Real-time Force Research Articles

Signal processing of capacitive force sensors installed in the foot of an anthropomorphic robot

Introduction: The force-moment sensing of the functional surfaces in robots based on compact capacitive force sensors can significantly improve interaction with the environment and humans. Capacitive force sensors provide high measurement accuracy and speed, but the electromagnetic interference can affect significantly the signal. When processing signals the influence of external noise must be taken into account, which increases the computation time. Purpose: To apply the developed interface circuit for processing signals from capacitive primary force transducers in a real-world robot. Results: Experimental verification of the developed solutions implied simulation of a step of the pedipulator of an anthropomorphic robot with the calculation of the coordinates of the center of pressure exerted on the foot with the four installed capacitive sensors. Software filtering and measuring capabilities of the microcontroller made it possible to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 62.24 dB, which allows a closed-loop control system to function correctly. The average time for calculating the coordinates of the center of pressure on the foot with software filtering of the signal on the on-board computer of the robot was from 3.1 to 6.1 ms and meets the requirements for the sensory system of a walking robot. Practical relevance: The interface circuit allows to scale the number of connected primary force transducers, while software processing allows to normalize transducer signals by applying the calculated correction factors. Proposed solutions can be used in different robotic systems for real-time force measurement.

Real-time prediction of drilling forces inside lunar regolith based on recurrent neural networks

Currently, uncrewed lunar drilling and sampling using robots faces many technical difficulties. To ensure the efficient and reliable execution of lunar regolith sampling tasks, it is necessary to conduct research on robotic self-adaptive drilling strategies on the lunar surface. With the goal of developing autonomous uncrewed self-adaptive drilling strategies on the lunar surface, this paper presents a spatiotemporal feature fusion method for the real-time prediction of drilling forces inside a lunar regolith simulant. By extracting drilling state parameters in real time using a data acquisition system, a drilling load parameter predictor based on recurrent neural networks was trained to predict the penetration force and rotational torque during the next second accurately. Sensitivity analysis was performed on the data using random forests to quantify the importance of input variables. The proposed method provides a novel strategy for predicting drilling forces in real time and optimizes control parameters to guarantee safe and intelligent lunar drilling. Case study results demonstrate that (1) the coefficient of determination and mean absolute percentage error of the proposed spatiotemporal feature fusion method are 0.903 and 0.109, respectively, meaning it can provide accurate real-time prediction results. Additionally, (2) sensitivity analysis results demonstrate that the drilling force data from the previous 5 s have a significant impact on the drilling forces in the next 1 s. The drilling forces in the next 1 s are highly dependent on the state parameters in the previous 1 s. Additionally, the spatial relationships of the drilling state parameters are stronger than their time dependence. Practical application to the Chinese Chang’ E 5 mission for predicting the drilling forces of the robotic drill validates the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Enzyme Synergy in Transient Clusters of Endo- and Exocellulase Enables a Multilayer Mode of Processive Depolymerization of Cellulose.

Biological degradation of cellulosic materials relies on the molecular-mechanistic principle that internally chain-cleaving endocellulases work synergistically with chain end-cleaving exocellulases in polysaccharide chain depolymerization. How endo–exo synergy becomes effective in the deconstruction of a solid substrate that presents cellulose chains assembled into crystalline material is an open question of the mechanism, with immediate implications on the bioconversion efficiency of cellulases. Here, based on single-molecule evidence from real-time atomic force microscopy, we discover that endo- and exocellulases engage in the formation of transient clusters of typically three to four enzymes at the cellulose surface. The clusters form specifically at regular domains of crystalline cellulose microfibrils that feature molecular defects in the polysaccharide chain organization. The dynamics of cluster formation correlates with substrate degradation through a multilayer-processive mode of chain depolymerization, overall leading to the directed ablation of single microfibrils from the cellulose surface. Each multilayer-processive step involves the spatiotemporally coordinated and mechanistically concerted activity of the endo- and exocellulases in close proximity. Mechanistically, the cooperativity with the endocellulase enables the exocellulase to pass through its processive cycles ∼100-fold faster than when acting alone. Our results suggest an advanced paradigm of efficient multienzymatic degradation of structurally organized polymer materials by endo–exo synergetic chain depolymerization.

Simulation and experimental research on magnetorheological finishing under dynamic pressure with a gap-varying

Magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is a novel machining method used to obtain ultra-smooth and even surfaces. To improve the material removal rate (MRR) while attaining smooth and undamaged surfaces, an MRF method with a varying machining gap between the polishing disks and workpieces is proposed to increase the polishing efficiency and improve the surface quality. According to the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, the behaviors of MRF fluids under the effect of magnetic fields are measured using a rheometer. Furthermore, a simulation model for fluids based on the gap-varying MRF is established to evaluate the influence of the varying machining gap on the behaviors of the flow field of MRF fluids. The results show that the flow field formed during gap-varying MRF presents a periodic dynamic change and formation of turbulence. Both the fluid pressure and velocity on the workpiece surface show a periodic change and the maximum fluid velocity on the workpiece surface in the x-direction is much greater than that in the z-direction; the transverse shear velocity contributes to the material removal and abrasive update. Under the same polishing time and rotational speed, the surface roughness is reduced from Ra 6.36 nm to Ra 0.155 nm after MRF without varying gaps for 5 h; in contrast, the surface roughness decreases from Ra 6.44 nm to Ra 0.104 nm after MRF with a varying gap, attaining an atomic step-structure. Properly increasing the frequency and amplitude of gap variations is conducive to achieving a better polishing effect. By conducting real-time force measurement and establishing a material removal function, it is shown that the simulation results match the test results. MRF with a varying gap can increase the polishing efficiency and surface quality by changing the behaviors of the flow field.

Feasibility of multilayer solid-state deposition via lateral friction surfacing for metal additive manufacturing

Lateral friction surfacing is a novel solid-state deposition process in which the radial surface of the rotating consumable tool is forced into the substrate surface, facilitating material transfer. This technique is an excellent alternative to create thin and ultra-smooth metallic deposit layers for repairing damaged surfaces or improving corrosion and wear resistance. The lateral friction surfacing approach results in a deposition process with lower generated process temperatures than conventional friction surfacing, which leads to reducing thermal effects on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the deposits. In this study, the extent of material transfer to the substrate was explored via multiple passes of the tool in an effort to create multiple layers of deposited material. Two types of substrate plates with different surface roughness as well as two different strategies for employing the consumable tools were experimented. A comprehensive assessment through conducting real-time force measurement, surface roughness measurement, hardness testing, optical microscopy, infrared thermography, scanning electron microscopy, and EDS analysis was performed to characterize the process and the fabricated deposits. The thickness of the coating was found to vary through work material transfer to the substrate and reverse material transfer from the coating to the radial surface of the rod, resulting in an approximately steady-state deposit thickness. The reverse material transferring process from the coating to the radial surface of the rod through rubbing off the previously fabricated coatings limits plasticizing more consumable material and built-up material.

Modeling and Synchronized Control of a Dual-Drive “Checkerboard” Gantry With Composite Adaptive Feedforward and RISE Feedback

In this article, the design of a novel dual-drive “checkerboard” gantry is introduced with symmetric layout, rigid structure, and decoupled X–Y motion. However, its double redundantly actuated configuration and the strong interaxis coupling force challenges the coordinate motion and real-time force distribution between parallel axes. With consideration of stiffness of bearings, the dynamical model revealing the interaxis coupling effect due to asymmetric load from the moving platform is established. Thereby, the force allocation between pairs of parallel axes is naturally solved by the upcoming controller design. To compensate disturbance due to both structural and unstructural uncertainties, a 2-degree-of-freedom control scheme is proposed. It takes both tracking error and the model prediction error to update the dynamical model in real time, thus achieves an effective feedforward control without setting up the deadzone. Meanwhile, a rule is developed to tune the proportional-integral-derivative feedback term in the task-space control from its joint-space counterpart. Additionally, the robust integral of signum of error term is proposed with gain adaptation so that bandwidth of control is fine adjusted according to the velocity tracking error. Real-time experiments on the actual testbed indicate that both improvement of planar motion precision and prevention of parameter drifting over a large workspace are successfully achieved compared with the conventional control methods.

Digital Twin-Driven Sheet Metal Forming: Modeling and Application for Stamping Considering Mold Wear

Abstract Existing various constructed models of stamping provide great support to develop the forming quality improvement and energy-saving strategies. However, the immutable model cannot reflect the actual states of the process as the wear of the mold goes, and the inaccuracy model will lead to the failure of the strategies. To solve this problem, a Digital Twin-driven modeling method considering mold wear for stamping was proposed in this paper. The model of punch force and forming quality considering the coefficients that will vary with the states of mold wear was first built in the virtual space. The real-time punch force was acquired and inputted to the virtual space, and it was then compared with the punch force obtained by the Digital Twin model for monitoring the mold wear. If the difference of punch force is greater than the threshold, the friction coefficients update starts via the Particle Swarm Optimization with Differential Evolution (PSO-DE) algorithm. To validate the effectiveness, the method was applied in the process to form a clutch shell, and the results show that the maximum deviation of the punch force between the updated Digital Twin model and the measured value does not exceed 5%. Optimization results in the application show a 14.35% reduction in the maximum thinning ratio of the stamping part and an 8.9% reduction in the process energy. The Digital Twin-driven modeling assists in quality improvement and energy consumption reduction in sheet metal forming.

Full Soft Capacitive Omnidirectional Tactile Sensor Based on Micro-Spines Electrode and Hemispheric Dielectric Structure.

Flourishing in recent years, intelligent electronics is desirably pursued in many fields including bio-symbiotic, human physiology regulatory, robot operation, and human–computer interaction. To support this appealing vision, human-like tactile perception is urgently necessary for dexterous object manipulation. In particular, the real-time force perception with strength and orientation simultaneously is critical for intelligent electronic skin. However, it is still very challenging to achieve directional tactile sensing that has eminent properties, and at the same time, has the feasibility for scale expansion. Here, a fully soft capacitive omnidirectional tactile (ODT) sensor was developed based on the structure of MWCNTs coated stripe electrode and Ecoflex hemisphere array dielectric. The theoretical analysis of this structure was conducted for omnidirectional force detection by finite element simulation. Combined with the micro-spine and the hemispheric hills dielectric structure, this sensing structure could achieve omnidirectional detection with high sensitivity (0.306 ± 0.001 kPa−1 under 10 kPa) and a wide response range (2.55 Pa to 160 kPa). Moreover, to overcome the inherent disunity in flexible sensor units due to nano-materials and polymer, machine learning approaches were introduced as a prospective technical routing to recognize various loading angles and finally performed more than 99% recognition accuracy. The practical validity of the design was demonstrated by the detection of human motion, physiological activities, and gripping of a cup, which was evident to have great potential for tactile e-skin for digital medical and soft robotics.

A clamp-free micro-stretching system for evaluating the viscoelastic response of cell-laden microfibers

Viscoelastic hydrogel microfibers have extensive applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, however, their viscoelasticity is still difficult to be directly characterized because microfiber-specific measuring system is lacking for quantitative studies. In this paper, we develop a two-probe micro-stretching system to quantitatively investigate viscoelasticity of the microfiber by evaluating the storage and loss modulus: E′ and E″. A liquid bridge-based fixation method enables single microfiber to be easily fixed to be stably stretched by a two-probe actuator. Afterward, multi-frequency stretching force loading is automatically implemented based on real-time force control, and the resulting stress and strain in the frequency spectrum are measured to evaluate the E′ and E″ of pure GelMA, alginate-GelMA composite and GelMA core-alginate shell microfibers. The measured E′ and E″ are verified by the response of NIH/3T3 fibroblast cells to the composite microfibers with different alginate concentrations. Moreover, benefiting from the low-damaged stretching process, our system can also detect the difference of the E′ and E″ between two cellular processes including growth and differentiation of the aligned mesenchymal stem cells in the same one core-shell microfiber. These results all show that our proposed system provides a valuable reference tool for biomaterials design, the study of cell-matrix interaction and disease etiology from the perspective of mechanics.

Real-Time Tactile Grasp Force Sensing Using Fingernail Imaging via Deep Neural Networks

This letter introduces a novel approach for the real-time estimation of 3D tactile forces exerted by human fingertips via vision only. The introduced approach is entirely monocular vision-based and does not require any physical force sensor. Therefore, it is scalable, non-intrusive, and easily fused with other perception systems such as body pose estimation, making it ideal for HRI applications where force sensing is necessary. The introduced approach consists of three main modules: finger tracking for detection and tracking of each individual finger, image alignment for preserving the spatial information in the images, and the force model for estimating the 3D forces from coloration patterns in the images. The model has been implemented experimentally, and the results have shown a maximum RMS error of 5.8% (for the entire range of force levels) along all three directions. The estimation accuracy is comparable to prior offline models in the literature, such as EigenNail, while this model is capable of performing real-time force estimation at 30 frames per second. In addition, unlike the previous force estimation models, this model does not need to be trained for each new human subject. Once the model is trained with 11 or 12 subjects, it can then estimate forces for new human subjects that have not been seen by the model.

Real-Time Identification of Time-Varying Cable Force Using an Improved Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter.

The real-time identification of time-varying cable force is critical for accurately evaluating the fatigue damage of cables and assessing the safety condition of bridges. In the context of unknown wind excitations and only one available accelerometer, this paper proposes a novel cable force identification method based on an improved adaptive extended Kalman filter (IAEKF). Firstly, the governing equation of the stay cable motion, which includes the cable force variation coefficient, is expressed in the modal domain. It is transformed into a state equation by defining an augmented Kalman state vector with the cable force variation coefficient concerned. The cable force variation coefficient is then recursively estimated and closely tracked in real time by the proposed IAEKF. The contribution of this paper is that an updated fading-factor matrix is considered in the IAEKF, and the adaptive noise error covariance matrices are determined via an optimization procedure rather than by experience. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the numerical model of a real-world cable-supported bridge and an experimental scaled steel stay cable. Results indicate that the proposed method can identify the time-varying cable force in real time when the cable acceleration of only one measurement point is available.

Novel tissue-pressure sensing technology using a wide-band dielectric imaging system: An in vivo study

BackgroundA novel dielectric wide-band imaging system with tissue pressure (TP) technology provides real-time contact force (CF) monitoring using non-CF catheters. This study sought to investigate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of ablation with TP technology. MethodsEighty-five patients with supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) were ablated with real-time monitoring of CF by TP technology and compared with 85 patients who underwent ablation with a conventional non-TP approach. Baseline characteristics, procedural data, and TP data were analyzed in the study. Ablation applications in the TP group were then subdivided into good contact and poor contact groups according to the TP level for analysis. ResultsThe TP group had a significantly shorter procedural time (16.2 ± 6.9 min vs. 19.9 ± 10.0 min, p = 0.033), shorter ablation time (334.6 ± 166.9 s vs. 391.3 ± 195.7 s, p = 0.049), and fewer mean numbers of radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) deliveries (6.2 ± 3.2 vs. 7.6 ± 5.2, p = 0.047) than the non-TP group. The achieved average percentage of TP >3 g was significantly higher in the good-contact group (97.94% vs. 15.48%, p < 0.001). The median impedance decreases during RFCA in the good contact group and poor contact group were 4.10 (0.30–6.88) Ω and 2.60 (−0.05–4.98) Ω at 10 s, 4.45 (0.58–8.25) Ω and 2.88 (0.23–5.70) Ω at 20 s, and 4.67 (1.95–9.08) Ω and 2.97 (−0.26–6.33) Ω at 30 s, respectively (p < 0.05 for comparisons between categories). All patients achieved acute success, and no complications were observed. Two patients in the TP group and one patient in the non-TP group experienced recurrence during follow-up. ConclusionTP-technology guided ablation of SVT is feasible, efficient, and safe.

HiVTac: A High-Speed Vision-Based Tactile Sensor for Precise and Real-Time Force Reconstruction with Fewer Markers.

Although they have been under development for years and are attracting a lot of attention, vision-based tactile sensors still have common defects—the use of such devices to infer the direction of external forces is poorly investigated, and the operating frequency is too low for them to be applied in practical scenarios. Moreover, discussion of the deformation of elastomers used in vision-based tactile sensors remains insufficient. This research focuses on analyzing the deformation of a thin elastic layer on a vision-based tactile sensor by establishing a simplified deformation model, which is cross-validated using the finite element method. Further, this model suggests a reduction in the number of markers required by a vision-based tactile sensor. In subsequent testing, a prototype HiVTac is fabricated, and it demonstrates superior accuracy to its vision-based tactile sensor counterparts in reconstructing an external force. The average error of inferring the direction of external force is 0.32, and the root mean squared error of inferring the magnitude of the external force is 0.0098 N. The prototype was capable of working at a sampling rate of 100 Hz and a processing frequency of 1.3 kHz, even on a general PC, allowing for real-time reconstructions of not only the direction but also the magnitude of an external force.

Peeling mechanics of film-substrate system with mutually embedded nanostructures in the interface

Through mechanical deformation of crystalline metals with hard molds, superplastic nanomolding provides a simple and high-throughput method to directly form nanostructures in the metal surface. The releasing of the molded nanostructures generally involves in chemical etching away the mold, in which metal nanostructures could also be chemically attacked. Therefore, mechanical demoulding is very promising not only for solving the above problem, but also for drastically reducing the cost by recycling molds. As a result, the mechanics underlying the mechanical demoulding is very important and highly desired since it can tell what kind of nanofeatures can be released without damaging the molds. In this paper, we develop a theory for the peeling mechanics of elastic film with its surface nanostructures deeply embedded in a substrate. Specifically, by analyzing the obtained micromechanical behavior in the interface and combining it into the mechanical framework of the macro-bending behavior of the film, we successfully derive a nonlinear governing equation for demoulding. By non-dimensionalizing the governing equation and further numerically solving it, we find out a simple expression for the apparent adhesion work. Our theory demonstrates that the apparent adhesion work is mainly contributed by the interface shear stress rather than the interface energy as revealed by the peeling of elastic film from flat or wavy interfaces, and the fillet radius at the edge of the cavity is found to be a crucial factor to determine the success or failure of demoulding. Finally, by recording the real-time peeling force of an actual peeling process, we observe that the theoretical prediction is in good agreement with the experimental results. This work not only provides theoretical guidance for mechanical demoulding of molded micro-/nanostructures, but also establishes a mechanical framework for studying the peeling mechanics of real material interface.

Cohesion Gain Induced by Nanosilica Consolidants for Monumental Stone Restoration.

Mineral nanoparticle suspensions with consolidating properties have been successfully applied in the restoration of weathered architectural surfaces. However, the design of these consolidants is usually stone-specific and based on trial and error, which prevents their robust operation for a wide range of highly heterogeneous monumental stone materials. In this work, we develop a facile and versatile method to systematically study the consolidating mechanisms in action using a surface forces apparatus (SFA) with real-time force sensing and an X-ray surface forces apparatus (X-SFA). We directly assess the mechanical tensile strength of nanosilica-treated single mineral contacts and show a sharp increase in their cohesion. The smallest used nanoparticles provide an order of magnitude stronger contacts. We further resolve the microstructures and forces acting during evaporation-driven, capillary-force-induced nanoparticle aggregation processes, highlighting the importance of the interactions between the nanoparticles and the confining mineral walls. Our novel SFA-based approach offers insight into nano- and microscale mechanisms of consolidating silica treatments, and it can aid the design of nanomaterials used in stone consolidation.

Force distribution of thumb-index finger power-grasp during stable fruit grasp control

To investigate the force distribution of the thumb-index finger power-grasp during the stable grasping of fruit, four thumb-index finger power-grasping experiments were performed. Fruits implanted with force-sensing resistor sensors with seven channels were used to test the real-time normal force of each thumb-index finger region. There was a significant difference among power-grasp regions, fruit size, between power-grasp postures, and centre of mass for the percentage contribution of normal forces on some regions (P < 0.05) during the power-grasping of fruit using the thumb-index finger. The percentage contribution of normal forces on the distal phalanx of the thumb and index finger was larger than those on other regions, and gradually decreased from the distal phalanx to the proximal phalanx. There was a very weak linear association between the characteristics of the thumb and index finger and the percentage contribution of normal forces on each region. The longitudinal power-grasp is a more labour-saving posture than the horizontal power-grasp when grasping a fruit using the thumb and index finger. The normal force contribution on the distal and proximal phalanx of the index finger and the three combination regions are sensitive to changes in the centre of mass location. The normal force of the thumb and the tangential force should be increased to overcome the positive torque when the centre of mass is on the left side. Conversely, when the centre of mass of the fruit is located on the right side, the normal force of the index finger should be increased to prevent it from rotating and sliding to ensure the stable power-grasp of the fruit. It's necessary to adjust the normal force distribution on each grasping region of the humanoid end-effector based on the centre of mass location. This study reveals the force distribution mechanism considering the different characteristics of the fruit and hand and provides guidance for stable bionic two-finger robot grasp control.

Development of a maxillofacial virtual surgical system based on biomechanical parameters of facial soft tissue

PurposeLack of biomechanical force model of soft tissue hinders the development of virtual surgical simulation in maxillofacial surgery. In this study, a physical model of facial soft tissue based on real biomechanical parameters was constructed, and a haptics-enabled virtual surgical system was developed to simulate incision-making process on facial soft tissue and to help maxillofacial surgery training.MethodsCT data of a 25-year-old female patient were imported into Mimics software to reconstruct 3D models of maxillofacial soft and skeletal tissues. 3dMD stereo-photo of the patient was fused on facial surface to include texture information. Insertion and cutting parameters of facial soft tissue measured on fresh cadavers were integrated, and a maxillofacial biomechanical force model was established. Rapid deformation and force feedback were realized through localized deformation algorithm and axis aligned bounding box (AABB)-based collision detection. The virtual model was validated quantitatively and qualitatively.ResultsA patient-specific physical model composed of skeletal and facial soft tissue was constructed and embedded in the virtual surgical system. Insertion and cutting in different regions of facial soft tissue were simulated using omega 6, and real-time feedback force was recorded. The feedback force was consistent with acquired force data of experiments conducted on tissue specimen. Real-time graphic and haptic feedback were realized. The mean score of the system performance was 3.71 given by surgeons in evaluation questionnaires.ConclusionThe maxillofacial physical model enabled operators to simulate insertion and cutting on facial soft tissue with realization of realistic deformation and haptic feedback. The combination of localized deformation algorithm and AABB-based collision detection improved computational efficiency. The proposed virtual surgical system demonstrated excellent performance in simulation and training of incision-making process.

Numerical investigation on nonlinear contact coupling during ship launching process by an array of airbags

Ship launching by an array of airbags is a novel approach widely used in Chinese shipyards and also in other countries. Previous studies on a material constitutive model of ship-launching airbags highlighted that loaded airbags suffering nonlinear deformation due to the contact during launching process while their bearing forces may induce hull deformation, which is a complex nonlinear contact coupling problem. This study presents an iterative approach for numerically simulating the coupling effect between the loaded airbag array and the ship hull during slippery in three steps. Firstly, an effective launching simulation program known as “Simulation Program for Ship Launching by Airbags (SPSLAs)” is developed based on airbag hyperelastic constitutive model for predicting the real-time forces and moments acting on the hull bottom structures under certain working height of airbags at the whole launching process. Secondly, the array of airbags with the real-size are built by a finite element (FE) software to investigate dynamic response of airbag array. Finally, the results are transferred to the FE model of the hull to evaluate the global and local structural stress responses. Additionally, this methodology was applied to analyze the launching practice of a bulk carrier with the deadweight of 57,000 tons for validation.

Designs of Compliant Mechanism-Based Force Sensors: A Review

Sensing the interaction force in robot-assisted manipulation draws lots of attentions in related research fields. In order to protect the manipulation objects and to build the real-time force feedback for system control, force sensors have been proposed and applied. The sensing structures of most proposed force sensors possess the characteristics of compliant mechanisms. This paper reviews the designs of compliant mechanism-based force sensors in the past few years. Main sensing principles, scales and compliance, compliant mechanism designs of the force sensors have been studied and concluded. According to the researching status, the future developments of compliant mechanism-based force sensors have been also introduced. This paper aims at providing references of designing a high-performance compliant mechanism-based force sensor.

Innovative ore-thermal furnace control systems

The relevance of this topic can be justified with poor automation of the ore-thermal furnace process &mdash; in particular, the one involved in the production of metallurgical silicon. The majority of process control systems enable centralized acquisition of available data. Such approach can cause certain issues as some data can arrive with a big delay or can be irrelevant to the reaction zone but rather serve to monitor separate components of the furnace. The lack of reliable real-time information forces operators to make decisions based on their experience, which often leads to inefficient operation introducing the risk of human error and, consequently, that of emergency. Such operation often leads to overconsumption of electric power, high consumption of graphite electrodes and can cause dust discharge. Control of the basic furnace parameters based on indirect parameters and the use of process model-based controllers offer innovative areas in the development of ore-thermal furnace process control systems. Improving the obser vability of the object of control remains a relevant problem. It can normally be achieved by implementing new controlled parameters in a monitoring or control system. This paper describes the most innovative control systems that enable to monitor the process parameters and control the power mode of an ore-thermal furnace. The paper reviews two articles, eleven patents and five computer programmes that have the biggest potential of industrial implementation.This research was funded through Governmental Research Grant no. FSRW-2020-0014 for 2021 and Russian Science Foundation, Grant № 22-29-003.