The bending problem of a thin rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness is studied. The basic equation is formulated for the two-opposite-edge simply supported rectangular plate under the distributed loads. T...The bending problem of a thin rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness is studied. The basic equation is formulated for the two-opposite-edge simply supported rectangular plate under the distributed loads. The formulation is based on the assumption that the flexural rigidity of the plate varies in the plane following a power form, and Poisson＇s ratio is constant. A fourth-order partial differential equation with variable coefficients is derived by assuming a Levy-type form for the transverse displacement. The governing equation can be transformed into a Whittaker equation, and an analytical solution is obtained for a thin rectangular plate subjected to the distributed loads. The validity of the present solution is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical solution. The influence of in-plane variable stiffness on the deflection and bending moment is studied by numerical examples. The analytical solution presented here is useful in the design of rectangular plates with in-plane variable stiffness.展开更多
Fiber-reinforced composites are an ideal material for the lightweight design of aerospace structures. Especially in recent years, with the rapid development of composite additive manufacturing technology, the design o...Fiber-reinforced composites are an ideal material for the lightweight design of aerospace structures. Especially in recent years, with the rapid development of composite additive manufacturing technology, the design optimization of variable stiffness of fiber-reinforced composite laminates has attracted widespread attention from scholars and industry. In these aerospace composite structures, numerous cutout panels and shells serve as access points for maintaining electrical, fuel, and hydraulic systems. The traditional fiber-reinforced composite laminate subtractive drilling manufacturing inevitably faces the problems of interlayer delamination, fiber fracture, and burr of the laminate. Continuous fiber additive manufacturing technology offers the potential for integrated design optimization and manufacturing with high structural performance. Considering the integration of design and manufacturability in continuous fiber additive manufacturing, the paper proposes linear and nonlinear filtering strategies based on the Normal Distribution Fiber Optimization (NDFO) material interpolation scheme to overcome the challenge of discrete fiber optimization results, which are difficult to apply directly to continuous fiber additive manufacturing. With minimizing structural compliance as the objective function, the proposed approach provides a strategy to achieve continuity of discrete fiber paths in the variable stiffness design optimization of composite laminates with regular and irregular holes. In the variable stiffness design optimization model, the number of candidate fiber laying angles in the NDFO material interpolation scheme is considered as design variable. The sensitivity information of structural compliance with respect to the number of candidate fiber laying angles is obtained using the analytical sensitivity analysis method. Based on the proposed variable stiffness design optimization method for complex perforated composite laminates, the numerical examples consider the variable stiffness design optimization of typical non-perforated and perforated composite laminates with circular, square, and irregular holes, and systematically discuss the number of candidate discrete fiber laying angles, discrete fiber continuous filtering strategies, and filter radius on structural compliance, continuity, and manufacturability. The optimized discrete fiber angles of variable stiffness laminates are converted into continuous fiber laying paths using a streamlined process for continuous fiber additive manufacturing. Meanwhile, the optimized non-perforated and perforated MBB beams after discrete fiber continuous treatment, are manufactured using continuous fiber co-extrusion additive manufacturing technology to verify the effectiveness of the variable stiffness fiber optimization framework proposed in this paper.展开更多
This paper presents a continuum manipulator inspired by the anatomical characteristics of the elephant trunk.Specifically,the manipulator mimics the conoid profile of the elephant trunk,which helps to enhance its stre...This paper presents a continuum manipulator inspired by the anatomical characteristics of the elephant trunk.Specifically,the manipulator mimics the conoid profile of the elephant trunk,which helps to enhance its strength.The design features two concentric parts:inner pneumatically actuated bellows and an outer tendon-driven helical spring.The tendons control the omnidirectional bending of the manipulator,while the fusion of the pneumatic bellows with the tendon-driven spring results in an antagonistic actuation mechanism that provides the manipulator with variable stiffness and extensibility.This paper presents a new design for extensible manipulator and analyzes its stiffness and motion characteristics.Experimental results are consistent with theoretical analysis,thereby demonstrating the validity of the theoretical approach and the versatile practical mechanical properties of the continuum manipulator.The impressive extensibility and variable stiffness of the manipulator were further demonstrated by performing a pin-hole assembly task.展开更多
Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variab...Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variable stiffness,decoupled motion,and embedded sensing are highly desirable.Since continuum robots are usually composed of multiple joints assembled in series,their mechanical properties and performance will certainly rely on the connected joints.This paper proposes a motion-decoupled variable stiffness-decoupled pneumatic rigid-flexible hybrid joint(RFHJ),which is modular designed and integrated with a rigid hinge,a stiffness-tuning module,and soft actuators.The soft pneumatic muscle actuators are pre-stretched during assembly,ensuring the stable initial state of RFHJ.A novel musculature-mounting configuration is also presented,which enables RFHJs to achieve independent motions in two orthogonal planes.Furthermore,the variable stiffness module is embedded in the RFHJ’s structure to offer real-time and independent stiffness tunability across multiple scales in two perpendicular directions.The proposed RFHJ makes most of the advantages of soft continuum robots and conventional rigid serial robots by introducing a hybrid structure to provide both safe human-robot interaction(HRI),accurate control and reliable stiffness variation,presenting promising potentials for robotic systems,which have been theoretically proved and experimentally verified on the physical prototype.The experimental results also indicate that the developed RFHJ can work with variable stiffness ranging in[1.2,49.9]N·m/rad.A variable stiffness rigid-flexible hybrid continuum arm(RFHA)is designed with three RFHJs in series.Primary tests on the developed RFHA prototype demonstrate that it has the characteristics of decoupled driving,bidirectional stiffness tunability and self-stability.展开更多
This work investigates adaptive stiffness control and motion optimization of a snake-like robot with variable stiffness actuators. The robot can vary its stiffness by controlling magnetorheological fluid(MRF) around a...This work investigates adaptive stiffness control and motion optimization of a snake-like robot with variable stiffness actuators. The robot can vary its stiffness by controlling magnetorheological fluid(MRF) around actuators. In order to improve the robot's physical stability in complex environments, this work proposes an adaptive stiffness control strategy. This strategy is also useful for the robot to avoid disturbing caused by emergency situations such as collisions. In addition, to obtain optimal stiffness and reduce energy consumption, both torques of actuators and stiffness of the MRF braker are considered and optimized by using an evolutionary optimization algorithm. Simulations and experiments are conducted to verify the proposed adaptive stiffness control and optimization methods for a variable stiffness snake-like robots.展开更多
Redundantly actuated planar rotational parallel mechanisms（RAPRPMs） adapt to the requirements of robots under different working conditions by changing the antagonistic internal force to tune their stiffness.The geom...Redundantly actuated planar rotational parallel mechanisms（RAPRPMs） adapt to the requirements of robots under different working conditions by changing the antagonistic internal force to tune their stiffness.The geometrical parameters of the mechanism impact the performances of modulating stiffness.Analytical expressions relating stiffness and geometrical parameters of the mechanism were formulated to obtain the necessary conditions of variable stiffness.A novel method of variable stiffness design was presented to optimize the geometrical parameters of the mechanism.The stiffness variation with the internal force was maximized.The dynamic change of stiffness with the dynamic location of the mechanism was minimized,and the robustness of stiffness during the motion of the mechanism was ensured.This new approach to variable stiffness design can enable off-line planning of the internal force to avoid the difficulties of on-line control of the internal force.展开更多
Recent studies have shown that base-isolated objects with long fundamental natural periods are highly influenced by long-period earthquakes. These long-period waves result in large displacements for isolators, possibl...Recent studies have shown that base-isolated objects with long fundamental natural periods are highly influenced by long-period earthquakes. These long-period waves result in large displacements for isolators, possibly leading to exceedance of the allowable displacement limits. Conventional isolation systems, in general, fail to resist such large displacements. This has prompted the need to modify conventional base isolation systems. The current work focuses on the development of an external device, comprising a unit of negative and positive springs, for improving the performance of conventional base isolation systems. This unit accelerates the change in the stiffness of the isolation system where the stiffness of the positive spring varies linearly in terms of the displacement response of the isolated objects. The target objects of the present study are small structures such as computer servers, sensitive instruments and machinery. Numerical studies show that the increase in the damping of the system and the slope of the linear function is effective in reducing the displacement response. An optimal range of damping values and slope, satisfying the stability condition and the allowable limits of both displacement and acceleration responses when the system is subjected to near-fault and long-period ground motions simultaneously, is proposed.展开更多
A new adaptive variable stiffness absorber was proposed based on a smart material, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and its vibration control performance was investigated. Before developing the proposed absorber, t...A new adaptive variable stiffness absorber was proposed based on a smart material, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and its vibration control performance was investigated. Before developing the proposed absorber, the MREs were firstly fabricated by curing a mixture of 704 silicon rubber, carbonyl iron particles and a small amount of silicone oil under an external magnetic field. Then the mechanical properties of the fabricated MREs were measured. On the basis of the measured mechanical characteristics, the MRE absorber was developed and its working characteristics were also tested under various input currents and excited frequencies. Finally, the control responses of a two-degree-of-freedom dynamic system with a MRE absorber were presented under a chirp input and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the MRE absorber.展开更多
Devices with variable stiffness are drawing more and more attention with the growing interests of human-robot interaction,wearable robotics,rehabilitation robotics,etc.In this paper,the authors report on the design,an...Devices with variable stiffness are drawing more and more attention with the growing interests of human-robot interaction,wearable robotics,rehabilitation robotics,etc.In this paper,the authors report on the design,analysis and experiments of a stiffness variable passive compliant device whose structure is a combination of a reconfigurable elastic inner skeleton and an origami shell.The main concept of the reconfigurable skeleton is to have two elastic trapezoid four-bar linkages arranged in orthogonal.The stiffness variation generates from the passive deflection of the elastic limbs and is realized by actively switching the arrangement of the leaf springs and the passive joints in a fast,simple and straightforward manner.The kinetostatics and the compliance of the device are analyzed based on an efficient approach to the large deflection problem of the elastic links.A prototype is fabricated to conduct experiments for the assessment of the proposed concept.The results show that the prototype possesses relatively low stiffness under the compliant status and high stiffness under the stiff status with a status switching speed around 80 ms.展开更多
An innovative variable stiffness device is proposed and investigated based on numerical simulations. The device, called a folding variable stiffness spring （FVSS）, can be widely used, especially in tuned mass dampe...An innovative variable stiffness device is proposed and investigated based on numerical simulations. The device, called a folding variable stiffness spring （FVSS）, can be widely used, especially in tuned mass dampers （TMDs） with adaptive stiffness. An important characteristic of FVSS is its capability to change the stiffness between lower and upper bounds through a small change of distance between its supports. This special feature results in lower time-lag errors and readjustment in shorter time intervals. The governing equations of the device are derived and simplified for a symmetrical FVSS with similar elements. This device is then used to control a single-degree-of-freedom （SDOF） structure as well as a multi-degree-of-freedom （MDOF） structure via a semi-active TMD. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare several control cases for these structures. To make it more realistic, a real direct current motor with its own limitations is simulated in addition to an ideal control case with no limitations and both the results are compared. It is shown that the proposed device can be effectively used to suppress undesirable vibrations of a structure and considerably improves the performance of the controller compared to a passive device.展开更多
In order to understand mechanical characters and find out a calculating method for preflex beams used in particular bridge engineering projects, two types of simply supported preflex beams with variable crosssection, ...In order to understand mechanical characters and find out a calculating method for preflex beams used in particular bridge engineering projects, two types of simply supported preflex beams with variable crosssection, preflex beam with alterative web depth and preflex beam with aherative steel flange thickness, are dis- cussed on how to achieve the equivalent moment of inertia and Young＇ s modulus. Additionally, methods of cal- culating the equivalent bending stiffness and post-cracking deflection are proposed. Results of the experiments on 6 beams agree well with the theoretical analysis, which proves the correctness of the proposed formulas.展开更多
Industrial robots are increasingly being used in machining tasks because of their high flexibility and intelligence.However,the low structural stiffness of a robot significantly affects its positional accuracy and the...Industrial robots are increasingly being used in machining tasks because of their high flexibility and intelligence.However,the low structural stiffness of a robot significantly affects its positional accuracy and the machining quality of its operation equipment.Studying robot stiffness characteristics and optimization methods is an effective method of improving the stiffness performance of a robot.Accordingly,aiming at the poor accuracy of stiffness modeling caused by approximating the stiffness of each joint as a constant,a variable stiffness identification method is proposed based on space gridding.Subsequently,a task-oriented axial stiffness evaluation index is proposed to quantitatively assess the stiffness performance in the machining direction.In addition,by analyzing the redundant kinematic characteristics of the robot machining system,a configuration optimization method is further developed to maximize the index.For numerous points or trajectory-processing tasks,a configuration smoothing strategy is proposed to rapidly acquire optimized configurations.Finally,experiments on a KR500 robot were conducted to verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed stiffness identification and configuration optimization methods.展开更多
With the development of artificial intelligence,stiffness sensors are extensively utilized in various fields,and their integration with robots for automated palpation has gained significant attention.This study presen...With the development of artificial intelligence,stiffness sensors are extensively utilized in various fields,and their integration with robots for automated palpation has gained significant attention.This study presents a broad range self-powered stiffness sensor based on the triboelectric nanogenerator(Stiff-TENG)for variable inclusions in soft objects detection.The Stiff-TENG employs a stacked structure comprising an indium tin oxide film,an elastic sponge,a fluorinated ethylene propylene film with a conductive ink electrode,and two acrylic pieces with a shielding layer.Through the decoupling method,the Stiff-TENG achieves stiffness detection of objects within 1.0 s.The output performance and characteristics of the TENG for different stiffness objects under 4 mm displacement are analyzed.The Stiff-TENG is successfully used to detect the heterogeneous stiffness structures,enabling effective recognition of variable inclusions in soft object,reaching a recognition accuracy of 99.7%.Furthermore,its adaptability makes it well-suited for the detection of pathological conditions within the human body,as pathological tissues often exhibit changes in the stiffness of internal organs.This research highlights the innovative applications of TENG and thereby showcases its immense potential in healthcare applications such as palpation which assesses pathological conditions based on organ stiffness.展开更多
Each joint of hydraulic drive quadruped robot is driven by the hydraulic drive unit（HDU）, and the contacting between the robot foot end and the ground is complex and variable, which increases the difficulty of force...Each joint of hydraulic drive quadruped robot is driven by the hydraulic drive unit（HDU）, and the contacting between the robot foot end and the ground is complex and variable, which increases the difficulty of force control inevitably. In the recent years, although many scholars researched some control methods such as disturbance rejection control, parameter self-adaptive control, impedance control and so on, to improve the force control performance of HDU, the robustness of the force control still needs improving. Therefore, how to simulate the complex and variable load characteristics of the environment structure and how to ensure HDU having excellent force control performance with the complex and variable load characteristics are key issues to be solved in this paper. The force control system mathematic model of HDU is established by the mechanism modeling method, and the theoretical models of a novel force control compensation method and a load characteristics simulation method under different environment structures are derived, considering the dynamic characteristics of the load stiffness and the load damping under different environment structures. Then, simulation effects of the variable load stiffness and load damping under the step and sinusoidal load force are analyzed experimentally on the HDU force control performance test platform, which provides the foundation for the force control compensation experiment research. In addition, the optimized PID control parameters are designed to make the HDU have better force control performance with suitable load stiffness and load damping, under which the force control compensation method is introduced, and the robustness of the force control system with several constant load characteristics and the variable load characteristics respectively are comparatively analyzed by experiment. The research results indicate that if the load characteristics are known, the force control compensation method presented in this paper has positive compensation effects on the load characteristics variation, i.e., this method decreases the effects of the load characteristics variation on the force control performance and enhances the force control system robustness with the constant PID parameters, thereby, the online PID parameters tuning control method which is complex needs not be adopted. All the above research provides theoretical and experimental foundation for the force control method of the quadruped robot joints with high robustness.展开更多
Vibration issues of a five-stand tandem cold rolling mill were found in the steel production practice,and the experimental observation and numerical analysis indicated that the vibrations were related to the back-up r...Vibration issues of a five-stand tandem cold rolling mill were found in the steel production practice,and the experimental observation and numerical analysis indicated that the vibrations were related to the back-up roll bearing.The results were validated by replacing the back-up roll bearing with the new bearing resulting in 30%decline in vibration amplitude.Models describing the four-row cylindrical roller bearing and the vertical system of the cold rolling mill including the bearing were established.Moreover,the mechanisms of periodic excitation and amplified vibrations of fault-free bearing were explained theoretically,along with the analysis of bifurcation behaviors of the motion states of the roller bearing and rolling mill system.It is found that the energy transmitted between vibrations with different frequencies if multiple excitation frequencies in the rolling mill system were close.展开更多
In this paper, a semiactive variable stiffness （SVS） device is used to decrease cable oscillations caused by parametric excitation, and the equation of motion of the parametric vibration of the cable with this SVS d...In this paper, a semiactive variable stiffness （SVS） device is used to decrease cable oscillations caused by parametric excitation, and the equation of motion of the parametric vibration of the cable with this SVS device is presented. The ON/OFF control algorithm is used to operate the SVS control device. The vibration response of the cable with the SVS device is numerically studied for a variety of additional stiffness combinations in both the frequency and time domains and for both parametric and classical resonance vibration conditions. The numerical studies further consider the cable sag effect. From the numerical results, it is shown that the SVS device effectively suppresses the cable resonance vibration response, and as the stiffness of the device increases, the device achieves greater suppression of vibration. Moreover, it was shown that the SVS device increases the critical axial displacement of the excitation under cable parametric vibration conditions.展开更多
Bilateral rehabilitation systems with bilateral or unilateral assistive robots have been developed for hemiplegia patients to recover their one-side paralysis.However,the compliant robotic assistance to promote bilate...Bilateral rehabilitation systems with bilateral or unilateral assistive robots have been developed for hemiplegia patients to recover their one-side paralysis.However,the compliant robotic assistance to promote bilateral inter-limb coordination remains a challenge that should be addressed.In this paper,a biomimetic variable stiffness modulation strategy for the Variable Stiffness Actuator(VSA)integrated robotic is proposed to improve bilateral limb coordination and promote bilateral motor skills relearning.An Electromyography(EMG)-driven synergy reference stiffness estimation model of the upper limb elbow joint is developed to reproduce the muscle synergy effect on the affected side limb by independent real-time stiffness control.Additionally,the bilateral impedance control is incorporated for realizing compliant patient-robot interaction.Preliminary experiments were carried out to evaluate the tracking performance and investigate the multiple task intensities’influence on bilateral motor skills relearning.Experimental results evidence the proposed method could enable bilateral motor task skills relearning with wide-range task intensities and further promote bilateral inter-limb coordination.展开更多
In this paper,a new system of semi active structural control with active variable stiffness and damping (AVSD) is suggested.This new system amplifies the structural displacement to dissipate more energy,and in turn,ef...In this paper,a new system of semi active structural control with active variable stiffness and damping (AVSD) is suggested.This new system amplifies the structural displacement to dissipate more energy,and in turn,effectively reduces the structural response in the case of relatively small story drifts,which occur during earthquakes.A predictive instantaneous optimal control algorithm is established for a SDOF structure equipped with an AVSD system Comparative shaking table tests of a 1/4 scale single story structural model with a full scale control device have been conducted.From the experimental and analytical results,it is shown that when compared to structures without control or with the active variable stiffness control alone, the suggested system exhibits higher efficiency in controlling the structural response,requires less energy input,operates with higher reliability,and can be manufactured at a lower cost and used in a wider range of engineering applications.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11072177)
文摘The bending problem of a thin rectangular plate with in-plane variable stiffness is studied. The basic equation is formulated for the two-opposite-edge simply supported rectangular plate under the distributed loads. The formulation is based on the assumption that the flexural rigidity of the plate varies in the plane following a power form, and Poisson＇s ratio is constant. A fourth-order partial differential equation with variable coefficients is derived by assuming a Levy-type form for the transverse displacement. The governing equation can be transformed into a Whittaker equation, and an analytical solution is obtained for a thin rectangular plate subjected to the distributed loads. The validity of the present solution is shown by comparing the present results with those of the classical solution. The influence of in-plane variable stiffness on the deflection and bending moment is studied by numerical examples. The analytical solution presented here is useful in the design of rectangular plates with in-plane variable stiffness.
基金supports for this research were provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12272301,12002278,U1906233)the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation,China(Nos.2023A1515011970,2024A1515010256)+1 种基金the Dalian City Supports Innovation and Entrepreneurship Projects for High-Level Talents,China(2021RD16)the Key R&D Project of CSCEC,China(No.CSCEC-2020-Z-4).
文摘Fiber-reinforced composites are an ideal material for the lightweight design of aerospace structures. Especially in recent years, with the rapid development of composite additive manufacturing technology, the design optimization of variable stiffness of fiber-reinforced composite laminates has attracted widespread attention from scholars and industry. In these aerospace composite structures, numerous cutout panels and shells serve as access points for maintaining electrical, fuel, and hydraulic systems. The traditional fiber-reinforced composite laminate subtractive drilling manufacturing inevitably faces the problems of interlayer delamination, fiber fracture, and burr of the laminate. Continuous fiber additive manufacturing technology offers the potential for integrated design optimization and manufacturing with high structural performance. Considering the integration of design and manufacturability in continuous fiber additive manufacturing, the paper proposes linear and nonlinear filtering strategies based on the Normal Distribution Fiber Optimization (NDFO) material interpolation scheme to overcome the challenge of discrete fiber optimization results, which are difficult to apply directly to continuous fiber additive manufacturing. With minimizing structural compliance as the objective function, the proposed approach provides a strategy to achieve continuity of discrete fiber paths in the variable stiffness design optimization of composite laminates with regular and irregular holes. In the variable stiffness design optimization model, the number of candidate fiber laying angles in the NDFO material interpolation scheme is considered as design variable. The sensitivity information of structural compliance with respect to the number of candidate fiber laying angles is obtained using the analytical sensitivity analysis method. Based on the proposed variable stiffness design optimization method for complex perforated composite laminates, the numerical examples consider the variable stiffness design optimization of typical non-perforated and perforated composite laminates with circular, square, and irregular holes, and systematically discuss the number of candidate discrete fiber laying angles, discrete fiber continuous filtering strategies, and filter radius on structural compliance, continuity, and manufacturability. The optimized discrete fiber angles of variable stiffness laminates are converted into continuous fiber laying paths using a streamlined process for continuous fiber additive manufacturing. Meanwhile, the optimized non-perforated and perforated MBB beams after discrete fiber continuous treatment, are manufactured using continuous fiber co-extrusion additive manufacturing technology to verify the effectiveness of the variable stiffness fiber optimization framework proposed in this paper.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2018YFB1305400)the Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.92048301)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52025054)the Joint Research Fund between the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)and Shen Zhen(No.U1713201).
文摘This paper presents a continuum manipulator inspired by the anatomical characteristics of the elephant trunk.Specifically,the manipulator mimics the conoid profile of the elephant trunk,which helps to enhance its strength.The design features two concentric parts:inner pneumatically actuated bellows and an outer tendon-driven helical spring.The tendons control the omnidirectional bending of the manipulator,while the fusion of the pneumatic bellows with the tendon-driven spring results in an antagonistic actuation mechanism that provides the manipulator with variable stiffness and extensibility.This paper presents a new design for extensible manipulator and analyzes its stiffness and motion characteristics.Experimental results are consistent with theoretical analysis,thereby demonstrating the validity of the theoretical approach and the versatile practical mechanical properties of the continuum manipulator.The impressive extensibility and variable stiffness of the manipulator were further demonstrated by performing a pin-hole assembly task.
基金Supported by Shenzhen Municipal Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U2013212)National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2020YFB1313001)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.U23 A20328).
文摘Continuum robots have been a hot topic in recent years due to their intrinsic features of agility,flexibility,and safety.To successfully deploy continuum robots in practical applications,further enhancements in variable stiffness,decoupled motion,and embedded sensing are highly desirable.Since continuum robots are usually composed of multiple joints assembled in series,their mechanical properties and performance will certainly rely on the connected joints.This paper proposes a motion-decoupled variable stiffness-decoupled pneumatic rigid-flexible hybrid joint(RFHJ),which is modular designed and integrated with a rigid hinge,a stiffness-tuning module,and soft actuators.The soft pneumatic muscle actuators are pre-stretched during assembly,ensuring the stable initial state of RFHJ.A novel musculature-mounting configuration is also presented,which enables RFHJs to achieve independent motions in two orthogonal planes.Furthermore,the variable stiffness module is embedded in the RFHJ’s structure to offer real-time and independent stiffness tunability across multiple scales in two perpendicular directions.The proposed RFHJ makes most of the advantages of soft continuum robots and conventional rigid serial robots by introducing a hybrid structure to provide both safe human-robot interaction(HRI),accurate control and reliable stiffness variation,presenting promising potentials for robotic systems,which have been theoretically proved and experimentally verified on the physical prototype.The experimental results also indicate that the developed RFHJ can work with variable stiffness ranging in[1.2,49.9]N·m/rad.A variable stiffness rigid-flexible hybrid continuum arm(RFHA)is designed with three RFHJs in series.Primary tests on the developed RFHA prototype demonstrate that it has the characteristics of decoupled driving,bidirectional stiffness tunability and self-stability.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(51575034)Beijing Leading Talents Program(Z191100006119031)+2 种基金Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation(3202022)National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFB1304600)the State Key Laboratory of Robotics of China(2018-O15)。
文摘This work investigates adaptive stiffness control and motion optimization of a snake-like robot with variable stiffness actuators. The robot can vary its stiffness by controlling magnetorheological fluid(MRF) around actuators. In order to improve the robot's physical stability in complex environments, this work proposes an adaptive stiffness control strategy. This strategy is also useful for the robot to avoid disturbing caused by emergency situations such as collisions. In addition, to obtain optimal stiffness and reduce energy consumption, both torques of actuators and stiffness of the MRF braker are considered and optimized by using an evolutionary optimization algorithm. Simulations and experiments are conducted to verify the proposed adaptive stiffness control and optimization methods for a variable stiffness snake-like robots.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51275127)
文摘Redundantly actuated planar rotational parallel mechanisms（RAPRPMs） adapt to the requirements of robots under different working conditions by changing the antagonistic internal force to tune their stiffness.The geometrical parameters of the mechanism impact the performances of modulating stiffness.Analytical expressions relating stiffness and geometrical parameters of the mechanism were formulated to obtain the necessary conditions of variable stiffness.A novel method of variable stiffness design was presented to optimize the geometrical parameters of the mechanism.The stiffness variation with the internal force was maximized.The dynamic change of stiffness with the dynamic location of the mechanism was minimized,and the robustness of stiffness during the motion of the mechanism was ensured.This new approach to variable stiffness design can enable off-line planning of the internal force to avoid the difficulties of on-line control of the internal force.
文摘Recent studies have shown that base-isolated objects with long fundamental natural periods are highly influenced by long-period earthquakes. These long-period waves result in large displacements for isolators, possibly leading to exceedance of the allowable displacement limits. Conventional isolation systems, in general, fail to resist such large displacements. This has prompted the need to modify conventional base isolation systems. The current work focuses on the development of an external device, comprising a unit of negative and positive springs, for improving the performance of conventional base isolation systems. This unit accelerates the change in the stiffness of the isolation system where the stiffness of the positive spring varies linearly in terms of the displacement response of the isolated objects. The target objects of the present study are small structures such as computer servers, sensitive instruments and machinery. Numerical studies show that the increase in the damping of the system and the slope of the linear function is effective in reducing the displacement response. An optimal range of damping values and slope, satisfying the stability condition and the allowable limits of both displacement and acceleration responses when the system is subjected to near-fault and long-period ground motions simultaneously, is proposed.
基金Projects(60804018, 50830202) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject (20070420719) supported by the Post doctoral Fund of ChinaProject(CSTC.2008BB6184) supported by Chongqing Natural Science Foundation, China
文摘A new adaptive variable stiffness absorber was proposed based on a smart material, magnetorheological elastomer (MRE), and its vibration control performance was investigated. Before developing the proposed absorber, the MREs were firstly fabricated by curing a mixture of 704 silicon rubber, carbonyl iron particles and a small amount of silicone oil under an external magnetic field. Then the mechanical properties of the fabricated MREs were measured. On the basis of the measured mechanical characteristics, the MRE absorber was developed and its working characteristics were also tested under various input currents and excited frequencies. Finally, the control responses of a two-degree-of-freedom dynamic system with a MRE absorber were presented under a chirp input and used to evaluate the effectiveness of the MRE absorber.
基金Supported in part by National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2017YFE0111300)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51875334)State Key Lab of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology(Huazhong University of Science and Technology)(Grant No.DMETKF2019007).
文摘Devices with variable stiffness are drawing more and more attention with the growing interests of human-robot interaction,wearable robotics,rehabilitation robotics,etc.In this paper,the authors report on the design,analysis and experiments of a stiffness variable passive compliant device whose structure is a combination of a reconfigurable elastic inner skeleton and an origami shell.The main concept of the reconfigurable skeleton is to have two elastic trapezoid four-bar linkages arranged in orthogonal.The stiffness variation generates from the passive deflection of the elastic limbs and is realized by actively switching the arrangement of the leaf springs and the passive joints in a fast,simple and straightforward manner.The kinetostatics and the compliance of the device are analyzed based on an efficient approach to the large deflection problem of the elastic links.A prototype is fabricated to conduct experiments for the assessment of the proposed concept.The results show that the prototype possesses relatively low stiffness under the compliant status and high stiffness under the stiff status with a status switching speed around 80 ms.
文摘An innovative variable stiffness device is proposed and investigated based on numerical simulations. The device, called a folding variable stiffness spring （FVSS）, can be widely used, especially in tuned mass dampers （TMDs） with adaptive stiffness. An important characteristic of FVSS is its capability to change the stiffness between lower and upper bounds through a small change of distance between its supports. This special feature results in lower time-lag errors and readjustment in shorter time intervals. The governing equations of the device are derived and simplified for a symmetrical FVSS with similar elements. This device is then used to control a single-degree-of-freedom （SDOF） structure as well as a multi-degree-of-freedom （MDOF） structure via a semi-active TMD. Numerical simulations are conducted to compare several control cases for these structures. To make it more realistic, a real direct current motor with its own limitations is simulated in addition to an ideal control case with no limitations and both the results are compared. It is shown that the proposed device can be effectively used to suppress undesirable vibrations of a structure and considerably improves the performance of the controller compared to a passive device.
基金Sponsored by the Subsidization Plan for Outstanding Young Teacher of Ministry of Education
文摘In order to understand mechanical characters and find out a calculating method for preflex beams used in particular bridge engineering projects, two types of simply supported preflex beams with variable crosssection, preflex beam with alterative web depth and preflex beam with aherative steel flange thickness, are dis- cussed on how to achieve the equivalent moment of inertia and Young＇ s modulus. Additionally, methods of cal- culating the equivalent bending stiffness and post-cracking deflection are proposed. Results of the experiments on 6 beams agree well with the theoretical analysis, which proves the correctness of the proposed formulas.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51875287)National Defense Basic Scientific Research Program of China(Grant No.JCKY2018605C002)Jiangsu Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.BK20190417).
文摘Industrial robots are increasingly being used in machining tasks because of their high flexibility and intelligence.However,the low structural stiffness of a robot significantly affects its positional accuracy and the machining quality of its operation equipment.Studying robot stiffness characteristics and optimization methods is an effective method of improving the stiffness performance of a robot.Accordingly,aiming at the poor accuracy of stiffness modeling caused by approximating the stiffness of each joint as a constant,a variable stiffness identification method is proposed based on space gridding.Subsequently,a task-oriented axial stiffness evaluation index is proposed to quantitatively assess the stiffness performance in the machining direction.In addition,by analyzing the redundant kinematic characteristics of the robot machining system,a configuration optimization method is further developed to maximize the index.For numerous points or trajectory-processing tasks,a configuration smoothing strategy is proposed to rapidly acquire optimized configurations.Finally,experiments on a KR500 robot were conducted to verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed stiffness identification and configuration optimization methods.
基金This work is supported by the grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 62104125 and 62311530102,Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program(2021ZT09L197)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(2020A1515110887)+1 种基金Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School-Shenzhen Pengrui Young Faculty Program of Shenzhen Pengrui Foundation(No.SZPR2023005)Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(JCYJ20220530143013030).
文摘With the development of artificial intelligence,stiffness sensors are extensively utilized in various fields,and their integration with robots for automated palpation has gained significant attention.This study presents a broad range self-powered stiffness sensor based on the triboelectric nanogenerator(Stiff-TENG)for variable inclusions in soft objects detection.The Stiff-TENG employs a stacked structure comprising an indium tin oxide film,an elastic sponge,a fluorinated ethylene propylene film with a conductive ink electrode,and two acrylic pieces with a shielding layer.Through the decoupling method,the Stiff-TENG achieves stiffness detection of objects within 1.0 s.The output performance and characteristics of the TENG for different stiffness objects under 4 mm displacement are analyzed.The Stiff-TENG is successfully used to detect the heterogeneous stiffness structures,enabling effective recognition of variable inclusions in soft object,reaching a recognition accuracy of 99.7%.Furthermore,its adaptability makes it well-suited for the detection of pathological conditions within the human body,as pathological tissues often exhibit changes in the stiffness of internal organs.This research highlights the innovative applications of TENG and thereby showcases its immense potential in healthcare applications such as palpation which assesses pathological conditions based on organ stiffness.
基金Supported by National Key Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,Grant No.2014CB046405)State Key Laboratory of Fluid Power and Mechatronic Systems(Zhejiang University)Open Fund Project(Grant No.GZKF-201502)Hebei Military and Civilian Industry Development Funds Projects of China(Grant No.2015B060)
文摘Each joint of hydraulic drive quadruped robot is driven by the hydraulic drive unit（HDU）, and the contacting between the robot foot end and the ground is complex and variable, which increases the difficulty of force control inevitably. In the recent years, although many scholars researched some control methods such as disturbance rejection control, parameter self-adaptive control, impedance control and so on, to improve the force control performance of HDU, the robustness of the force control still needs improving. Therefore, how to simulate the complex and variable load characteristics of the environment structure and how to ensure HDU having excellent force control performance with the complex and variable load characteristics are key issues to be solved in this paper. The force control system mathematic model of HDU is established by the mechanism modeling method, and the theoretical models of a novel force control compensation method and a load characteristics simulation method under different environment structures are derived, considering the dynamic characteristics of the load stiffness and the load damping under different environment structures. Then, simulation effects of the variable load stiffness and load damping under the step and sinusoidal load force are analyzed experimentally on the HDU force control performance test platform, which provides the foundation for the force control compensation experiment research. In addition, the optimized PID control parameters are designed to make the HDU have better force control performance with suitable load stiffness and load damping, under which the force control compensation method is introduced, and the robustness of the force control system with several constant load characteristics and the variable load characteristics respectively are comparatively analyzed by experiment. The research results indicate that if the load characteristics are known, the force control compensation method presented in this paper has positive compensation effects on the load characteristics variation, i.e., this method decreases the effects of the load characteristics variation on the force control performance and enhances the force control system robustness with the constant PID parameters, thereby, the online PID parameters tuning control method which is complex needs not be adopted. All the above research provides theoretical and experimental foundation for the force control method of the quadruped robot joints with high robustness.
文摘Vibration issues of a five-stand tandem cold rolling mill were found in the steel production practice,and the experimental observation and numerical analysis indicated that the vibrations were related to the back-up roll bearing.The results were validated by replacing the back-up roll bearing with the new bearing resulting in 30%decline in vibration amplitude.Models describing the four-row cylindrical roller bearing and the vertical system of the cold rolling mill including the bearing were established.Moreover,the mechanisms of periodic excitation and amplified vibrations of fault-free bearing were explained theoretically,along with the analysis of bifurcation behaviors of the motion states of the roller bearing and rolling mill system.It is found that the energy transmitted between vibrations with different frequencies if multiple excitation frequencies in the rolling mill system were close.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China Under Grant No. 50178025
文摘In this paper, a semiactive variable stiffness （SVS） device is used to decrease cable oscillations caused by parametric excitation, and the equation of motion of the parametric vibration of the cable with this SVS device is presented. The ON/OFF control algorithm is used to operate the SVS control device. The vibration response of the cable with the SVS device is numerically studied for a variety of additional stiffness combinations in both the frequency and time domains and for both parametric and classical resonance vibration conditions. The numerical studies further consider the cable sag effect. From the numerical results, it is shown that the SVS device effectively suppresses the cable resonance vibration response, and as the stiffness of the device increases, the device achieves greater suppression of vibration. Moreover, it was shown that the SVS device increases the critical axial displacement of the excitation under cable parametric vibration conditions.
文摘Bilateral rehabilitation systems with bilateral or unilateral assistive robots have been developed for hemiplegia patients to recover their one-side paralysis.However,the compliant robotic assistance to promote bilateral inter-limb coordination remains a challenge that should be addressed.In this paper,a biomimetic variable stiffness modulation strategy for the Variable Stiffness Actuator(VSA)integrated robotic is proposed to improve bilateral limb coordination and promote bilateral motor skills relearning.An Electromyography(EMG)-driven synergy reference stiffness estimation model of the upper limb elbow joint is developed to reproduce the muscle synergy effect on the affected side limb by independent real-time stiffness control.Additionally,the bilateral impedance control is incorporated for realizing compliant patient-robot interaction.Preliminary experiments were carried out to evaluate the tracking performance and investigate the multiple task intensities’influence on bilateral motor skills relearning.Experimental results evidence the proposed method could enable bilateral motor task skills relearning with wide-range task intensities and further promote bilateral inter-limb coordination.
文摘In this paper,a new system of semi active structural control with active variable stiffness and damping (AVSD) is suggested.This new system amplifies the structural displacement to dissipate more energy,and in turn,effectively reduces the structural response in the case of relatively small story drifts,which occur during earthquakes.A predictive instantaneous optimal control algorithm is established for a SDOF structure equipped with an AVSD system Comparative shaking table tests of a 1/4 scale single story structural model with a full scale control device have been conducted.From the experimental and analytical results,it is shown that when compared to structures without control or with the active variable stiffness control alone, the suggested system exhibits higher efficiency in controlling the structural response,requires less energy input,operates with higher reliability,and can be manufactured at a lower cost and used in a wider range of engineering applications.
