Concept Development of a Water Hydraulic Actuation System

European Union’s need of mining inside its borders generates a demand for innovative mining machinery. The objective of the ROBOMINERS project’s mining robot is to meet that demand. This kind of innovative mining machinery require innovative systems and procedures to solve different environmental, legislative and engineering challenges. This thesis lays down the foundations of water hydraulic systems and water hydraulic actuators for the actuation system development of the mining robot prototype. Since mineral oil is more commonly used in hydraulics, the use of water as a hydraulic fluid is examined. After the examination of water hydraulic systems and its components, the aim was moved towards hydraulic artificial muscles (HAMs). The possibilities and challenges of this kind of actuators were studied, as they will be utilised in the mining robot. One type of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) HAM was tested to ensure the findings of these studies and to start the development of the mining robot’s actuating mechanisms. The study indicates that water hydraulic systems are a viable drivetrain option for the mining robot. In addition, 3 European suppliers of water hydraulic components were found. COTS components from these suppliers will help in the building process of the actuation system. Furthermore, findings and testing of the HAMs gave some base information for the use of this kind of actuators. It was found, that the Festo’s Fluidic Muscles should be suitable for the mining robot prototype, as they reach over 14 kN maximum force and allow 14 bars of overpressure. This thesis can also be used as an introduction to water hydraulic systems and water hydraulic actuators for the ROBOMINERS project group

Humanoid Robots

For many years, the human being has been trying, in all ways, to recreate the complex mechanisms that form the human body. Such task is extremely complicated and the results are not totally satisfactory. However, with increasing technological advances based on theoretical and experimental researches, man gets, in a way, to copy or to imitate some systems of the human body. These researches not only intended to create humanoid robots, great part of them constituting autonomous systems, but also, in some way, to offer a higher knowledge of the systems that form the human body, objectifying possible applications in the technology of rehabilitation of human beings, gathering in a whole studies related not only to Robotics, but also to Biomechanics, Biomimmetics, Cybernetics, among other areas. This book presents a series of researches inspired by this ideal, carried through by various researchers worldwide, looking for to analyze and to discuss diverse subjects related to humanoid robots. The presented contributions explore aspects about robotic hands, learning, language, vision and locomotion

Proceedings of the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015

This volume contains the full papers accepted for presentation at the ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics 2015 held in the Barcelona School of Industrial Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, on June 29 - July 2, 2015. The ECCOMAS Thematic Conference on Multibody Dynamics is an international meeting held once every two years in a European country. Continuing the very successful series of past conferences that have been organized in Lisbon (2003), Madrid (2005), Milan (2007), Warsaw (2009), Brussels (2011) and Zagreb (2013); this edition will once again serve as a meeting point for the international researchers, scientists and experts from academia, research laboratories and industry working in the area of multibody dynamics. Applications are related to many fields of contemporary engineering, such as vehicle and railway systems, aeronautical and space vehicles, robotic manipulators, mechatronic and autonomous systems, smart structures, biomechanical systems and nanotechnologies. The topics of the conference include, but are not restricted to: ● Formulations and Numerical Methods ● Efficient Methods and Real-Time Applications ● Flexible Multibody Dynamics ● Contact Dynamics and Constraints ● Multiphysics and Coupled Problems ● Control and Optimization ● Software Development and Computer Technology ● Aerospace and Maritime Applications ● Biomechanics ● Railroad Vehicle Dynamics ● Road Vehicle Dynamics ● Robotics ● Benchmark ProblemsPostprint (published version