Related papers: Design optimization and robustness analysis of rig…
Underactuated manipulators reduce the number of bulky motors, thereby enabling compact and mechanically robust designs. However, fewer actuators than joints means that the manipulator can only access a specific manifold within the joint…
Plasticity is inherent to many engineering materials such as metals. While it can degrade the load-carrying capacity of structures via material yielding, it can also protect structures through plastic energy dissipation. To fully harness…
Aeronautics research has continually sought to achieve the adaptability and morphing performance of avian wings, but in practice, wings of all scales continue to use the same hinged control-surface embodiment. Recent research into compliant…
This study introduces an innovative design for a Variable Stiffness 3 Degrees of Freedom actuated wrist capable of actively and continuously adjusting its overall stiffness by modulating the active length of non-linear elastic elements.…
In systems control, the dynamics of a system are governed by modulating its inputs to achieve a desired outcome. For example, to control the thrust of a quad-copter propeller the controller modulates its rotation rate, relying on a…
Aeroelastic phenomena are gaining significant attention from the perspective of energy harvesting (EH) with promising applications in supplying low-power remote sensors. Besides the development of individual EH devices, further issues are…
Flexible antenna technology has recently emerged as a key enabler for next-generation wireless communications, which can effectively exploit the spatial degrees of freedom (DoF). However, existing conventional metrics (e.g., spectral and…
Orthogonally assembled double-layered corrugated (OADLC) mechanisms are a class of foldable structures that harness origami-inspired methods to enhance the structural stiffness of resulting devices; these mechanisms have extensive…
Robust topology optimization (RTO), as a class of topology optimization problems, identifies a design with the best average performance while reducing the response sensitivity to input uncertainties, e.g. load uncertainty. Solving RTO is…
This paper presents a density-based topology optimization method for designing three-dimensional (3D) compliant mechanisms and loadbearing structures with design-dependent pressure loading. Instead of interface-tracking techniques, the…
This paper presents a density-based topology optimization approach to design structures under self-weight load. Such loads change their magnitude and/or location as the topology optimization advances and pose several unique challenges,…
This paper presents a systematic approach for designing robust linear proportional-integral (PI) servo-controllers that effectively manage control input and output constraints in flight control systems. The control design leverages the…
Flow visualisations are essential to better understand the unsteady aerodynamics of flapping wing flight. The issues inherent to animal experiments, such as poor controllability and unnatural flapping when tethered, can be avoided by using…
The flight time of multirotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is typically constrained by their high power consumption. Tethered power systems present a viable solution to extend flight times while maintaining the advantages of multirotor…
Floating-base multi-link robots can change their shape during flight, making them well-suited for applications in confined environments such as autonomous inspection and search and rescue. However, trajectory planning for such systems…
Natural fliers like bats exploit the complex fluid-structure interaction between their flexible membrane wings and the air with great ease. Yet, replicating and scaling the balance between the structural and fluid-dynamical parameters of…
The paper presents a new stiffness modelling method for overconstrained parallel manipulators, which is applied to 3-d.o.f. translational mechanisms. It is based on a multidimensional lumped-parameter model that replaces the link…
Multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a vital role in monitoring and data collection in wide area environments with harsh conditions. In most scenarios, issues such as real-time data retrieval and real-time UAV positioning are often…
Ducted fan lift systems (DFLSs) powered by two-stroke aviation piston engines present a challenging control problem due to their complex multivariable dynamics. Current controllers for these systems typically rely on proportional-integral…
Topology optimization (TO) in two dimensions often presents a trade-off between structural performance and manufacturability, with unpenalized (variable-thickness) methods yielding superior but complex designs, and penalized (SIMP) methods…