters for an optimal performance-to-cost component selection. To optimize the performance of the new design, we started by matching the capabilities of a high-performance SEA while cutting down its production cost significantly. Our posit was that performing a re-engineering design process on an existing high-end device will significantly reduce the cost without compromising the performance drastically. As a case study of design for manufacturability, we selected the University of Texas Series Elastic Actuator (UT-SEA), a high-performance SEA, for its high power density, compact design, high efficiency and high speed properties. We partnered with an industrial corporation in China to research the best pricing options and to exploit the retail and production facilities provided by the Shenzhen region. We succeeded in producing a low-cost industrial grade actuator at one-third of the cost of the original device by re-engineering the UT-SEA with commercial off-the-shelf components and reducing the number of custom-made parts. Subsequently, we conducted performance tests to demonstrate that the re-engineered product achieves the same high-performance specifications found in the original device. With this paper, we aim to raise awareness in the robotics community on the possibility of low-cost realization of low-volume, high performance, industrial grade research and education hardware.
TL;DR: In this article, a compact axial active magnetic bearing with a function of two-tilt-motion control is fabricated, which has a new configuration of magnetic poles, consisting of four cylindrical poles with coils and a single common pole whose opposite plane of the rotor has a permanent magnet.
Abstract: A compact axial active magnetic bearing with a function of two-tilt-motion control is fabricated which has a new configuration of magnetic poles. They consist of four cylindrical poles with coils and a single common pole whose opposite plane of the rotor has a permanent magnet to achieve multi-degree-of-freedom zero power control. Modal control is applied because local zero power control may make the whole system unstable when the number of control channels is larger than the number of freedoms of motion to be controlled. In the developed system, a disk-shape rotor is sandwiched between two axial magnetic bearing stators that are operated differentially. Such a configuration makes it possible to rotate the rotor without disturbing the axial motion. The characteristics of the fabricated magnetic bearing system including rotation are studied experimentally.
TL;DR: In this paper, two different piezoelectric microactuator designs are studied for optimal in-plane displacements and different high flexibilities, proven by electrical and optical characterization.
Abstract: In this paper, two different piezoelectric microactuator designs are studied The corresponding devices were designed for optimal in-plane displacements and different high flexibilities, proven by electrical and optical characterization Both actuators presented two dominant vibrational modes in the frequency range below 1 MHz: an out-of-plane bending and an in-plane extensional mode Nevertheless, the latter mode is the only one that allows the use of the device as a modal in-plane actuator Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations confirmed that the displacement per applied voltage was superior for the low-stiffness actuator, which was also verified through optical measurements in a quasi-static analysis, obtaining a displacement per volt of 022 and 013 nm/V for the low-stiffness and high-stiffness actuator, respectively In addition, electrical measurements were performed using an impedance analyzer which, in combination with the optical characterization in resonance, allowed the determination of the electromechanical and stiffness coefficients The low-stiffness actuator exhibited a stiffness coefficient of 5 × 104 N/m, thus being more suitable as a modal actuator than the high-stiffness actuator with a stiffness of 25 × 105 N/m
TL;DR: In this paper, a semi-active magneto-rheological (MR) mount is designed and manufactured to minimize unwanted vibrations for the cabin of heavy vehicles, which can attenuate vibrations more effectively at all frequency ranges compared with the passive rubber mount.
Abstract: In this study, a semi-active magneto-rheological (MR) mount is designed and manufactured to minimize unwanted vibrations for the cabin of heavy vehicles. Normally, working conditions in heavy vehicles are extremely rugged. Usually, the heavy vehicles use passive rubber mounts for the reduction of vibrations from road. However, the passive mount has definite performance limitations because the passive mount has a fixed resonance frequency when the design is finished. An MR application is one of the solutions because the viscosity of MR fluid can be controlled. As a first step, an experimental apparatus was established for performance evaluation of the mounts. The apparatus has hydraulic excitatory, force, and displacement sensors. Performance of two different passive mounts used in industrial fields were evaluated. The passive mount data of force-displacement, force-velocity, and displacement transmissibility were collected and tested. After that, an MR mount was designed and manufactured that provides better performance using the passive mount data. The MR mount uses two different flow paths, annular duct and radial channels, for generating the required damping force. The field-dependent damping forces were then evaluated with respect to the moving stroke and input current. In this work, in order to control the damping force, an on-off controller associated with the fast Fourier transform (FFT) was used. The control results of the MR mount were compared with the results of passive rubber mounts. It was shown that the semi-active MR mount can attenuate vibrations more effectively at all frequency ranges compared with the passive rubber mount.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the variation in the displacement as well as the charge transfer at the different environmental conditions of a tri-layer bending actuator, which is a simple PPy trilayer bending type cantilever which operates in the air.
Abstract: Electroactive polymer actuators such as polypyrrole (PPy) are exciting candidates to drive autonomous devices that require low weight and low power. A simple PPy tri-layer bending type cantilever which operates in the air has been demonstrated previously, but the environmental effect on this actuator is still unknown. The major obstacle in the development of the PPy tri-layer actuator is to create proper packaging that reduces oxidation of the electrolyte and maintains constant displacement. Here, we report the variation in the displacement as well as the charge transfer at the different environmental condition. PPy trilayer actuators were fabricated by depositing polypyrrole on gold-coated porous poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) using the electro-synthesis method. It has been demonstrated that the charge transfer of tri-layer actuators is more in an inert environment than in open air. In addition, tri-layer actuators show constant deflection and enhancement of life due to the negligible oxidation rate of the electrolyte in an inert environment.
TL;DR: In this paper, a mechanically overdamped actuator with adjustable stiffness (MOD-AwAS) is presented, which can regulate the stiffness from zero to its maximum in less than 0.2 s by changing the position of the pivot point of its lever mechanisms.
Abstract: This paper presents the design and development of a novel mechanically overdamped actuator with adjustable stiffness (MOD-AwAS). The novelty of MOD-AwAS compared to other variable stiffness actuators relates to its mechanical design, which prevents oscillations at the output link. Almost all variable stiffness actuators have an overshooting problem that require a sophisticated control algorithm to be able to perform accurate positioning. MOD-AwAS can regulate the stiffness from zero to its maximum (theoretically infinite) in less than 0.2 s by changing the position of the pivot point of its lever mechanisms. MOD-AwAS employs only one rotational spring with no pre-deflection, which gives it full accessibility to its energy storage capacity. Experimental results are presented to show the ability of MOD-AwAS to control its position accurately with a wide range of stiffness adjustment.
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that transpermeance amplifiers can recover significant actuator bandwidth compared with transconductance, but at the cost of needing increased peak current headroom.
Abstract: The most conventional approach of controlling magnetic forces in active magnetic bearings (AMBs) is through current feedback amplifiers: transconductance. This enables the operation of the AMB to be understood in terms of a relatively simple current-based model as has been widely reported on in the literature. The alternative notion of using transpermeance amplifiers, which approximate the feedback of gap flux rather than current, has been in commercial use in some form for at least thirty years, however is only recently seeing more widespread acceptance as a commercial standard. This study explores how such alternative amplifiers should be modeled and then examines the differences in behavior between AMBs equipped with transconductance and transpermeance amplifiers. The focus of this study is on two aspects. The first is the influence of rotor displacement on AMB force, commonly modeled as a constant negative equivalent mechanical stiffness, and it is shown that either scheme actually leads to a finite bandwidth effect, but that this bandwidth is much lower when transpermeance is employed. The second aspect is the influence of eddy currents. Using a very simple model of eddy currents (a secondary short-circuited coil), it is demonstrated that transpermeance amplifiers can recover significant actuator bandwidth compared with transconductance, but at the cost of needing increased peak current headroom.
TL;DR: In this article, a simple but effective stiffness control method is used to exploit the corresponding knowledge of natural dynamics by tuning the system to antiresonance operation, which yields a distinct reduction in power and energy consumption, which underlines the suitability of the control strategy.
Abstract: Variable elastic actuators are very promising for applications in physical human–robot interaction. Besides enabling human safety, such actuators can support energy efficiency, especially if the natural behavior of the system is exploited. In this paper, the power and energy consumption of variable stiffness actuators with serial elasticity is investigated analytically and experimentally. Besides the fundamental mechanics, the influence of friction and electrical losses is discussed. A simple but effective stiffness control method is used to exploit the corresponding knowledge of natural dynamics by tuning the system to antiresonance operation. Despite nonlinear friction effects and additional electrical dynamics, the consideration of the ideal mechanical dynamics is completely sufficient for stiffness control. Simulations and experiments show that this yields a distinct reduction in power and energy consumption, which underlines the suitability of the control strategy.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss technical and non-technical aspects of using standard industrial components in magnetic bearing applications, such as those from flexible modular motion control drive systems, to achieve rapid technological innovation.
Abstract: With the increasing number of active magnetic bearing applications, satisfying additional requirements is becoming increasingly more important. As for every technology, moving away from being a niche product and achieving a higher level of maturity, these requirements relate to robustness, reliability, availability, safety, security, traceability, certification, handling, flexibility, reporting, costs, and delivery times. Employing standard industrial components, such as those from flexible modular motion control drive systems, is an approach that allows these requirements to be satisfied while achieving rapid technological innovation. In this article, we discuss technical and non-technical aspects of using standard industrial components in magnetic bearing applications.
TL;DR: In this article, the Dual-Hemi Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is proposed for continuous variable transmission in a control loop and demonstrated that the efficiency of the CVT is above 90% for a large part of the range of operation.
Abstract: In this work, we present a new continuously variable transmission concept: the Dual-Hemi Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). It is designed to have properties we believe are required to apply continuously variable transmissions in robotics to their full potential. These properties are a transformation range that includes both positive and negative ratios, back-drivability under all conditions, kinematically decoupled reconfiguration, high efficiency of the transmission, and a reconfiguration mechanism requiring little work for changing the transmission ratio. The design of the Dual-Hemi CVT and a prototype realisation are discussed in detail. We show that the Dual-Hemi CVT has the aforementioned desired properties. Experiments show that the efficiency of the CVT is above 90% for a large part of the range of operation of the CVT. Significant stiction in the transmission, combined with a relatively low bandwidth for changing the transmission ratio, may cause problems when applying the DH-CVT as part of an actuator in a control loop.
TL;DR: In this article, a novel flux control magnetic suspension system that places control plates beside the magnetic source (permanent magnet) is proposed, which increases the attractive force acting on the floating object.
Abstract: A novel flux control magnetic suspension system that places control plates beside the magnetic source (permanent magnet) is proposed. In a conventional flux-path control magnetic suspension system, the control plates were inserted between the magnetic source and the suspended object (floator). In contrast, the control plates were placed beside the magnetic source in the proposed system. In such a configuration, the effective gap becomes larger than in the conventional system. Basic characteristics of the proposed magnetic suspension system were studied both numerically and experimentally. The numerical analyses show that the attractive force acting on the floator increases as the position of the lateral ring-shape control plate increases. The variation of the attractive force is sufficient for the stabilization of the suspension system. It is also shown that lateral force can be generated by dividing the plates into halves and moving them differentially. The predicted characteristics are confirmed experimentally in a fabricated apparatus with a three-axis force sensor and a gap adjustment mechanism.
TL;DR: In this paper, an extension of the application of the bias current perturbation method for the determination of the magnetic center was presented for the further development of accurate current-based force measurement techniques.
Abstract: Inherent in every Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB) are differences between the expected geometric axes and the actual magnetic axes due to a combination of discrepancies, including physical variation from manufacturing tolerances and misalignment from mechanical assembly, fringing and leakage effects, as well as variations in magnetic material properties within a single AMB. A method is presented here for locating the magnetic axes of an AMB that will facilitate the accurate characterization of the bearing air gaps for potential improvement in field tuning, performance analyses and certain shaft force measurement techniques. This paper presents an extension of the application of the bias current perturbation method for the determination of the magnetic center to the determination of magnetic axes for the further development of accurate current-based force measurement techniques.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the temperature increase caused by a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system on an ultrasonic motor (USM) used to actuate surgical robots in the MRI environment.
Abstract: This paper aims to evaluate the temperature increase caused by a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system on an ultrasonic motor (USM) used to actuate surgical robots in the MRI environment. Four fiber-optic temperature sensors were attached to the USM. Temperature was monitored outside the five-Gauss boundary and then inside the bore for 20 min while the USM was powered on. The USM temperature was tested for two states of the scanner, “off” and “on”, by employing common clinical imaging sequences and echo planar imaging sequences. The USM showed a slight temperature increase while operating in the static field of the MRI. A considerable temperature increase (~10 °C) was observed when the scanner was on. The temperature increased to 60 °C, which is beyond the acceptable safe temperature and can result in thermal burns. Most of the temperature increase (80%) was due to effects of the static field on the motion of the rotating parts of the motor, while the remainder (20%) derived from heat deposited in the conductive components of the USM due to radiofrequency pulses and gradient field changes. To solve the temperature increase, the metal components of the USM’s case can be replaced by silicon carbide.
TL;DR: In this paper, a suspension apparatus was designed to measure the angles of deflection and rotation applied to the motor by MR magnetic fields, and the displacement force and torque were measured at eight locations with respect to the bore.
Abstract: The risk of accidental dislodgement of robot-operated surgical mechanisms can lead to morbidity or mortality The force and torque applied by a 30-tesla scanner on an ultrasonic motor are not fully known The force and torque may displace the motor, which is not fully magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible but can be safely used in MR environments A suspension apparatus was designed to measure the angles of deflection and rotation applied to the motor by MR magnetic fields Three orientations and two power states of the motor were assessed inside the MR bore The displacement force and torque were measured at eight locations with respect to the bore The displacement force on the motor from 10 cm outside the magnet bore to 20 cm inside the bore ranged from 3 to 7 gF The experimental measurements are in agreement with the theoretical values Running the motor altered the force by 1 gF The force does not significantly change when the MRI scanner is on Considerable displacement force is applied to the motor, and no deflection torque is observed Quantified values can be used to solve dynamic equations for robotic mechanisms intended for MRI-guided operations
TL;DR: In this article, a multiobjective optimization model is proposed based on the whole system by considering electromagnetic driving principles, kinematic model, and mechanical model, which can be applied to solve the parameters of electromagnetic actuators with diverse application requirements.
Abstract: Fast tool servos (FTS) for single point diamond turning are widely employed for machine optical free-form surfaces. A FTS with a large stroke and a high bandwidth can increase the efficiency of a machine and complexity of a work-piece. In this paper, a FTS driven by a Maxwell electromagnetic actuator is developed to obtain a relatively large stroke and high bandwidth. In this study, a multi-objective optimization model is proposed based on the whole system by considering electromagnetic driving principles, kinematic model, and mechanical model. The proposed optimization model can be applied to solve the parameters of electromagnetic actuators with diverse application requirements. A sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm is implemented to solve the problem. The optimization results are verified through both finite element analysis and experiments. The optimized FTS can produce 49.55 μm of full stroke with a frequency response of 3.2 kHz.