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The potentialities of a manipulator concept based on isotropic translational parallel mechanisms and agonistic-antagonistic dielectric elastomer actuation are investigated in the context of human-machine interfaces. Static analysis reveals that this manipulator concept is well suited to the development of novel generation of cost-effective interactive robots with low effective inertia and human-like...
This paper presents a small-scale test-bench that can be employed for the study of a new class of Oscillating Water Column (OWC) Wave Energy Converters (WECs) with Power Take Off (PTO) unit based on Dielectric Elastomer Generators (DEGs). Such a test-bench is designed to perform Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulations of a small-scale DEG PTO prototype, that includes dedicated power and control electronics,...
This paper presents the development of an interaction-torque control architecture for a rehabilitation exoskeleton (RehabExos) with flexible joints equipped with internal torque sensors. The architecture consists of an outer control loop, which is based on the kineto-statics of the RehabExos, and on four identical-independent inner full-state joint-torque controllers (IJTFC). The considered IJTFC...
A linear-quadratic-Gaussian regulator is proposed for the torque control of flexible robotic joints with built-in torque sensor. The regulator requires the joint-torque sensor information only and features: (1) a Kalman filter that, beside reducing the noise and evaluating the derivative of the torque sensor measure, is able to estimate all the external and internal torques acting on the joint; 2)...
Actuators based on Dielectric Elastomers are a promising technology in robotic and mechatronic applications. The overall actuator performances are influenced by the non-linear and highly coupled electrical and mechanical behavior of the employed materials. To date, the practical electro-mechanical response and controllability of actuators based on Dielectric Elastomers are limited by the inadequacy...
A conically shaped Dielectric Elastomer (DE) linear actuator is presented which is obtained by coupling a DE film with a compliant mechanism. The compliant mechanism is designed, by means of a pseudo-rigid-body model, to suitably modify the force generated by the elastomer film. The resulting actuator provides a nearly constant force along the entire actuator stroke when the DE film is activated and...
This paper deals with the development of a novel exoskeleton for the robotic rehabilitation of upper extremities. The system is based on modular custom-designed actuation groups implementing high reduction ratios and redundant position measurement for securing patient safety, and joint torque sensing for guaranteeing system performance and providing application flexibility. Experimental results of...
This paper presents an optimization procedure conceived to design parallel mechanisms (PMs) with legs of constant and/or variable length connected, at their endpoints, to a fixed base and a movable platform through universal and spherical joints, respectively. In the proposed procedure, the first natural frequency of the mechanism is the objective function to be maximized. The optimization problem...
This paper deals with a class of over-constrained parallel manipulators that can be obtained from architecturally singular parallel mechanisms with legs of type US (U and S stand for universal and spherical joints respectively) by the addition of legs of type UPS (P stands for actuated prismatic pair). These manipulators can be internally preloaded in order to tune the system stiffness, to diminish...
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