Control of rigid–flexible multi-body systems in space, during cooperative manipulation tasks, is studied in this paper. During such tasks, flexible members such as solar panels may vibrate. These vibrations in turn can lead to oscillatory disturbing forces on other subsystems, and consequently may produce significant errors in the position of operating end-effectors of cooperative arms. Therefore, to design and implement efficient model-based controllers for such complicated nonlinear systems, deriving an accurate dynamics model is required. On the other hand, due to practical limitations and real-time implementation, such models should demand fairly low computational complexity. In this paper, a precise dynamics model is derived by virtually partitioning the system into two rigid and flexible portions. These two portions will be assembled together to generate a proper model for controller design. Then, an adaptive hybrid suppression control (AHSC) algorithm is developed based on an appropriate variation rule of a virtual damping parameter. Finally, as a practical case study a space free-flying robot (SFFR) with flexible appendages is considered to move an object along a desired path through accurate force exertion by several cooperative end-effectors. This system includes a main rigid body equipped with thrusters, two solar panels, and two cooperative manipulators. The system also includes a third and fourth arm that act as a communication antenna and a photo capturing camera, respectively. The maneuver is deliberately planned such that flexible modes of solar panels get stimulated due to arms motion, while obtained results reveal the merits of proposed controller as will be discussed.

This paper addresses the dimensional-synthesis-based kineto-elastostatic performance optimization of the delta parallel mechanism. For the manipulator studied here, the main consideration for the optimization criteria is to find the maximum regular workspace where the robot delta must posses high stiffness and dexterity. The dexterity is a kinetostatic quality measure that is related to joint's stiffness and control accuracy. In this study, we use the Castigliano's energetic theorem for modeling the elastostatic behavior of the delta parallel robot, which can be evaluated by the mechanism's response to external applied wrench under static equilibrium. In the proposed formulation of the design problem, global structure's stiffness and global dexterity are considered together for the simultaneous optimization. Therefore, we formulate the design problem as a multi-objective optimization one and, we use evolutionary genetic algorithms to find all possible trade-offs among multiple cost functions that conflict with each other. The proposed design procedure is developed through the implementation of the delta robot and, numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed design method to enhancing kineto-elastostatic performance of the studied manipulator's structure.

The balance control problem of planar bipedal robots during disturbed standing is investigated. Virtual holonomic constraints which specify the angles of actuated joints as a function of the rotation angle between the sole of the stance foot and the ground are recalled. These constraints enable the robot to avoid turnover during external disturbances similar to how a human being would react. Moreover, for a disturbance beyond the balance conditions for single-leg support, the robot changes to a double support posture to avoid turnover by the virtual holonomic constraints. Further, for a special kind of balance: standing on toe which leads to underactuation, we also give the design conditions of the virtual holonomic constraints.

Positioning and navigation data for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) are extracted using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Inertial Navigation System (INS) integrated with an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The integration of quaternion with direction cosine matrix (DCM) with the aim of obtaining high accuracy with complete system independence has been effectively used to supply position and attitude information for autonomous navigation of marine crafts. A DCM integrated with a quaternion provided an advanced technique for precise USV attitude estimation and position determination using low-cost sensors. This paper presents the implementation of an INS developed by the integration of DCM and quaternion.

Human–robot interaction is an emerging area of research where a robot may need to be working in human-populated environments. Human trajectories are generally not random and can belong to gross patterns. Knowledge about these patterns can be learned through observation. In this paper, we address the problem of a robot's social awareness by learning human motion patterns and integrating them in path planning. The gross motion patterns are learned using a novel Sampled Hidden Markov Model, which allows the integration of partial observations in dynamic model building. This model is used in the modified A* path planning algorithm to achieve socially aware trajectories. Novelty of the proposed method is that it can be used on a mobile robot for simultaneous online learning and path planning. The experiments carried out in an office environment show that the paths can be planned seamlessly, avoiding personal spaces of occupants.

Robotic surface planetary exploration is a challenging endeavor, with critical safety requirements and severe communication constraints. Autonomous navigation is one of the most crucial and yet risky aspects of these operations. Therefore, a certain level of local autonomy for onboard robots is an essential feature, so that they can make their own decisions independently of ground control, reducing operational costs and maximizing the scientific return of the mission. In addition, existing tools to support research in this domain are usually proprietary to space agencies, and out of reach of most researchers. This paper presents a framework developed to support research in this field, a modular onboard software architecture design and a series of algorithms that implement a visual-based autonomous navigation approach for robotic space exploration. It allows analysis of algorithms' performance and functional validation of approaches and autonomy strategies, data monitoring and the creation of simulation models to replicate the vehicle, sensors, terrain and operational conditions. The framework and algorithms are partly supported by open-source packages and tools. A set of experiments and field testing with a physical robot and hardware are described as well, detailing results and algorithms' processing time, which experience an incremented of one order of magnitude when executed in space-certified like hardware, with constrained resources, in comparison to using general purpose hardware.

Due to the special working environment of teleoperation, there are usually uncertainties existing in the dynamics of teleoperating robots. In this paper, an adaptive bilateral control scheme is proposed for the nonlinear teleoperation with parameterized dynamic uncertainties and time delays. Compared to the existing time-delay adaptive bilateral controllers, the proposed scheme has the advantage of faster and more accurate parameter adaptation. In this way, the transient performance of teleoperators can be improved without increasing the control gains, which is helpful for stability of teleoperation. The adaptive bilateral controller is designed to be applicable both in free motion and in constrained motion. The synchronization errors in the unconstrained subspace are asymptotically convergent under time delays. In the constrained subspace, the contact force remains bounded with the proposed controller. The stability of teleoperation is proved using Lyapunov methods and the passivity theory. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

The study of arm muscles for independent operations leading to prosthetic design was carried out. Feature extraction was done on the recorded signal for investigating the voluntary muscular contraction relationship for different arm motions and then repeated factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) technique was implemented to analyze effectiveness of signal. The electronic design consisted of analog and digital signal processing and controlling circuit and mechanical assembly consisted of wrist, palm and the fingers to grip the object in addition to a screw arrangement connected to a low power DC motor and gear assembly to open or close the hand. The wrist is mechanically rotated to orient the hand in a direction suitable to pick up/hold the object. The entire set up is placed in a casing which provides a cosmetic appeal to the artificial hand and the connected arm. The design criteria include electronic control, reliability, light weight, variable grip force with ease of attachment for simple operations like opening, grasping and lifting objects of different weight with grip force slightly more than enough just like that of a natural hand.

In this paper, a class of novel four Degrees of Freedom (DOF) non-overconstrained parallel mechanisms with large rotational workspace is presented based on screw theory. First, the conflict between the number of independent constraints applied on the moving platform and the number of kinematic limbs for 4-DOF non-overconstrained parallel mechanism is identified. To solve this conflict, the platform partition method is introduced, and two secondary platforms are employed in each of the parallel mechanisms. Then, the motion requirements of the secondary platforms are analyzed and all the possible kinematic chains are enumerated. The geometrical assembly conditions of all possible secondary limbs are analyzed and some typical non-overconstrained parallel mechanisms are generated. In each of the parallel mechanisms, a planetary gear train is used to connect both of the secondary platforms. The large rotational workspace of the moving platform is obtained due to the relative motion of the two secondary platforms. Finally, the kinematics analysis of a typical parallel mechanism is conducted.

Two identical end-effectors are indispensable for self-relocation of a space manipulator, which is an effective way of extending its servicing capability. The prototype design is intimately linked to the requirements. The significant features and functionality of the end-effector and its grapple fixture are described, including the key analysis efforts. The characteristics of the end-effector and their suitability for self-relocation and payload handling were confirmed by testing, which used two prototype end-effectors, a semi-physical simulation testbed system with two, six degrees of freedom (DOF) industrial robot arms, and an air-bearing testbed system with a seven DOF manipulator. The results demonstrate that the end-effector satisfies the requirements and it can work well in a simulated space environment. With the compliance motion of the manipulator, the end-effector can perform soft capture and the manipulator can securely self-relocate and handle the payload.

This paper presents a systematic method for dealing with mobility analysis and structural synthesis of a class of important spatial mechanisms with coupling chains, which involve more complex coupling relations than spatial parallel mechanisms. First, an approach to the establishment of the motion screw equation of the class of mechanisms is derived. Then, a general methodology for mobility analysis along with detection of rigid substructures is proposed based on the motion screw equation. Third, the principle of structural synthesis of the class of mechanisms is established on the basis of the method of mobility analysis. Finally, some novel spatial mechanisms with coupling chains are synthesized, illustrating the effectiveness of the method. The study of the paper will benefit structural analysis and synthesis of more complex spatial mechanisms with coupling chains.

This paper presents a solution to the problem of generating constrained robust trajectory planning for nonlinear mechatronic systems. By using an indirect variational solution method, the necessary optimality conditions deriving from the Pontryagin's minimum principle are imposed, and lead to a differential Two-Point Boundary Value Problem (TPBVP); numerical solution of the latter is accomplished by means of collocation techniques. The robustness to parametric mismatches is obtained trough the use of sensitivity functions, while a hard constraint on actuator effort is obtained using a smoothing technique. Numerical results shows that the robustness can be greatly improved, and that the inclusion of constraints on actuator effort does not affect it.

This paper proposes a novel parallel manipulator with 1 translational and 3 rotational degrees of freedom, which may be designed as the docking equipment for large-scale component assemblage in the aircraft industry. First, the mobility and kinematic analysis of the novel manipulator is performed using the screw theory and the closed-loop vector method. To evaluate the kinematic performance of the manipulator, its workspace is calculated, and the dimensional homogeneous Jacobian matrix of this manipulator is deduced. Mainly based on a nonlinear programming approach, the kinematic dimensional synthesis is performed to optimise the dimensional parameters of this novel parallel manipulator in a prescribed workspace. The results of this paper may lay a solid foundation for the prototype design and manufacture of the novel parallel manipulator.

Evidence is emerging that the role of protein structure in disease needs to be rethought. Sequence mutations in proteins are often found to affect the rate at which a protein switches between structures. Modeling structural transitions in wildtype and variant proteins is central to understanding the molecular basis of disease. This paper investigates an efficient algorithmic realization of the stochastic roadmap simulation framework to model structural transitions in wildtype and variants of proteins implicated in human disorders. Our results indicate that the algorithm is able to extract useful information on the impact of mutations on protein structure and function.

This paper presents a novel deformable mobile robot with five degrees of freedom (DOFs). The robot contains two equivalent expandable triangular platforms connected by three equivalent chains. Each platform is a regular triangle with a single DOF. Each chain consists of two links and three joints (one spherical joint at the middle of a chain, and one revolute joint at each end of the chain). Through kinematic and locomotion mode analysis, the robot exhibits three motion modes: worm-like, self-crossing, and rolling modes. The worm-like and self-crossing modes can be used for narrow passages (e.g., pipelines, holes, and caves). The rolling mode has three different directions at the initial state. By switching between these, the robot can operate on rough ground. To verify the locomotion modes and functionality of the robot, the results of a series of experiments performed on a manufactured prototype are reported.

This paper presents a comparison between control/state estimation methods applied on Par2 parallel manipulator for pick-and-place applications as well as a discussion about the mechanical vibrations issue that may become important when reaching very high accelerations. Real-time experiments were performed first to compare two controllers (a linear Proportional-Derivative controller and a nonlinear/adaptive Dual Mode (DM) controller) complied with the same High-Gain Observer (HGO) to estimate articular velocities, and second to compare three state observers (a Lead-lag-based, an Alpha-beta-gamma (ABG) and an HGO) complied with the same nonlinear DM controller. The stability analysis of the Par2 robot under the control of the proposed DM controller (complied with the HighGO for joint velocity estimation) is also provided. Some small mechanical vibrations were noted when reaching 20 G acceleration, which means that it can become an important issue for higher accelerations. Some suggestions are then made for future investigations to avoid/damp these vibrations.

Although the registration of a robot is crucial in order to identify its pose with respect to a tracking system, there is no reported solution to address this issue for a hybrid robot. Different from classical registration, the registration of a hybrid robot requires the need to solve an equation with three unknowns where two of these unknowns are coupled together. This property makes it difficult to obtain a closed-form solution. This paper is a first attempt to solve the registration of a hybrid robot. The Degradation-Kronecker (D-K) method is proposed as an optimal closed-form solution for the registration of a hybrid robot in this paper. Since closed-form methods generally suffer from limited accuracy, a purely nonlinear (PN) method is proposed to complement the D-K method. With simulation and experiment results, it has been found that both methods are robust. The PN method is more accurate but slower as compared to the D-K method. The fast computation property of the D-K method makes it appropriate to be applied in real-time circumstances, while the PN method is suitable to be applied where good accuracy is preferred.

This paper designs a biped robot to perform appropriate walking exercises according to the terrain, which then walks stably on a flat environment. The concept of fuzzy logic is combined with the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller theory to design the best method to allow the biped robot system to have a balanced and stable gait. Traditional controllers are designed using mathematical models of physical systems, but a fuzzy controller is a physical system that uses an inexact mathematical model, which involves sets and membership functions. Fuzzy controllers use fuzzification, fuzzy control rules, and defuzzification. The method and theory of control: A stable gait for robots is achieved using inverse kinematics, fuzzy concepts, the LQR controller theory, path design, and the characteristics of a dynamic equation. It is then simulated using mathematical tools to prove that the system eliminates swinging by biped robots without fuzzy control knowing beforehand the dynamic model the system is using. Proportional-Integral-Differential control achieves a stable gait design in a flat environment.

In this research, using an approximate analytical method, vibration analysis of a 3-PRP (active prismatic—P, passive revolute—R, passive prismatic—P) planar parallel robot having a flexible moving platform is presented. A specific architecture of the 3-PRP parallel robot, also known as the ST (Star-Triangle) parallel robot, is considered. The moving platform of the robot, called the star, is assumed to be made of three flexible beams shaped like a star. For analytical modeling, each of the three beams of the star is assumed to be a discrete Euler–Bernoulli beam with a passive prismatic joint. Continuity equations at the center of the star are used to relate vibrations of the three beams. The vibration behavior of each beam is modeled using previously developed constrained motion equations for a planar Euler–Bernoulli beam having a prismatic joint. In this paper, previously presented “constrained assumed modes method” is further developed to solve the constrained motion equation for the ST parallel robot. The solution method is used to obtain the vibration of the robot for the inverse dynamics problem and simultaneously provides generalized constraint forces. Furthermore, the solution method can be used for the direct dynamics problem of the ST robot. Several input trajectories are considered to investigate the different behavior for the center of the star. For each of the trajectories, three different groups of mode shapes are considered and their vibrational responses are compared. In this research, for the first time, effects of the passive prismatic joint parameters such as mass, rotational moment of inertia, and its actual length are considered in an analytical model. Finally, the analytical solution and a FEM (Finite Element Method) software solution are compared.

This paper presents a method for designing the arm lengths of a screw drive in-pipe robot with a pathway selection mechanism to pass through bent pipes. The robot comprises a front-rotating unit (rotator), middle-steering unit, and rear-supporting unit (stator). Each unit has elastic arms, which can be elongated by springs and can be pushed against the inner wall of the pipe. The robot can travel and steer not only in straight pipes but also in bent pipes and T-branches. When the robot passes through such pipes, its mobility depends on whether the arms can touch the inner wall because the robot will lose the driving force if one of the arms cannot reach the inner wall. This is especially important in vertically positioned pipes, where the robot will fall down if it is unable to reach. In this paper, we focus on the cross-section of the bent pipes, arm length, spring stiffness, and mass of the robot to clarify the mobility of the robot in these types of pipes. A method for determining the initial arm length on the basis of simple quasi-statics is proposed and experimental verification is conducted.