Force Measurement of Basilisk Lizard Running on Water

abstract: Basilisk lizards are often studied for their unique ability to run across the surface of water. Due to the complicated fluid dynamics of this process, the forces applied on the water’s surface cannot be measured using traditional methods. This thesis presents a novel technique of measuring the forces using a fluid dynamic force platform (FDFP), a light, rigid box immersed in water. This platform, along with a motion capture system, can be used to characterize the kinematics and dynamics of a basilisk lizard running on water. This could ultimately lead to robots that can run on water in a similar manner.Dissertation/ThesisMasters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 201

Layered composite entangled wire materials blocks as pre-tensioned vertebral rocking columns

This work focuses on entangled wire materials as an option for use between segments of a novel self-centring bridge pier inspired from the human spine mechanism to increase energy dissipation capability of the pier in rocking. A comprehensive set of free-decay vibration tests was conducted on small-scale columns with and without entangled wire materials. Wooden blocks are used as vertebrae with entangled wire materials as intervertebral disks. The whole system is tied together using a pre-tensioned tendon. Dynamic properties of columns (i.e. frequency and damping ratio) were then identified and compared. It is found that the use of entangled wire materials significantly increases the energy dissipation capacity of the system during rocking. This finding is very encouraging for future use of entangled wire materials composite systems in large-scale testing of the proposed rocking column, while their shear and axial stiffness needs be improved to reduce large shear and axial deformations

Hybrid Model for Passive Locomotion Control of a Biped Humanoid:The Artificial Neural Network Approach

Developing a correct model for a biped robot locomotion is extremely challenging due to its inherently unstable structure because of the passive joint located at the unilateral foot-ground contact and varying configurations throughout the gait cycle, resulting variation of dynamic descriptions and control laws from phase to phase. The present research describes the development of a hybrid biped model using an Open Dynamics Engine (ODE) based analytical three link leg model as a base model and, on top of it, an Artificial Neural Network based learning model which ensures better adaptability, better limits cycle behaviors and better generalization while negotiating along a down slope. The base model has been configured according to the individual subjects and data have been collected using a novel technique through an android app from those subjects while walking down a slope. The pattern between the deviation of the actual trajectories and the base model generated trajectories has been found using a back propagation based artificial neural network architecture. It has been observed that this base model with learning based compensation enables the biped to better adapt in a real walking environment, showing better limit cycle behaviors. We also observed the bounded nature of deviation which led us to conclude that the strategy for biped locomotion control is generic in nature and largely dominated by learning

Stretch reflex improves rolling stability during hopping of a decerebrate system

When humans hop, attitude recovery can be observed in both the sagittal and frontal planes. While it is agreed that the brain plays an important role in leg placement, the role of low-level feedback (the stretch reflex) on frontal plane stabilization remains unclear. Seeking to better understand the contribution of the soleus stretch reflex to rolling stability, we performed experiments on a biomimetic humanoid hopping robot. Various reflex responses to touching the floor, ranging from no response to long muscle activations, were examined, and the effect of a delay upon touching the floor was also examined. We found that the stretch reflex brought the system closer to stable, straight hopping. The presence of a delay did not affect the results; both the cases with and without a delay outperformed the case without a reflex response. The results of this study highlight the importance of low-level control in locomotion for which body stabilization does not require higher-level signals.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-3190/10/1/016008/meta;jsessionid=8394D6E9724906C836DC3624B5BF2F90.c1

Fast Damage Recovery in Robotics with the T-Resilience Algorithm

Damage recovery is critical for autonomous robots that need to operate for a long time without assistance. Most current methods are complex and costly because they require anticipating each potential damage in order to have a contingency plan ready. As an alternative, we introduce the T-resilience algorithm, a new algorithm that allows robots to quickly and autonomously discover compensatory behaviors in unanticipated situations. This algorithm equips the robot with a self-model and discovers new behaviors by learning to avoid those that perform differently in the self-model and in reality. Our algorithm thus does not identify the damaged parts but it implicitly searches for efficient behaviors that do not use them. We evaluate the T-Resilience algorithm on a hexapod robot that needs to adapt to leg removal, broken legs and motor failures; we compare it to stochastic local search, policy gradient and the self-modeling algorithm proposed by Bongard et al. The behavior of the robot is assessed on-board thanks to a RGB-D sensor and a SLAM algorithm. Using only 25 tests on the robot and an overall running time of 20 minutes, T-Resilience consistently leads to substantially better results than the other approaches

Design, Manufacture, and Structural Dynamic Analysis of a Biomimetic Insect-Sized Wing for Micro Air Vehicles

The exceptional flying characteristics of airborne insects motivates the design of biomimetic wing structures that can exhibit a similar structural dynamic behavior. For this purpose, this investigation describes a method for both manufacturing a biomimetic insect-sized wing using the photolithography technique and analyzing its structural dynamic response. The geometry of a crane fly forewing (family Tipulidae) is acquired using a micro-computed tomography scanner. A computer-aided design model is generated from the measurements of the reconstructed scanned model of the insect wing to design the photomasks of the membrane and the venation network required for the photolithography procedure. A composite material wing is manufactured by patterning the venation network using photoresist SU-8 on a Kapton film for the assembling of the wing. A single material artificial wing is fabricated using the photoresist SU-8 for both the membrane and the network of veins. Experiments are conducted using a modal shaker and a digital image correlation (DIC) system to determine the natural frequencies and the mode shapes of the artificial wing from the fast Fourier transform of the displacement response of the wing. The experimental results are compared with those from a finite element (FE) model of the wing. A numerical simulation of the fluid-structure interaction is conducted by coupling the FE model of the artificial wing with a computational fluid dynamics model of the surrounding airflow. From these simulations, the deformation response and the coefficients of drag and lift of the artificial wing are predicted for different freestream velocities and angles of attack. Wind-tunnel experiments are conducted using the DIC system to determine the structural deformation response of the artificial wing under different freestream velocities and angles of attack. The vibration modes are dominated by a bending and torsional deformation response. The deformation along the span of the wing increases nonlinearly from the root of the wing to the tip of the wing with Reynolds number. The aerodynamic performance, defined as the ratio of the coefficient of lift to the coefficient of drag, of the artificial wing increases with Reynolds number and angle of attack up to the critical angle of attack