Related papers: Soft Tensegrity Systems for Planetary Landing and …
We describe a technique for solving the combined collisionless Boltzmann and Poisson equations in a discretised, or lattice, phase space. The time and the positions and velocities of `particles' take on integer values, and the forces are…
A design concept is introduced for the building block, a dot, of programmable braille readers utilizing bistable shell buckling, magnetic actuation, and pneumatic loading. The design process is guided by Finite Element simulations, which…
Spacecraft operations are influenced by uncertainties such as dynamics modeling, navigation, and maneuver execution errors. Although mission design has traditionally incorporated heuristic safety margins to mitigate the effect of…
Significant microstructural anisotropy is known to develop during shearing flow of attractive particle suspensions. These suspensions, and their capacity to form conductive networks, play a key role in flow-battery technology, among other…
This paper presents a study of the use of numerical simulation and Bayesian optimisation techniques to investigate the dynamics of celestial systems. Initially, the study focuses on Lagrange points in restricted three-body systems where a…
In most macro-scale robotics systems , propulsion and controls are enabled through a physical tether or complex on-board electronics and batteries. A tether simplifies the design process but limits the range of motion of the robot, while…
The symmetry-constrained response tensors on transport, optical, and electromagnetic effects are of central importance in condensed matter physics because they can guide experimental detections and verify theoretical calculations. These…
Tether-net launched from a chaser spacecraft provides a promising method to capture and dispose of large space debris in orbit. This tether-net system is subject to several sources of uncertainty in sensing and actuation that affect the…
Tensegrities synergistically combine tensile (cable) and rigid (link) elements to achieve structural integrity, making them lightweight, packable, and impact resistant. Consequently, they have high potential for locomotion in unstructured…
We consider kinetic systems and prove their stability working in weighted spaces in which the systems are symmetric. We prove stability for various explicit and implicit semi-discrete and fully discrete schemes. The applications include…
Legged robots are promising candidates for exploring challenging areas on low-gravity bodies such as the Moon, Mars, or asteroids, thanks to their advanced mobility on unstructured terrain. However, as planetary robots' power and thermal…
Tensegrity mechanisms are composed of rigid and tensile parts that are in equilibrium. They are interesting alternative designs for some applications, such as modelling musculo-skeleton systems. Tensegrity mechanisms are more difficult to…
This paper presents an end-to-end framework for robust structure/control optimization of an industrial benchmark. When dealing with space structures, a reduction of the spacecraft mass is paramount to minimize the mission cost and maximize…
The exploration of asteroids and comets is important in the quest for the formation of the Solar System and it is an important step for human space travel. Moving on the surface of asteroids is challenging for future robotic explorers due…
Designing for rotational stability can dramatically affect the geometry of a space station. If improperly designed, the rotating station could end up catastrophically tumbling end-over-end. Active stabilization can address this problem;…
Energy absorbing materials, like foams used in protective equipment, are able to undergo large deformations under low stresses, reducing the incoming stress wave below an injury or damage threshold. They are typically effective in absorbing…
Propellant sloshing is a well-known, but not completely mastered phenomenon in space vehicles. It is particularly critical in both microgravity environments - such as interplanetary spacecraft requiring high pointing stability - and high-g…
Lattice gauge theories (LGT) play a central role in modern physics, providing insights into high-energy physics, condensed matter physics, and quantum computation. Due to the nontrivial structure of the Hilbert space of LGT systems,…
From cell development to space rockets, the mechanical stability of thin shells is crucial across many industrial and natural processes. However, predicting shells' failure properties remains an open challenge, owing to their sensitivity to…
Accurate prediction of the force required to puncture a soft material is critical in many fields like medical technology, food processing, and manufacturing. However, such a prediction strongly depends on our understanding of the complex…