Design synthesis & prototype implementation of parallel orientation manipulators for optomechatronic applications

This thesis documents a research endeavor undertaken to develop high-performing designs for parallel orientation manipulators (POM) capable of delivering the speed and the accuracy requirements of a typical optomechatronic application. In the course of the research, the state of the art was reviewed, and the areas in the existing design methodologies that can be potentially improved were identified, which included actuator design, dimensional synthesis of POMs, control system design, and kinematic calibration. The gaps in the current art of designing each of these POM system components were addressed individually. The outcomes of the corresponding development activities include a novel design of a highly integrated voice coil actuator (VCA) possessing the speed, the size, and the accuracy requirements of small-scale parallel robotics. Furthermore, a method for synthesizing the geometric dimensions of a POM was developed by adopting response surface methodology (RSM) as the optimization tool. It was also experimentally shown how conveniently RSM can be utilized to develop an empirical quantification of the actual kinematic structure of a POM prototype. In addition, a motion controller was formulated by adopting the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) technology. The classic formulation of the ADRC algorithm was modified to develop a resource-optimized implementation on control hardware based on field programmable gate arrays (FPGA). The practicality and the effectiveness of the synthesized designs were ultimately demonstrated by performance benchmarking experiments conducted on POM prototypes constructed from these components. In specific terms, it was experimentally shown that the moving platforms of the prototyped manipulators can achieve highspeed motions that can exceed 2000 degrees/s in angular velocity, and 5×105 degrees/s2 in angular acceleration

Rules for Making: Kinematic Design, Shape and Structure

The thesis examines the role of making rules, within the creative exploration of kinematic design spaces. As a process of searching within a conceptual space, creative exploration can be described using rules. When applied to design, this model for creativity affords the application of computational techniques. In shape grammars, shape rules for ‘seeing’ and ‘doing’ apply a descriptive approach to the visual recognition, composition and modification of pictorial representations. This formalism can provide generative specifications and reveal the synthetic reasoning underlying iterative trajectories of design development. Making rules extend this approach to the tactile-visual representations of physical models and prototypes. When instantiating design representations within the material world, actions to construct and alter descriptions are grounded in material algebras. This thesis has a focus in Kinematics, where physical models provide a synthetic alternative to analytic techniques for modelling motions. In this context, making rules describe how to construct designs, make alterations, and manipulate models. Kinematic connections afford variable spatial relations between kinematic parts, and rules for physically manipulating models elicit their motions. Single closed-loop kinematic chains with full cycle mobility provide case studies for experimenting with making rules in design exploration, using both physical models and abstract geometric descriptions. An existing design creates a point of entry, where rules then afford the exploration of a surrounding kinematic design space. Applying alterations and transformations to physical models can identify the boundaries within which kinematic properties are preserved. The experimental cases inform theoretical development of exploratory making, with special reference to the variable spatial relations in kinematic designs and the integration of visual and tactile sensing. The main conclusion is that: as making rules construct models, rules are abstracted into schema by comparing properties of similar designs. The schema explain the results of exploration, initiating new explorations and new designs

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

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 4

Papers presented at the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics are compiled. The theme of the conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for the application of telerobotic technology to the space systems planned for the 1990's and beyond. Volume 4 contains papers related to the following subject areas: manipulator control; telemanipulation; flight experiments (systems and simulators); sensor-based planning; robot kinematics, dynamics, and control; robot task planning and assembly; and research activities at the NASA Langley Research Center

Generative Mesh Modeling

Generative Modeling is an alternative approach for the description of three-dimensional shape. The basic idea is to represent a model not as usual by an agglomeration of geometric primitives (triangles, point clouds, NURBS patches), but by functions. The paradigm change from objects to operations allows for a procedural representation of procedural shapes, such as most man-made objects. Instead of storing only the result of a 3D construction, the construction process itself is stored in a model file. The generative approach opens truly new perspectives in many ways, among others also for 3D knowledge management. It permits for instance to resort to a repository of already solved modeling problems, in order to re-use this knowledge also in different, slightly varied situations. The construction knowledge can be collected in digital libraries containing domain-specific parametric modeling tools. A concrete realization of this approach is a new general description language for 3D models, the "Generative Modeling Language" GML. As a Turing-complete "shape programming language" it is a basis of existing, primitv based 3D model formats. Together with its Runtime engine the GML permits - to store highly complex 3D models in a compact form, - to evaluate the description within fractions of a second, - to adaptively tesselate and to interactively display the model, - and even to change the models high-level parameters at runtime.Die generative Modellierung ist ein alternativer Ansatz zur Beschreibung von dreidimensionaler Form. Zugrunde liegt die Idee, ein Modell nicht wie üblich durch eine Ansammlung geometrischer Primitive (Dreiecke, Punkte, NURBS-Patches) zu beschreiben, sondern durch Funktionen. Der Paradigmenwechsel von Objekten zu Geometrie-erzeugenden Operationen ermöglicht es, prozedurale Modelle auch prozedural zu repräsentieren. Statt das Resultat eines 3D-Konstruktionsprozesses zu speichern, kann so der Konstruktionsprozess selber repräsentiert werden. Der generative Ansatz eröffnet unter anderem gänzlich neue Perspektiven für das Wissensmanagement im 3D-Bereich. Er ermöglicht etwa, auf einen Fundus bereits gelöster Konstruktions-Aufgaben zurückzugreifen, um sie in ähnlichen, aber leicht variierten Situationen wiederverwenden zu können. Das Konstruktions-Wissen kann dazu in Form von Bibliotheken parametrisierter, Domänen-spezifischer Modellier-Werkzeuge gesammelt werden. Konkret wird dazu eine neue allgemeine Modell-Beschreibungs-Sprache vorgeschlagen, die "Generative Modeling Language" GML. Als Turing-mächtige "Programmiersprache für Form" stellt sie eine echte Verallgemeinerung existierender Primitiv-basierter 3D-Modellformate dar. Zusammen mit ihrer Runtime-Engine erlaubt die GML, - hochkomplexe 3D-Objekte extrem kompakt zu beschreiben, - die Beschreibung innerhalb von Sekundenbruchteilen auszuwerten, - das Modell adaptiv darzustellen und interaktiv zu betrachten, - und die Modell-Parameter interaktiv zu verändern

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 1

The theme of the Conference was man-machine collaboration in space. Topics addressed include: redundant manipulators; man-machine systems; telerobot architecture; remote sensing and planning; navigation; neural networks; fundamental AI research; and reasoning under uncertainty

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 Problems. The conference is organized by the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Barcelona. The organizers would like to thank the authors for submitting their contributions, the keynote lecturers for accepting the invitation and for the quality of their talks, the awards and scientific committees for their support to the organization of the conference, and finally the topic organizers for reviewing all extended abstracts and selecting the awards nominees.Postprint (published version

Proceedings of the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics, volume 2

These proceedings contain papers presented at the NASA Conference on Space Telerobotics held in Pasadena, January 31 to February 2, 1989. The theme of the Conference was man-machine collaboration in space. The Conference provided a forum for researchers and engineers to exchange ideas on the research and development required for application of telerobotics technology to the space systems planned for the 1990s and beyond. The Conference: (1) provided a view of current NASA telerobotic research and development; (2) stimulated technical exchange on man-machine systems, manipulator control, machine sensing, machine intelligence, concurrent computation, and system architectures; and (3) identified important unsolved problems of current interest which can be dealt with by future research

Space station systems: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 9)

This bibliography lists 1,313 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1989 and June 30, 1989. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to researchers, designers and managers engaged in Space Station technology development and mission design. Coverage includes documents that define major systems and subsystems related to structures and dynamic control, electronics and power supplies, propulsion, and payload integration. In addition, orbital construction methods, servicing and support requirements, procedures and operations, and missions for the current and future Space Station are included