bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Force Capabilities of Two-Degree-of-Freedom Serial Robots Equipped With Passive Isotropic Force Limiters
Authors: Zhang Meiying , Laliberté Thierry , Gosselin Clément
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes the use of passive force and torque limiting devices to bound the maximum forces that can be applied at the end-effector or along the links of a robot, thereby ensuring the safety of human-robot interaction. Planar isotropic force limiting modules are proposed and used to analyze the force capabilities of a two-degree-of-freedom planar serial robot. The force capabilities at the end-effector are first analyzed. It is shown that, using isotropic force limiting modules, the performance to safety index remains excellent for all configurations of the robot. The maximum contact forces along the links of the robot are then analyzed. Force and torque limiters are distributed along the structure of the robot in order to ensure that the forces applied at any point of contact along the links are bounded. A power analysis is then presented in order to support the results. Finally, examples of mechanical designs of force/torque limiters are shown to illustrate a possible practical implementation of the concept.
Micro-EDM Studies of the Fabrication of Customized Internal Fixation Devices for Orthopedic Surgery
Authors: Modica F. , Pagano C. , Marrocco V. , Fassi I.
Published: January 2016

The fabrication of personalized implants, tailored on patient needs, is a key issue for the future of several surgical fields. The presence of a prototyping service inside the hospital would be an added value for improving clinical activity. In this context, micro-Electro Discharge Machining is exploited to customize fixation devices in orthopedic surgery. An overview of the main devices is carried out in order to identify the main characteristics and to define the common fixation system specifications. The experimentation includes a technological evaluation of the proper micro-EDM technology, chosen according to the final design of the components. Two materials are investigated for the device fabrication: titanium and Si3N4-TiN ceramic composite. An optimization of the main technological parameters is performed in order to maximize the material removal rate ensuring the accuracy of the micro-features required. Finally, a test case is selected in order to evaluate the entire fabrication process chain.
Creativity ‘Misrules’: First Year Engineering Students’ Production and Perception of Creativity in Design Ideas
Authors: Gray Colin M. , Yilmaz Seda , Daly Shanna , Seifert Colleen M. , Gonzalez Richard
Published: January 2016

We report four cases from a larger study, focusing on participants’ self-identified “most creative” concept in relation to their other concepts. As part of an ideation session, first-year engineering students were asked to create concepts for one of two engineering design problems in an 85-minute period, and were exposed to one of two different forms of fixation. Participants worked as individuals, first using traditional brainstorming techniques and generating as many ideas as possible. Design Heuristics cards were then introduced, and students were asked to generate as many additional concepts as possible. After the activity, participants ranked all of the concepts they generated from most to least creative. Representative cases include a detailed analysis of the concept that each participant rated as “most creative,” idea generation method used, and relative location and relationship of the concept to other concepts generated by that participant. Across four cases, we identified a number of characteristic “misrules” or misconceptions, revealing that first-year students judge creativity in their concepts in ways that could inhibit their ability to produce truly novel concepts. We present Design Heuristics as a tool to encourage the exploration of creative concept pathways, empowering students to create more novel concepts by rejecting misrules about creativity.
Modeling and 3D Printing of Ruled Surfaces
Authors: Hennessey Michael P. , Beaulier Alex J. , Shakiban Cheri
Published: January 2016

Ruled surfaces play an important role in disciplines such as applied mathematics, mechanical engineering, and architecture. We present a general methodology for creating handheld-sized 3D printed models of such surfaces, which can be useful for educational, research, and design purposes. The process begins with a mathematical description of the surface, either by means of establishing a series of line segment endpoint coordinates followed by a “connect the dots” approach or continuously sweeping a portion of a line throughout 3D space using a time-varying homogeneous transformation, thereby defining an array of line segments on the surface. Next, MATLAB is used to numerically generate the endpoint coordinates which are imported into SolidWorks via Excel and employs a custom macro to permit graphical display of the line segments in a part file. The array of line segments is then stitched together “manually” into a surface, thickened into a part, and printed out in plastic using a 3D printer. The methodology is illustrated for some simple surfaces in addition to several well-known exotic surfaces that have an architectural theme to them. Specifically, we showcase Antoni Gaudi’s conoids and elliptic hyperboloids from La Sagrada Familia, in addition to a twisted circular drum arch and a Solomonic column, both of which are seen in southern European architecture, in particular they are present at either the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens or at The Vatican (includes museum). In summary, the work presented should be of general interest to the 3D printing, ruled surface, and architecture communities.
Understanding the Utilization of Information Stimuli in Design Decision Making Using Eye Gaze Data
Authors: Bi Youyi , Shergadwala Murtuza , Reid Tahira , Panchal Jitesh H.
Published: January 2016

Research on decision making in engineering design has focused primarily on how to make decisions using normative models given certain information. However, there exists a research gap on how diverse information stimuli are combined by designers in decision making. In this paper, we address the following question: how do designers weigh different information stimuli to make decisions in engineering design contexts? The answer to this question can provide insights on diverse cognitive models for decision making used by different individuals. We investigate the information gathering behavior of individuals using eye gaze data from a simulated engineering design task. The task involves optimizing an unknown function using an interface which provides two types of information stimuli, including a graph and a list area. These correspond to the graphical stimulus and numerical stimulus, respectively. The study was carried out using a set of student subjects. The results suggest that individuals weigh different forms of information stimuli differently. It is observed that graphical information stimulus assists the participants in optimizing the function with a higher accuracy. This study contributes to our understanding of how diverse information stimuli are utilized by design engineers to make decisions. The improved understanding of cognitive decision making models would also aid in improved design of decision support tools.
From Gameplay Experience to Haptic-Aided Process Planning
Authors: Lim Theodore , Ritchie James , Fletcher Craig
Published: January 2016

Process planning incorporating material removal is a critical phase in the realization of a product between design and manufacture where all the decisions are made and documented with regard to how the product is going to be manufactured. Any decisions at this point can have a major impact on final cost and quality. While computer-aided process planning (CAPP) systems are widely available, evidence suggests that they are unable to meet users’ expectations sufficiently as indicated by their low commercial uptake. This research investigated the reasons why and defined a systematic approach for the cross platform evaluation of process planning systems with regard to their usability. A haptic-based virtual reality process planning was benchmarked against traditional process planning, enabling the development of a reproducible usability evaluation for CAPP systems. A method inspired from assessing game immersion was implemented to determine the users’ subjective perceptions of the two systems whilst objective data was gathered to capture unbiased comparative information and quantify any differences. A SWOT analysis was also carried out in order to obtain a deeper understanding of any issues found. Results showed that the haptic system was perceived to provide a more user friendly and intuitive interface compared to traditional process planning, particularly for novice process planners. Additionally, all users exhibited less cognitive load overall when using haptics.
Focused Refinement in the RRT*: Trading Optimality for Improved Performance
Authors: Boardman Beth , Martínez Sonia , Harden Troy
Published: January 2016

This paper investigates how to limit the exploration property of the RRT* algorithm in order to decrease the computation time needed to produce a low-cost, but good enough, path. We aim to do this by (i) focusing the attention of the RRT* algorithm on paths that are found quickly by RRT*, and by (ii) reducing the number of nodes in the obtained paths. The latter is achieved by an online smoothing process that aims to connect added nodes directly to their grandparents. Extensive two-dimensional simulation results are provided to examine how the number of obstacles in an environment affects the proposed extensions. Simulations for a Dubins’ vehicle are presented to show how the modifications perform for vehicles with differential constraints.
Impact of Technology Infusion on System Complexity and Modularity
Authors: Min GwangKi , Suh Eun Suk , Hölttä-Otto Katja
Published: January 2016

Complex systems often have long life cycles with requirements that are likely to change over time. Therefore, it is important to be able to adapt the system accordingly over time. This is often accomplished by infusing new technologies into the host system in order to update or improve overall system performance. However, technology infusion often results in a disruption in the host system. This can take the form of a system redesign or a change in the inherent attributes of the system. In this study, we analyzed the impact of technology infusion on system attributes, specifically the complexity and modularity. Two different systems that were infused with new technologies were analyzed for changes in complexity and modularity.
Precision Prediction Model and Experimental Verification of Hydrostatic Bearing-Rotor System of Ultra-Precision Machine Tools
Authors: Jia Q. , Zha J. , Zhang C. X. , Chen Y. L.
Published: January 2016

Error averaging effect of the pressured oil film allows for a high motion precision in hydrostatic bearings. This has many applications to ultra-precision machine tools rotor-bearing system. This paper mainly focuses on the studying factors affecting the rotor-bearing system error for hydrostatic rotation table and hydrostatic spindle in ultra-precision grinding machine. Radial run-out error was selected as precision evaluation index. A precision prediction model was established, which takes into structural and dynamic parameters of hydrostatic radial bearing rotor-bearing system into consideration. Effect of assembly tolerance, structural parameters and working conditions on the accuracy of the rotor-bearing system were analyzed. Precision measurements for the ultra-precision hydrostatic rotary table and spindle were carried out. Prediction errors of radial run-out error was found to be less than 23.5%. The model proposed in this paper has high prediction precision and can be used to guide the precision design and optimization of the ultra-precision machine tools rotor-bearing system.
A Particle Filter Approach for Identifying Tyre Model Parameters From Full-Scale Experimental Tests
Authors: Bao Ruixin , Braghin Francesco , Cheli Federico , Sabbioni Edoardo
Published: January 2016

Mathematical models simulating the handling behavior of passenger cars are extensively used at a design stage for evaluating the effects of new structural solutions or control systems. The main source of uncertainty in this type of models lies in the tyre-road interaction, due high nonlinearity. Proper estimation of tyre model parameters is thus of utter importance to obtain reliable results. A methodology aimed at identifying the Magic Formula-Tyre (MF-Tyre) model coefficients of the tyres of an axle based only on the measurements carried out on board vehicle (vehicle sideslip angle, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, speed and steer angle) during standard handling maneuvers (step-steers, double lane changes, etc.) is presented in this paper. The proposed methodology is based on Particle Filtering (PF) technique. PF may become a serious alternative to classic model-based techniques, such as Kalman filters. Results of the identification procedure were first checked through simulations. Then PF was applied to experimental data collected on an real instrumented passenger-car vehicles.
Energy Value Stream Mapping, Development and Application of a Tool to Reduce Energy Inefficiencies of the Production Processes
Authors: Germani Michele , Del Duca Daniele , Luzi Andrea , Camorani Fabio
Published: January 2016

Over the last years, the industrial energy consumption has become a critical issue and several energy management systems have been developed. At the same time, the lean philosophy has been used to evaluate the critical points of the production processes. One of the main tools used by lean champions is the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to identify “bottlenecks” and also to provide graphically areas of interest for improvement within the shop floor. Current VSM models do not include information about energy as a fundamental content. To overcome this lack, the present work is focused on the development of a new extended VSM tool able to map the energy consumption. Energy value Stream mapping (EVSM) is a tool to evaluate issues related to the energy consumption. Through it, the energy manager can pursue the minimum energy consumption. The proposed tool has been applied and tested in a real case study.
The Additive Manufacturing Process Setting Feasible Space Exploration and Association With Variable Product Platform Design
Authors: Yao Xiling , Moon Seung Ki , Bi Guijun
Published: January 2016

Additive manufacturing (AM) has evolved from prototyping to functional part fabrication for a wide range of applications. AM process settings have significant impact to both part quality and production cost, which makes the process setting adjustment a key consideration during product development and manufacturing. This research aims to investigate the relationship among process setting adjustments, costs, and component design parameters. Platform-based product family design and process family planning are used in this research as the strategy to provide product diversity while controlling cost. In this paper, the concept of a variable product platform and its corresponding AM process setting variants are proposed to describe the characteristics of additive manufactured platform modules. AM production cost drivers are identified. A Fuzzy Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (FTDABC) approach is proposed to estimate the cost increment due to process setting adjustments. Time equations in the FTDABC are computed in a trained Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). The process setting adjustment’s feasible space boundary searching is formulated as an optimization problem, with minimizing the cost increment and maximizing the design parameters’ variability as objective functions. The upper and lower limits of variable platform module’s design parameters are mapped from process setting adjustments in a Mamdani-type expert system. The proposed methodology is illustrated in the analysis of a honeycomb-shaped bumper, which is taken as a variable platform module for a family of R/C racing cars. The result provides boundaries for design parameters, which confines the AM-enabled design space for product platform modules.
Efficient Analysis of a Deep-Seabed Integrated Mining System Using a Subsystem Synthesis Method
Authors: Kim Sung-Soo , Yun Hong-seon , Lee Chang-Ho , Kim Hyung-Woo , Hong Sup
Published: January 2016

A deep-seabed integrated mining system for collecting manganese nodules consists of a mining vessel, a vertical lifting pipe, a lifting pump, an intermediate buffer station, a flexible pipe, and a self-propelled mining robot. Manganese nodules collected by the mining robot are transferred to the buffer and then lifted up to the vessel. Dynamic analysis of such a system is a challenging task, since large displacements due to deformation must be considered in the very long lifting pipe and the flexible pipe system. Because non-linear effects must be considered in the modeling of the lifting pipe and the flexible pipe model, nodal coordinates must be used in the flexible multibody model. This requires a large amount of computational time for the dynamic analysis. Moreover, the concept of multiple mining robots was introduced recently, increasing the complexity. An efficient method for the dynamic analysis of the integrated mining system is necessary. In this study, to improve the efficiency of analysis, a subsystem synthesis method was developed for the deep-seabed integrated mining system which can also be extended to efficiently analyze multiple mining robots. Subsystem equations of motion were separately generated for the vessel-lifting pipe subsystem and the flexible pipe-mining robot subsystem. The efficiency of the subsystem synthesis method was verified theoretically by comparing arithmetic operational counts of the developed subsystem synthesis method with those of the conventional method.
Metamodel Uncertainty Quantification by Using Bayes’ Theorem
Authors: Xiao Mi , Yao Qiangzhuang , Gao Liang , Xiong Haihong , Wang Fengxiang
Published: January 2016

In complex engineering systems, approximation models, also called metamodels, are extensively constructed to replace the computationally expensive simulation and analysis codes. With different sample data and metamodeling methods, different metamodels can be constructed to describe the behavior of an engineering system. Then, metamodel uncertainty will arise from selecting the best metamodel from a set of alternative ones. In this study, a method based on Bayes’ theorem is used to quantify this metamodel uncertainty. With some mathematical examples, metamodels are built by six metamodeling methods, i.e., polynomial response surface, locally weighted polynomials (LWP), k-nearest neighbors (KNN), radial basis functions (RBF), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), and kriging methods, and under four sampling methods, i.e., parameter study (PS), Latin hypercube sampling (LHS), optimal LHS and full factorial design (FFD) methods. The uncertainty of metamodels created by different metamodeling methods and under different sampling methods is quantified to demonstrate the process of implementing the method.
A Biomechanical Approach to Diagnosis and Monitoring of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Shah Vrutangkumar V. , Goyal Sachin , Palanthandalam-Madapusi Harish
Published: January 2016

Parkinson’s disease is an idiopathic and degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. Among the symptoms, the tremor at rest is one of the prominent symptoms. The challenge however is that there are no definitive diagnostic test that can confirm the presence or severity of Parkinson’s disease. This is a serious handicap especially since the drugs usually prescribed to control these symptoms have serious side effects and their dosages have to be tuned extensively. Also, the exact origin of tremor is unknown. There have been recent efforts [19] to understand the mechanism behind the Parkinsonian tremor, from a control-system perspectives. From these efforts, it appears that increased sensorimotor loop delay may be a cause for Parkinsonian tremor and thus serve as a key distinguishing feature. In the current work, we adopted this hypothesis and with the help of a relatively straightforward analysis of the motor control loop along with the help of some simulation and experimental examples, we first attempt to explain several qualitative observations relating to Parkinson’s Disease. Further, we explore the possibilities of for progress tracking, diagnosis, and early diagnosis before onset of tremor using biomechanical means.
Relaxation Length Review and Time Constant Analysis for Agile Tire Dynamics Control
Authors: Vantsevich Vladimir V. , Gray Jeremy P.
Published: January 2016

For military all-terrain vehicles, there is a need to radically increase tactical and operational mobility through new modalities by fundamentally improving vehicle terrain control. By characterizing the tire relaxation length and time constants for lateral and longitudinal dynamic changes, mobility control can be enhanced to accommodate agile tire dynamics.

This paper analyzes the transient period of the tire reaction force development process, which is characterized by the relaxation length, for the purpose of agile tire dynamics control as a pre-emptive, fast and exact response of a tire to dynamic changes of its interaction with terrain. In this regards, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken and the tire relaxation length was analyzed for different types of vehicles and their operational velocities. The time relaxation constants, which are derived from the relaxation length, are determined and analyzed based on the data gathered in technical literature. Based on the analysis, reference magnitudes of the time relaxation constants are proposed to be used in agile tire dynamics control algorithm and hardware developments of military all-terrain vehicles.
Development of a Remote Ultrasound Imaging System
Authors: Fotouhi Reza , Oraji Rahim , Mondragon Carlos , Berryman Brennan
Published: January 2016

In this paper, concept of developing a haptic tele-robotic master-slave manipulators for ultrasound imaging examination, and some preliminary results will be presented. In a tele-ultrasound system the motion of a master manipulator (such as a haptic wand or a simple joystick) which carries a virtual probe is controlled by a medical expert and remotely reproduced at the patient site by a slave robot, carrying the ultrasound probe. In general a remote diagnostic system contains three divisions: expert station (or expert site), patient station (or patient site), and a communication network such as servers Wi-Fi or satellite network. The experiments demonstrate that the slave manipulator is capable of successfully following the motion of a master manipulator in a path following as well as for point-to-point motions.
The QuadroG Robot, a Parallel Robot With a Configurable Platform for Haptic Applications
Authors: Hamaza Salua , Lambert Patrice , Carricato Marco , Herder Just
Published: January 2016

This paper explores the fundamentals of parallel robots with configurable platforms (PRCP), as well as the design and the kinematic analysis of those. The concept behind PRCP is that the rigid (non-configurable) end-effector is replaced by a closed-loop chain, the configurable platform. The use of a closed-loop chain allows the robot to interact with the environment from multiple contact points on the platform, which reflects the presence of multiple end-effectors. This results in a robot that successfully combines motion and grasping capabilities into a structure that provides an inherent high stiffness. This paper aims to introduce the QuadroG robot, a 4 degrees of freedom PRCP which finely merges planar motion together with grasping capabilities.
Minimum-Jerk Trajectory Planning of a 3-DOF Translational Parallel Manipulator
Authors: Lu Song , Li Yangmin
Published: January 2016

Since jerk-limiting is universally recognized to possess the advantages of reducing residual vibration and improving accuracy, this paper utilizes a minimum-jerk trajectory planning algorithm in trajectory planning of a three degree-of-freedom 3-Prismatic-Universal-Universal (3PUU) translational parallel manipulator. The trajectory execution time is set to fixed time duration. The sequence of joint positions are derived by a series of predefined via-points in Cartesian space through kinematic inversion. In order to generate a trajectory featuring great continuity and fine smoothness, a piecewise fifth-order polynomial is used to interpolate the joint position series and generate a smooth trajectory characterized by continuous velocity, acceleration, and jerk. The minimum jerk trajectory planning algorithm, which minimizes the maximum of the absolute value of joints’ jerk, is actually a constrained minimax optimization problem. Subjecting to the specified limitations of kinematic constraints, this multi-variables constrained optimization problem is solved by the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) strategy. The simulated results demonstrate that this trajectory planning algorithm for the designed parallel manipulator is effective and feasible.
A Mixed Integer Linear Programming Formulation for Unrestricted Wind Farm Layout Optimization
Authors: Quan Ning , Kim Harrison
Published: January 2016

This paper proposes a mixed integer linear programming formulation of the unrestricted wind farm layout optimization problem. The formulation is achieved in part by changing the objective from power generation maximization to the maximization of the smallest penalized downstream distance between any pair of turbines, where downstream distance is defined as the distance between any pair of turbines with overlapping wake cones. The proposed formulation also linearizes other non-linear characteristics of the unrestricted layout optimization problem such as proximity constraints and wake-cone membership. The main advantage of the proposed approach is that an optimal solution to the proposed formulation is guaranteed to be globally optimal. This is in contrast to previous approaches with non-linear formulations that do not come with such guarantees.
Ride Comfort Improvement in Post-Braking Phase Using Active Suspension
Authors: Huo Shuhao , Yu Liangyao , Ma Liangxu , Zhang Lei
Published: January 2016

Frequent acceleration and deceleration of vehicle especially in urban traffic arouse relative frequent pitch motion accordingly. As the orientation of vehicle acceleration alters, the inertia of human body and the pitch motion transferred by the suspension cause passengers’ body to swing back and forth, thus leading to ride discomfort, even motion sickness. In particular, such ride discomfort is noticeable in the post-braking phase, resulting from the subsequent rebound of the vehicle body after complete stop, according to the subjective experiment in this paper. The suspension characteristics are dominant in the pitch motion of post-braking phase. This paper applies an active suspension based on LQR controller to attenuate the negative rebound effect. Considering the trade-off between rebound time and rebound impact, a LQR optimal controller is proposed to control the active suspension, minimizing the negative pitch motion and improving the braking ride comfort. The simulation result indicates that the vehicle rebound in the post-braking phase is conspicuous around the resonant frequency of the vehicle body. Furthermore, the magnitude of frequency response at this critical area has been decreased and the ride comfort in post-braking phase has been improved with the proposed LQR controller.
Stochastic Model Bias Correction of Dynamic System Responses for Simulation-Based Reliability Analysis
Authors: Xi Zhimin , Pan Hao , Yang Ren-Jye
Published: January 2016

Reliability analysis based on the simulation model could be wrong if the simulation model were not validated. Various model bias correction approaches have been developed to improve the model credibility by adding the identified model bias to the baseline simulation model. However, little research has been conducted for simulation models with dynamic system responses. This paper presents such a framework for model bias correction of dynamic system responses for reliability analysis by addressing three technical components including: i) a validation metric for dynamic system responses, ii) an effective approach for dynamic model bias calibration and approximation, and iii) reliability analysis considering the dynamic model bias. Two case studies including a thermal problem and a corroded beam problem are employed to demonstrate the proposed approaches for simulation-based reliability analysis.
Value-Driven Modeling of Tactical and Operational Decisions in Support of Aerospace Product-Service Systems Design
Authors: Goncalves Cassio D. , Kokkolaras Michael
Published: January 2016

Competitive markets and complex business-to-business environments compel manufacturers to provide innovative service offerings along with their products. This necessitates effective methodologires for developing and implementing sucessful new business strategies. This article presents an approach to model tactical and operational decisions to support the design and development of Product-Service Systems (PSSs). A combination of Quality Function Deployment and Design-to-Cost techniques is proposed as the first step of a PSS design framework that aids design engineers to determine the relations among value to customer, functional requirements, design variables and cost. The objective is to identify PSS design alternatives that deliver value to customer while respecting cost targets. An aerospace software case study is conducted to demonstrate the proposed approach.
Digital Design of Crack Patterns With Natural Impressions on Pottery
Authors: Shimizu Kaoru , Aoyama Hideki
Published: January 2016

With the rapid development in production technology, it is becoming increasingly difficult to identify high-quality industrial products. Thus, appearance design is considered an important factor for deciding quality. There is increasing burden on the designer to develop a design that matches the preferences of a large number of consumers. For this reason, it is imperative to develop a system that can efficiently generate numerous patterns at the early stages of the design process. One of the patterns preferred by many customers is that with a natural impression. Therefore, an approach to derive a pattern exhibiting a natural impression, based on natural phenomena, is considered to be suitable for obtaining designs preferred by a large number of users, and it is believed to be a support tool to designers.

The purpose of this study is to develop a system capable of obtaining a pattern design exhibiting a natural impression by quantifying natural phenomena. This paper focuses on crack formation, a natural phenomenon, which can be seen on pottery surfaces. Based on the mechanism of formation of real cracks, a method for generating crack patterns via a mechanical process is developed, and design generation by a basic system is performed.

The fractal dimensions of the generated crack patterns are calculated by fractal analysis, and the effectiveness of the patterns is quantitatively verified based on fractal dimensions from the viewpoint of naturalness.
Dual Residual for Distributed Augmented Lagrangian Coordination Based on Optimality Conditions
Authors: Xu Meng , Fadel Georges , Wiecek Margaret M.
Published: January 2016

Augmented Lagrangian Coordination (ALC) is one of the more popular coordination strategies for decomposition based optimization. It employs the augmented Lagrangian relaxation approach and has shown great improvements in terms of efficiency and solution accuracy when compared to other methods addressing the same type of problem. Additionally, by offering two variants: the centralized ALC in which an artificial master problem in the upper level is created to coordinate all the sub-problems in the lower level, and the distributed ALC in which coordination can be performed directly between sub-problems without a master problem, ALC provides more flexibility than other methods. However, the initial setting and the update strategy of the penalty weights in ALC still significantly affect its performance and thus are worth further research.

For centralized ALC, the non-monotone weight update strategy based on the theory of dual residual has shown very good improvements over the traditional monotone update, in which the penalty weights can either increase or decrease. In this paper, we extend the research on the dual residual in centralized ALC to the distributed ALC. Through applying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions to the All-In-One (AIO) and decomposed problems, the necessary conditions for the decomposed solution to be optimal are derived, which leads to the definition of primal and dual residuals in distributed ALC. A new non-monotone weight based on both residuals is then proposed, by which all AIO KKT conditions are guaranteed after decomposition. Numerical tests are conducted on two mathematical problems and one engineering problem and the performances of the new update are compared to those of the traditional update. The results show that our proposed methods improve the process efficiency, accuracy, and robustness for distributed ALC.
A Generic Fusion Platform of Failure Diagnostics for Resilient Engineering System Design
Authors: Abdolsamadi Amirmahyar , Wang Pingfeng , Tamilselvan Prasanna
Published: January 2016

Effective health diagnostics provides benefits such as improved safety, improved reliability, and reduced costs for the operation and maintenance of complex engineered systems. This paper presents a multi-attribute classification fusion approach which leverages the strengths provided by multiple membership classifiers to form a robust classification model for structural health diagnostics. The developed classification fusion approach conducts the health diagnostics with three primary stages: (i) fusion formulation using a k-fold cross validation model; (ii) diagnostics with multiple multi-attribute classifiers as member algorithms; and (iii) classification fusion through a weighted majority voting with dominance system. State-of-the-art classification techniques from three broad categories (i.e., supervised learning, unsupervised learning, and statistical inference) are employed as the member algorithms. The developed classification fusion approach is demonstrated with the 2008 PHM challenge problem. The developed fusion diagnostics approach outperforms any stand-alone member algorithm with better diagnostic accuracy and robustness.
On the Almansi-Michell Problem for Flexible Multibody Dynamics
Authors: Han S. L. , Bauchau O. A.
Published: January 2016

In flexible multibody systems, it is convenient to approximate many structural components as beams. In classical beam theories, such as Timoshenko beam theory, the beams cross-section is assumed to remain plane. While such assuption is capable of capturing the kinetic energy of the system accurately, it cannot represent the strain energy adequately. In the authorss recent paper, an systematic approach was proposed for the modeling of three-dimensional beam problems. The proposed approach is based on the Hamiltonian formalism and leads to an expansion of the solution in terms of extremity and central solutions. This paper extends the previous approach to the “Almansi-Michell problem,” i.e., three dimensional beams subjected to distributed loads. Such problems can be represented by non-homogenous Hamiltonian systems, in contrast with Saint-Venants problem, which is represented by homogenous Hamiltonian systems. The solutions of Almansi-Michells problem are not only determined by the Hamiltonian coefficient matrix but also by the applied loading distribution patterns. hence, the contributions of the loading pattern need to be taken into account. A dimensional reduction procedure is proposed and the three-dimensional governing equations of Almansi-Michells problem can be reduced to a set of one-dimensional beams equations. Furthermore, the three-dimensional displacements and stress components can be recovered from the one-dimensional beams solution.
Towards a Methodology for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Haptic Devices
Authors: Sun Xuan , Andersson Kjell , Sellgren Ulf
Published: January 2016

Design of haptic devices requires trade-off between many conflicting requirements, such as high stiffness, large workspace, small inertia, low actuator force/torque, and a small size of the device. With the traditional design and optimization process, it is difficult to effectively fulfill the system requirements by separately treating the different discipline domains. To solve this problem and to avoid sub-optimization, this work proposes a design methodology, based on Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) methods and tools, for design optimization of six degree-of-freedom (DOF) haptic devices for medical applications, e.g. simulators for surgeon and dentist training or for remote surgery.

The proposed model-based and simulation-driven methodology aims to enable different disciplines and subsystems to be included in the haptic device optimization process by using a robust model architecture that integrates discipline-specific models in an optimization framework and thus enables automation of design activities in the concept and detail design phase. Because of the multi-criteria character of the performance requirements, multi-objective optimization is included as part of the proposed methodology. Because of the high-level requirements on haptic devices for medical applications in combination with a complex structure, models such as CAD (Computer Aided Design), CAE (Computer Aided Engineering), and kinematic models are considered to be integrated in the optimization process and presenting a systems view to the design engineers. An integration tool for MDO is used as framework to manage, integrate, and execute the optimization process.

A case study of a 6-DOF haptic device based on a TAU structure is used to illustrate the proposed methodology. With this specific case, a Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) with an initial population based on a pseudo random SOBOL sequence and Monte Carlo samplings is used for the optimization.
Planar Linkage Synthesis for Mixed Exact and Approximated Motion Realization via Kinematic Mapping
Authors: Zhao Ping , Ge Xin , Zi Bin , Ge Q. J.
Published: January 2016

It has been well established that kinematic mapping theory could be applied in mechanism synthesis area, where discrete motion approximation problem could be converted to surface fitting problem of a group of discrete points in hyperspace. In this paper, we applied kinematic mapping theory to planar discrete motion synthesis of an arbitrary number of approximated poses as well as up to four exact poses. A simultaneous type and dimensional synthesis approach for mixed exact and approximate motion realization problem for three types of planar dyad chains (RR, RP, PR) is presented. For all three types of dyads, N given approximated poses are utilized to formulate a general quadratic surface fitting problem in hyperspace, while up to four prescribed poses could be imposed as pose-constraint equations to this surface fitting system such that they could be exactly realized. The surface fitting problem is converted to a linear system with two quadratic constraint equations, which could be solved by null space analysis technique. On the other hand, the given exact poses are formulated as linear pose-constraint equations and added back to the system, where both type and dimensions of the resulting optimal dyads could be determined by the solution. These optimal dyads could then be implemented as different types of four-bar linkages or parallel manipulators. The result is a novel algorithm that is simple and efficient, which allows for N-pose motion approximation of planar dyads containing both revolute and prismatic joints, as well as handling of up to four prescribed poses to be realized precisely.
Towards a Comprehensive Theory of Multi-Aspect Interaction With Cyber Physical Systems
Authors: Horváth Imre , Wang Junfeng
Published: January 2016

Interaction with cyber-physical systems (CPSs) is a new challenge for system developers and human-system interaction designers, and but also for end-users. Due to the lack of proper insights, there are many unknowns, open issues, and eventually new challenges. For this reason, there is a need for a comprehensive theory that considers all aspects of interaction with CPSs, provides a reasoning framework, and facilitates the implementation of highly interactive CPSs. The research presented in this paper tries to make the first steps in this direction. We are aware of the fact that, in the case of CPSs, system-human interaction and system-system interaction are to be considered besides human-system interaction. Human-system interaction influenced by: (i) the level of interaction, (ii) the intellectual domains of interaction, (iii) the contexts of interaction, and (iv) the modalities of interaction. The proposed theory decomposes these into various constituents and captures the relations among them. Physical, syntactic, semantic, semantic, pragmatic and apobetic levels of interaction are considered in combination with four domains of interaction (perceptive, cognitive, motor, and emotional). In addition to the common human interaction modalities (visual, audio, haptic, etc.), the theory also considers system communication channels. It is claimed that interaction is also influenced by the implicit context implied by the specific objectives of interaction, i.e., cooperation, coordination, collaboration of coadunation, and not only by the explicit context provided by narrower and broader embedding environments of CPSs. The theory establishes explicit relationships between the above mentioned influencing factors, which are important at specifying wishful interaction profiles. The advantages that the proposed comprehensive theory offers in comparison with the traditional interaction design approaches are shown through the example of a smart bathroom.
The Skateboard Speed Wobble
Authors: Rosatello Marco , Dion Jean-Luc , Renaud Franck , Garibaldi Luigi
Published: January 2016

The speed wobble is a phenomenon in nonlinear dynamics that can occur in many vehicles such as bicycles, motorbikes, skateboards and airplanes nose landing gear. The dynamic instability affects the steerable wheels of a vehicle and can lead to the loss of control. While for bikes, motorbikes and airplanes the dynamics and causes of the wobble are well known and the literature fully describes the subject, for the skateboard the literature is very poor and there is no paper which investigates this type of instability.

In order to do that, the skateboard equations of motion were obtained through Lagrange formalism and Lagrange multipliers method was used to solve the non-holonomic constraints. A parametric stability study was carried out on the linearized equations of motion and the influence of different skateboard parameters was investigated.

The main discovery is that the wobble doesn’t strictly depend on skateboard configuration, but the human control characteristics are predominant in the vehicle dynamics.
Dynamic Simulation of a Tripod Based in Boltzmann-Hamel Equations
Authors: Altuzarra Oscar , Campa Gomez Francisco , Roldan-Paraponiaris Constantino , Pinto Charles
Published: January 2016

In this paper, authors show the results of performance simulation of a 3PRS lower-mobility parallel manipulator actuated by electronic devices. The simulation includes a mechatronic model of the actuators, the dynamic response of the mechanism found using the Boltzmann-Hamel equations, and a model of the control. The dynamics of the actuators is modelled using two transfer functions found by means of a test based identification method. Authors find the explicit Dynamic equations needed for simulation using analytical mechanics. Lagrange equations are convenient and systematic in open-loop serial kinematic chains. However, for closed-loop mechanisms are cumbersome, even with the help of Lagrange multipliers. Moreover, if spatial rotations are involved, generalized coordinates are very much coupled in the expressions of Lagrange functions to be differentiated. Boltzmann-Hamel equations come to help in this regard. By using Simulink, authors could evaluate the stability of the control and the bandwidth of the manipulator.
On Permanent Rotations of a System of Two Coupled Gyrostats in a Central Newtonian Force Field
Authors: Chebanov Dmitriy , Salas Jose A.
Published: January 2016

This paper studies the problem of the motion of a chain of two gyrostats coupled by an ideal spherical joint. The chain moves about a fixed point in a central Newtonian force field. Under the assumption that the gyrostatic moment of each gyrostat is constant relative to its carrier, the paper establishes and analyzes the conditions for existence of the chain’s permanent rotations about a vertical axis. For a case when each gyrostat has the mass distribution analogous to the one of a Lagrange gyroscope, the paper derives and analyzes the necessary conditions for stability of the permanent rotations. The findings of the paper extend corresponding results in the dynamics of a single gyrostat to a case of the multibody chain as well as generalize some of the known properties of permanent rotations in the many-body dynamics.