Related papers: Controllable Mechanical-domain Energy Accumulators
Robotic systems operating in unstructured environments require the ability to switch between compliant and rigid states to perform diverse tasks such as adaptive grasping, high-force manipulation, shape holding, and navigation in…
Thermostatically Controlled Loads (TCLs) such as air conditioners and water heaters typically maintain their temperature within a preset range using on/off actuation. These types of loads are inherently flexible: many different power…
Springs are commonly used in wearable robotic devices to provide assistive joint torque without the need for motors and batteries. However, different tasks (such as walking or running) and different users (such as athletes with strong legs…
Design of robotic systems that safely and efficiently operate in uncertain operational conditions, such as rehabilitation and physical assistance robots, remains an important challenge in the field. Current methods for the design of energy…
Collaborative robots must simultaneously be safe enough to operate in close proximity to human operators and powerful enough to assist users in industrial tasks such as lifting heavy equipment. The requirement for safety necessitates that…
All Spin Logic gates employ multiple nano-magnets interacting through spin-torque using non-magnetic channels. Compactness, non-volatility and ultra-low voltage operation are some of the attractive features of ASL, while, low…
Garments with the ability to provide kinesthetic force-feedback on-demand can augment human capabilities in a non-obtrusive way, enabling numerous applications in VR haptics, motion assistance, and robotic control. However, designing such…
Highly articulated organisms serve as blueprints for incredibly dexterous mechanisms, but building similarly capable robotic counterparts has been hindered by the difficulties of developing electromechanical actuators with both the high…
This paper explores the possibility to construct two-terminal mechanical devices (one-ports) which are lossless and adjustable. To be lossless, the device must be passive (i.e. not requiring a power supply) and non-dissipative. To be…
Latch-mediated Spring Actuation (LaMSA) is a mechanism found in nature, employed by organisms that generate the highest levels of power density through repeatable, rapid energy release. While LaMSA has been used in engineered systems like…
A spring in parallel with an effort source (e.g., electric motor or human muscle) can reduce its energy consumption and effort (i.e., torque or force) depending on the spring stiffness, spring preload, and actuation task. However, selecting…
Compliance in actuation has been exploited to generate highly dynamic maneuvers such as throwing that take advantage of the potential energy stored in joint springs. However, the energy storage and release could not be well-timed yet. On…
The legged robots with variable stiffness actuators (VSAs) can achieve energy-efficient and versatile locomotion. However, equipping legged robots with VSAs in real-world application is usually restricted by (i) the redundant mechanical…
Soft robotic actuators are safe and adaptable devices with inherent compliance, which makes them attractive for manipulating delicate and complex objects. Researchers have integrated stiff materials into soft actuators to increase their…
Metallic thin-walled round tubes are widely used as energy absorption elements. However, lateral splash of the round tubes under impact loadings reduces the energy absorption efficiency and may cause secondary damages. Therefore, it is…
Many small animals, particularly insects, use power-amplification to generate rapid motions, such as jumping, that would otherwise be impossible given the standard power density of muscle. A common framework for understanding this power…
A mechanism for the reduction of dynamic energy dissipation in the computing circuit is described. The resonant circuit with controlled switches conserves the stored energy by recovering upto 90% of energy that would be otherwise lost…
Robotic systems with many degrees of freedom (DoF) are constrained by the demands of dedicating a motor to each joint, and while mechanical multiplexing reduces actuator count, existing clutch designs are bulky, force-limited, or restricted…
Most passivity based trajectory tracking algorithms for mechanical systems can only stabilise reference trajectories that have constant energy. This paper overcomes this limitation by deriving a single variable Hamiltonian model for the…
Compliant robotics have seen successful applications in energy efficient locomotion and cyclic manipulation. However, exploitation of variable physical impedance for energy efficient sequential movements has not been extensively addressed.…