Design Of Mechatronic Systems Research Articles

Intelligent autonomous treatment of bedwetting using non-invasive wearable advanced mechatronics systems and MEMS sensors

Post-void alarm systems to monitor bedwetting in nocturnal enuresis (NE) have been deemed unsatisfactory. The aim of this study is to develop a safe, comfortable and non-invasive pre-void wearable alarm and associated technologies using advanced mechatronics. Each stage of development includes patient and public involvement and engagement (PPI). The early stages of the development involved children with and without NE (and parents) who were tested at a hospital under the supervision of physicians, radiologists, psychologists, and nurses. The readings of the wearable device were simultaneously compared with B-mode images and measurements, acquired from a conventional ultrasound device, and were found to correlate highly. The results showed that determining imminent voiding need is viable using non-invasive sensors. Following on from “proof of concept,” a bespoke advanced mechatronics device has been developed. The device houses custom electronics, an ultrasound system, intelligent software, a user-friendly smartphone application, bedside alarm box, and a dedicated undergarment, along with a self-adhesive gel pad—designed to keep the MEMS sensors aligned with the abdomen. Testing of the device with phantoms and volunteers has been successful in determining bladder volume and associated voiding need. Five miniaturised, and therefore more ergonomic, versions of the device are being developed, with an enabled connection to the cloud platform for location independent control and monitoring. Thereafter, the enhanced device will be tested with children with NE at their homes for 14 weeks, to gain feedback relating to wearability and data collection involving the cloud platform.Graphical Design of the MyPAD advanced mechatronics system

Variational approach for robust design and sensitivity analysis of mechatronic systems

ABSTRACTThe behavior of mechatronics systems has a very complex inter-relation between several components, depending on the magnitudes of their parameters and variables. To ensure a certain level of quality and to improve design robustness, the deviations between actual and target definition should be restricted by specified tolerances. The upper and lower limits of these values must be wisely determined. Moreover, the deviation margin of variables should be controlled to evaluate system performance in regard to the specifications, requirements and user needs. In this paper, a variational approach is used to evaluate the impact of parameters’ deviation on the system behavior. It consists of defining the relationship between parameters’ tolerances and variables’ fluctuations. This method helps designers to identify the sensitivity of system performances to parameter variations and can, thus, help the designer to attain a compromise between system performance and manufacturing cost in mechatronic systems. The proposed methodology is explained with an example in the aeronautic field, namely an electromechanical actuator driving an aileron which is an aircraft primary flight control surface. This method is general and it can be adapted for other mechatronic systems. The results show that the proposed method affords a new way for determining mechatronic tolerances.

Review on modelling and design of mechatronic systems

The multi-disciplinary nature of mechatronic systems significantly increases difficulty of the development process. In fact, in the mechatronic design process, the efficiency of the design process and the performance of the mechanisms can be improved or optimised during concurrent, integrated development of the mechanisms, control systems and advanced information systems. The synergistic aspect of mechatronic systems makes their design challenging to take into account all the interactions among components of diverse domains. The object of this paper is to present some research works on the application of mechatronics in the field of agricultural engineering and some interesting design methods for mechatronic systems.

Проектування мехатронних систем з заданими вихідними характеристиками

Проектування мехатронних систем з заданими вихідними характеристиками

Review on modelling and design of mechatronic systems

Review on modelling and design of mechatronic systems

The design of mechatronic system for gel electrophoresis

The paper present the methodology to design and implement a mechatronic system for gel electrophoresis. It describes the steps towards the development of a prototype and presents its functions. The new automated system is characterized by high precision, small size and relatively low cost, thus achieving the introduction of a significant innovation in the area of medical and laboratory measurements.

Design of a robotic walking stick with mobility assistance control technology (MAVI) for visually impaired people

The investigation of the present research is a new mechatronic system for a robotic unicycle staff that thanks to a meticulous analysis of the new technologies applied to assistance of technological mobility of people with visual disability as an orthopedic walking stick or a walker. We proceed to contribute with the design of a stick-type mechatronic system coupled to a differential traction platform that facilitates the mobilization of people with motor deficiency by giving them an assistance system to support in the march. It was verified that the design supports the maximum weight established in the parameters of 14[kg] It was shown that the walking stick can be used with people up to a weight of 93[kg]. The performance of the load cells with an experimental work cycle by incorporating an application in Android so the user has a feeling of immersion and to provide the possibility of interacting with the device, being able to establish between the user and the robotic staff a bidirectional transfer in real time of information. The findings of the research, multi-axis load cells will be implemented in the future with a control was applying neural networks to minimize the displacement error.

A requirement-driven architecture definition approach for conceptual design of mechatronic systems

Designers specify design requirements and determine the interconnections between the design requirements and main components of the system architecture during the conceptual design phase. To define the architecture of a mechatronic system, two resear

A mechatronic system for automated topping and suckering of tobacco plants

In agricultural crops, such as tobacco, the budding part of the plant is removed (topping) and the growth of axillary shoots (called suckers) is controlled with chemicals in order to produce good quality heavy-bodied darker tobacco leaves. Nowadays, topping and suckering are largely performed by hand and as a result the application process is time consuming. In this study, the design and implementation of a novel mechatronic system is presented, whereby the topping and suckering treatments can be performed automatically. The mechatronic system and its auxiliary equipment were mounted on a three-wheeled mobile platform. The novel system includes a topper unit, a high-precision sprayer, and a bifurcated metal guide designed to keep the plants in an upright position. An infrared beam sensor is mounted below the circular saw blade to locate the plant stalk and trigger a pulse so that the high-precision sprayer applies the proper amount of suckercide to the tobacco stalk. The high-precision sprayer travels parallel to and over the tobacco plant rows with a speed that matches the ground speed of the wheeled mobile platform. This is achieved by the use of a built-in drive wheel encoder. The mechatronic system was tested in both laboratory and field conditions. In the tests carried out, the travel speed of the three-wheeled platform was kept between 0.1 and 0.5 m/s. The topping and suckering of five tobacco plants lasted approximately 20 s. Traditional application has a disadvantage over the mechatronic system in that each worker is independent of the others and the speed of the whole process is essentially determined by the slower worker. In future work, the mechatronic system can be integrated into a small autonomous wheeled platform, a drone, or can be mounted on the horizontal boom of a suitably modified trailer sprayer.

Mechatronics Enabling Kit for 3D Printed Hand Prosthesis

AbstractNew advances in both neurosciences and computational approaches have changed the landscapes for smart devices design serving mobility-related disabilities. In this paper we present the integration of affordable robotics and wearable sensors through our mechatronic product platform, Sparthan, to enable accessibility of the technology in both the power prosthesis and neurorehabilitation space. Sparthan leverages 3rd party EMG sensors, Myo armband, to process muscles sensor data and translate user intention into hand movements. Key innovation includes the modularity, scalability and high degree of customization the solution affords to the target users. User-centered design approaches and mechatronic system design are detailed to demonstrate the versatility of integrative systems and design. What started off as an engineering research endeavor is also positioned to be deployed to deliver real-world impact, especially for prosthesis users in developing countries.

Design of a human-like biped locomotion system based on a novel mechatronic methodology

In this article, a formal mechatronic design of a biped robot is addressed. It is considered a model-based system engineering methodology since the continuous updating of information, from analysis and evolution of conceptual designs, demands a large volume of data. The definition of a biped robot comes from the need of a system to perform human-like walking as the problem to be solved. A specific robot configuration results from the analysis of conceptual solutions throughout SysML as the language for modeling the synergistic and automatic integration among engineering disciplines. The general design process is developed according to the well-known V-model for mechatronic systems design; however, a three-dimensional focus is proposed in order to address a variety of domains and their interaction along the design process. The detailed study of the solution is evaluated in order to optimize the joint torques and limbs shape from an anthropometric robot to achieve effective human-like motion. Although the mechatronic design is done for the overall biped robot system, this work is particularly focused on mechanical features as the most representative subsystem that incorporates genetic algorithm optimization based on a numerical Newton–Euler model merged with topology optimization tools to define final geometry of limbs with stiffness maximization.

Metamodel assisted evolution strategies for global optimization of solder joints reliability in embedded mechatronic devices

This paper proposes a Kriging assisted covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (AK-CMA-ES) for optimization of mechatronics device structures. The objective of the proposed method is to design reliable structures with reduced computational cost of the multiphysics finite element simulation. The Finite element model intends to analyze the sequence of failure events in mechatronic devices. This numerical model is used to estimate the thermal cycles to failure. Subsequently, the AK-CMA-ES optimization process is performed in order to improve the performance of structural design of mechatronic systems and to find the best designs with safety and reasonable computational costs. The proposed method couple the kriging metamodel with the covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy (CMA-ES). Kriging metamodel is used to replace the finite element simulation in order to overcome the computational cost of finite element model simulation. Kriging is used together with CMA-ES and sequentially updated and its quality is measured according to its ability in the ranking of the population through approximate ranking procedure (ARP). The application of this method in the optimization of mechatronic systems proves its efficiency and ability to improve the performance of mechatronic systems with avoiding the problem of tedious computation.

Interface model-based configuration design of mechatronic systems for industrial manufacturing applications

Abstract Configuration design requires designers to develop a configuration by selecting and assembling from a subset of configurable modules according to customer requirements and engineering or physical constraints. In return, this does provide designers with a rapid and cost-efficient method to develop new products. However, unlike other applications, the number of alternative configurations from which designers can select the most suitable configuration is overly large owing to the vast number of multidisciplinary modules involved in industrial mechatronic systems. The paper proposes a configuration design method for mechatronic systems in the context of industrial manufacturing. For the large and complex mechatronic systems for manufacturing applications, with the support of the interface compatibility rules and the elimination algorithm in the configuration design method, the number of alternative combinations from which designers select the most suitable combination can be significantly reduced. The effectiveness and applicability of the proposed configuration design method is demonstrated with a robotic welding system.

Integrating negative dependencies assessment during mechatronics conceptual design using fuzzy logic and quantitative graph theory

This paper introduces a product-related dependency index that can be used during the conceptual design of mechatronic systems. The index uses fuzzy assessment of adverse effects dependencies combined with quantitative graph theory to compute the level of detrimental interactions present in a system. The paper also illustrates how the assessment of dependencies can be performed during early design stages and how components are differently affected by a specific adverse effect. Furthermore, the practicality of the new dependency index is exemplified with two case studies: a design experiment on a self-balancing robot and the conceptual design of a robotic arm for aerial manipulation. The design experiment demonstrates how adverse effects affect the performance of a mechatronic system and how the new dependency index is able to follow the decrease or increase of performance of the system. Then, the design of the robotic arm shows that decision-making can be improved when using this new dependency index as a criterion, as it allows one to select concepts for which less detrimental interactions exist. In both case studies, the index is shown to facilitate the design process as it can lead to fewer redesign loops which would result in reducing the development time and costs.

Guest Editorial Special Section on Emerging Information Sharing and Design Technologies on Robotics and Mechatronics Systems for Intelligent Manufacturing

The ten papers in this special section aim gather the latest research and development works on design, sensing, and intelligent control of robotics and mechatronics systems resulting from the emerging information sharing and design technologies.

Metamodelling for Design of Mechatronic and Cyber-Physical Systems

The paper presents the issue of metamodeling of Domain-Specific Languages (DSL) for the purpose of designing complex mechatronics systems. Usually, one of the problems during the development of such projects is an interdisciplinary character of the team that is involved in this endeavour. The success of a complex machine project (e.g., Computer Numerically Controlled machine (CNC), loading crane, forestry crane) often depends on a proper communication between team members. The domain-specific modelling languages developed using one of the two approaches discussed in the work, lead to a machine design that can be carried out much more efficiently than with conventional approaches. Within the paper, the Meta-Object Facility (MOF) approach to metamodeling is presented; it is much more prevalent in modern modelling software tools than Graph-Object-Property-Relationship-Role (GOPRR). The main outcome of this work is the first presentation of researchML modelling language that is the result of more than twenty ambitious research and development projects. It is effectively used within new enterprises and leads to improved traceability of the project goals. It enables for fully-featured automatic code generation which is one of the main pillars of the agile management within mechatronic system design projects.

A Stick-Slip Interactions Model of Soft-Solid Frictional Contacts

Modeling of the soft-solid frictional interactions plays an important role in many robotic and mechatronic systems design. We present a new model that characterizes the two-dimensional (2D) soft-solid contact interactions. The new computational approach integrates the LuGre dynamic friction model with the beam network structure of the soft-solid contact. The LuGre dynamic friction model uses the bristle deformation to capture the friction characteristics and dynamics, while the beam network structure represents the elastic contact interactions. We also present a model simplification to facilitate analysis of model properties. The model prediction and validation results are demonstrated with the experiments. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the modeling development. We further use the model to compute the influence of the normal load and sliding velocity on the stick-slip interaction patterns and properties. These results explain and provide analytical foundation for the reported experiments in the literature.

Design and Optimization of Mechatronic Systems Using a Holistic and Parametric Simulation Approach

In the field of vibration technology mechatronic systems are frequently used for noise and vibration control, condition monitoring or energy harvesting. Numerical simulations and optimizations support the virtual design and development process. Yet, most systems are usually designed as auxiliary systems based on existing host structures and are optimized for only one main purpose (e.g. maximum vibration reduction). Time costly parameter optimizations with complex models in late phases of the development process are still common. In this paper a holistic approach for the design and optimization of mechatronic systems is presented. Efficient and parametric models of the mechanical host structure are integrated within a multi-objective optimization environment for mechatronic systems. This will help to accelerate product development cycles and enables fast parameter studies in combination with detailed and accurate numerical models. The performance of the proposed approach is demonstrated by an exemplary application, where the structural dynamics, vibration control and energy flows are considered within a holistic optimization.

Optimal Experiment Design for Multi-variable Motion Systems: with Application to a Next-Generation Wafer Stage

Frequency Response Functions (FRFs) are essential for motion control design of complex mechatronic systems. The aim of this paper is to develop Optimal Experiment Design (OED) approaches for accurate identification of FRF models, with the particular focus on Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) systems in closed-loop. The resulting optimization problem is shown to be highly challenging, especially for complex systems. A practical and feasible numerical approach based on a convex relaxation is developed. Experimental results on a next-generation wafer stage confirm that the quality of FRF measurements can be improved significantly using the proposed techniques.

A model-based framework for increasing the interdisciplinary design of mechatronic production systems

ABSTRACTOver the past years, the design of production systems has changed rapidly towards complex mechatronic systems, tightly integrating mechanics, electronics and software. The development of such integrated systems requires new approaches to cope with this challenge in order to ensure the desired design and functionality of the system. This article analyses how the required information from different disciplines can be handled appropriately by the engineers. Therefore, a model-based framework is presented, which supports the interdisciplinary development process. It is based on the modelling language SysML and enables the integration of standardised properties through model libraries. Furthermore, the resulting model from the development phase can be used to analyse possible interdisciplinary impacts in the case of required changes. A case study is presented to evaluate the applicability of the proposed framework.