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Actuators
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Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics
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Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics

A special issue of Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825). This special issue belongs to the section "Actuators for Robotics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2022) | Viewed by 21547

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bing Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518052, China
Interests: parallel mechanisms; deployable mechanisms; morphing mechanisms; bio-inspired robots; collaborative robots
Prof. Dr. Wenfu Xu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518052, China
Interests: bionic flying robot; space robot; cable-driven flexible robot; hyper-redundant manipulator; visual serving control
Prof. Dr. Chenglong Fu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
Interests: dynamic walking; biped and humanoid robots; robotic prosthesis; lower limb exoskeleton; SuperLimbs; human–robot interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mechanism design and control are two important aspects in recent robotics. This Special Issue is devoted to coverage of mechanism design and their associated control system for robotics. This Special Issue will cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Integrated design of mechanism, actuation and control;
  • Reconfigurable mechanisms and robots;
  • Deployable mechanisms;
  • Metamorphic mechanisms and robots;
  • Variable topology modelling;
  • Origami mechanisms and engineering applications;
  • Bio-inspired mechanisms;
  • Compliant mechanisms;
  • Morphing mechanisms and applications.

Prof. Dr. Bing Li
Prof. Dr. Wenfu Xu
Prof. Dr. Chenglong Fu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Actuators is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Integrated design of mechanisms
  • Mechanism control
  • Reconfigurable mechanisms
  • Deployable mechanisms
  • Metamorphic mechanisms
  • Mechanism synthesis
  • Origami mechanisms
  • Bio-inspired mechanisms
  • Compliant mechanisms
  • Morphing mechanisms

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2803 KiB  
Article
Minimum Cable Tensions and Tension Sensitivity for Long-Span Cable-Driven Camera Robots with Applications to Stability Analysis
by Peng Liu, Haibo Tian and Xinzhou Qiao
Actuators 2023, 12(1), 17; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act12010017 - 31 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1384
Abstract
Employing cables with strong flexibility and unidirectional restraints to operate a camera platform leads to stability issues for a camera robot with long-span cables considering the cable mass. Cable tensions, which are the constraints for the camera platform, have a critical influence on [...] Read more.
Employing cables with strong flexibility and unidirectional restraints to operate a camera platform leads to stability issues for a camera robot with long-span cables considering the cable mass. Cable tensions, which are the constraints for the camera platform, have a critical influence on the stability of the robot. Consequently, this paper focuses on two special problems of minimum cable tension distributions (MCTDs) within the workspace and the cable tension sensitivity analysis (CTSA) for a camera robot by taking the cable mass into account, which can be used to investigate the stability of the robot. Firstly, three minimum cable tension distribution indices (MCTDIs) were proposed for the camera robot. An important matter is that the three proposed MCTDIs, which represent the weakest constraints for the camera platform, can be employed for investigating the stability of the robot. In addition, a specified minimum cable tension workspace (SMCTW) is introduced, where the minimum cable tension when the camera platform is located at arbitrary position meets the given requirement. Secondly, the CTSA model and cable tension sensitivity analysis index (CTSAI) for the camera robot were proposed with grey relational analysis method, in which the influence mechanism and influence degree of the positions of the camera platform relative to cable tensions was investigated in detail. Lastly, the reasonableness of the presented MCTDIs and the method for the CTSA with applications in the stability analysis of the camera robot were supported by performing some simulation studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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16 pages, 2362 KiB  
Article
A Novel Radially Closable Tubular Origami Structure (RC-ori) for Valves
by Siyuan Ye, Pengyuan Zhao, Yinjun Zhao, Fatemeh Kavousi, Huijuan Feng and Guangbo Hao
Actuators 2022, 11(9), 243; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act11090243 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3746
Abstract
Cylindrical Kresling origami structures are often used in engineering fields due to their axial stretchability, tunable stiffness, and bistability, while their radial closability is rarely mentioned to date. This feature enables a valvelike function, which inspired this study to develop a new origami-based [...] Read more.
Cylindrical Kresling origami structures are often used in engineering fields due to their axial stretchability, tunable stiffness, and bistability, while their radial closability is rarely mentioned to date. This feature enables a valvelike function, which inspired this study to develop a new origami-based valve. With the unique one-piece structure of origami, the valve requires fewer parts, which can improve its tightness and reduce the cleaning process. These advantages meet the requirements of sanitary valves used in industries such as the pharmaceutical industry. This paper summarizes the geometric definition of the Kresling pattern as developed in previous studies and reveals the similarity of its twisting motion to the widely utilized iris valves. Through this analogy, the Kresling structure’s closability and geometric conditions are characterized. To facilitate the operation of the valve, we optimize the existing structure and create a new crease pattern, RC-ori. This novel design enables an entirely closed state without twisting. In addition, a simplified modeling method is proposed in this paper for the non-rigid foldable cylindrical origami. The relationship between the open area and the unfolded length of the RC-ori structure is explored based on the modeling method with a comparison with nonlinear FEA simulations. Not only limited to valves, the new crease pattern could also be applied to microreactors, drug carriers, samplers, and foldable furniture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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21 pages, 6411 KiB  
Article
Flying State Sensing and Estimation Method of Large-Scale Bionic Flapping Wing Flying Robot
by Guangze Liu, Song Wang and Wenfu Xu
Actuators 2022, 11(8), 213; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act11080213 - 31 Jul 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1840
Abstract
A large bionic flapping wing robot has unique advantages in flight efficiency. However, the fluctuation of fuselage centroid during flight makes it difficult for traditional state sensing and estimation methods to provide stable and accurate data. In order to provide stable and accurate [...] Read more.
A large bionic flapping wing robot has unique advantages in flight efficiency. However, the fluctuation of fuselage centroid during flight makes it difficult for traditional state sensing and estimation methods to provide stable and accurate data. In order to provide stable and accurate positioning and attitude information for a flapping wing robot, this paper proposes a flight state sensing and estimation method integrating multiple sensors. Combined with the motion characteristics of a large flapping wing robot, the autonomous flight, including the whole process of takeoff, cruise and landing, is realized. An explicit complementary filtering algorithm is designed to fuse the data of inertial sensor and magnetometer, which solves the problem of attitude divergence. The Kalman filter algorithm is designed to estimate the spatial position and speed of a flapping wing robot by integrating inertial navigation with GPS (global positioning system) and barometer measurement data. The state sensing and estimation accuracy of the flapping wing robot are improved. Finally, the flying state sensing and estimation method is integrated with the flapping wing robot, and the flight experiments are carried out. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can provide a guarantee for the flapping wing robot to achieve autonomous flight beyond the visual range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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19 pages, 15730 KiB  
Article
Design of an Intuitive Master for Improving Teleoperation Task Performance Using the Functional Separation of Actuators: Movement and Gravity Compensation
by Sang Uk Chon, Jaehong Seo, Jungyeong Kim, Sangchul Han, Sangshin Park, Jin Tak Kim, Jinhyeon Kim and Jungsan Cho
Actuators 2022, 11(7), 204; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act11070204 - 21 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2022
Abstract
Teleoperation, in which humans and robots work together to improve work performance, is growing explosively. However, the work performance of teleoperation is not yet excellent. Master–slave systems with different kinematics and workspaces need space-transformation control techniques. These techniques cause psychological fatigue to an [...] Read more.
Teleoperation, in which humans and robots work together to improve work performance, is growing explosively. However, the work performance of teleoperation is not yet excellent. Master–slave systems with different kinematics and workspaces need space-transformation control techniques. These techniques cause psychological fatigue to an operator with poor manipulation skills. In this study, we propose an intuitive master design that focuses on fatigue. Large workspaces reduce mental fatigue; however, they lead to physical fatigue problems. To solve this problem, we reflect the role of actuators in the design, through functional separation using movement and gravity compensation. This study proposes the design and prototype fabrication of an intuitive master K-handler to improve remote-work performance. The K-handler features six degrees of freedom (DoF), an anthropomorphic structure, and a lightweight nature. It has a reach long enough to cover the workspace of the human arm to reduce mental fatigue. In addition, gravity compensation, which can reduce the operator’s physical fatigue during operation, is possible in all workspace areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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16 pages, 6626 KiB  
Article
Coupled Force–Position Control for Dynamic Contact Force Tracking in Uncertain Environment
by Xiaogang Song, Bing Li, Wenfu Xu and Zhisen Li
Actuators 2022, 11(6), 150; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act11060150 - 5 Jun 2022
Viewed by 2515
Abstract
Both the position and force control of robots are needed in industrial manufacturing, such as in assembly and grinding, etc. In this paper, we concentrate on two issues. One is the system oscillation in traditional hybrid force–position control (HFPC) during switching between force [...] Read more.
Both the position and force control of robots are needed in industrial manufacturing, such as in assembly and grinding, etc. In this paper, we concentrate on two issues. One is the system oscillation in traditional hybrid force–position control (HFPC) during switching between force and position control because the diagonal elements in the selection matrix are either 0 or 1. Another issue is the poor force-tracking performance of conventional impedance control, which depends on accurate environmental models. To address these issues, a coupled force–position control (CFPC) method is presented in this paper by combining the proposed adaptive impedance control method with a modified HFPC method. The selection matrix S of HFPC is replaced with a weighted matrix Sw. A weighted matrix regulator is designed to realize smooth switching between position and force control by adjusting the matrix weights in real time, and an adaptive impedance control algorithm is proposed to improve the force-tracking performance in complex environments. To verify the feasibility of the CFPC method proposed in this paper, simulations and physical experiments were conducted. The results show that the CFPC method has the advantages of a better force-tracking performance and a smoother switching between position and force control compared to the traditional HFPC method. A grinding experiment was conducted to further compare the performances of the HFPC and CFPC methods. The roughness values of the ground plates were 0.059 μm for the HFPC method and 0.031 μm for the proposed CFPC method, which demonstrates that the proposed CFPC method has a better performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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17 pages, 12108 KiB  
Article
Leg Configuration Analysis and Prototype Design of Biped Robot Based on Spring Mass Model
by Junjie Che, Yang Pan, Wei Yan and Jiexian Yu
Actuators 2022, 11(3), 75; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/act11030075 - 2 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 8753
Abstract
The leg structure with high dynamic stability can make the bionic biped robot have the inherent conditions to perform elastic and highly dynamic motion. Compared with the quadruped robot, the leg structure of the biped robot is more complex and has more degrees [...] Read more.
The leg structure with high dynamic stability can make the bionic biped robot have the inherent conditions to perform elastic and highly dynamic motion. Compared with the quadruped robot, the leg structure of the biped robot is more complex and has more degrees of freedom. This also complicates kinematic and dynamic modeling. In this paper, the kinematics model of a bionic biped robot is established. The leg configuration of the robot is a series parallel hybrid mechanism with five active joints and six passive joints. The mechanism is a spring mass model that interacts organically with the environment and mimics the characteristics of human walking well. By analyzing the topological configuration of leg mechanism, we use the screw theory to establish the forward and inverse kinematics models. Then, we build the prototype, and use a step gait to test the model and prototype. The research of this paper has obvious application significance for the design and iteration of biped robot prototype. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanism Design and Control for Robotics)
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