IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics

A torsional micromotor, 3/spl times/4/spl times/8.5mm, was developed using planar bulk lead zirconium titantate placed upon a small rectangular prism made from phosphor bronze, with a tapered conical horn and a machined interior. By using a new measurement technique, the torque and efficiency versus speed were measured at several combinations of applied voltage and preload. At 87.1-mN preload, up ... View full abstract»

Multi-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) actuators have become more useful in the field of robotics, as a result of the increasing number of DOFs of systems. The general features of ultrasonic motors are suitable for constructing a direct-drive multi-DOF actuator. However, previously developed ultrasonic motors do not have advantages in volume and weight in contrast to multi-DOF motion units composed of plu... View full abstract»

This paper presents a new generation of compliant multi-degrees-of-freedom piezoelectric nanopositioner for positioning, transport, alignment of micro-objects under the field of view of a microscope. It is based on the cooperation of arrayed direct-drive standing-wave ultrasonic actuators (microSWUMs). A number of nonlinearities exist in the actuator due to its macro- and microdynamics. An optimiz... View full abstract»

The potential use of networks for real-time high-performance control and automation is enormous and appealing. Replacing a widely used proportional-integral (PI) controller by a new networked controller for networked control capability can be costly and time-consuming. This paper proposes a methodology based on gain scheduling with respect to real-time IP traffic conditions to enhance the existing... View full abstract»

The need for simultaneous measurement of multiple degree-of-freedom (DOF) motions can be found in numerous applications such as robotic assembly, precision machining, optical tracking, wrist actuators, and active joysticks. Conventional single-axis encoders, though capable of providing high-resolution (linear or angular) measurements, rely on mechanical linkages (that often introduce frictions, ba... View full abstract»

This paper deals with the microrobot on chip (MOC) concept which corresponds to the development of compact, inexpensive, and easily "plug and use" microrobotic components (as it is the usual case with electronic chips). A first prototype of a 6 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) piezoelectric micromanipulator MOC (MMOC) illustrates this concept: one scanning piezostage can move the gripper in x-y axes and t... View full abstract»

This paper presents a method of realizing flexible assembly work cooperation where the assembler is free to carry out the work, without constraints in the process. To realize such systems, there exists an issue of identifying work states during the assembly and to determine when and what kind of support is necessary. As an approach to solve such issues we took a self-organizing approach in constru... View full abstract»

This paper proposes a concept of "Robotic Room" of the environment-type robot system for human service and describes the feasibility of novel functions by constructed three prototype robot systems taking account of the features of the environment-type robot system. The features are: 1) a spatial system; 2) a human-robot symbiosis system; and 3) a distributed system. Novel functions of the Robotic ... View full abstract»

We propose an architecture of intelligent space based on distributed intelligent sensors. Intelligent space is an environmental system able to support humans in informative and physical ways. Since an intelligent space should adapt to the various sizes and shapes of an environment, an architecture based on distributed intelligent sensors is designed. The proposed architecture satisfies not only sc... View full abstract»

This paper presents a method of realizing driver-compatible steering systems in ITS, for vehicles that have capabilities of carrying out path following tasks. The method aims to maintain steering smoothness from high to low vehicle speed, including nonhighway environments, which may involve tighter turns. Multiple look-ahead points are introduced, which allows to guide the vehicle with minimum ste... View full abstract»

This paper presents a new estimation method, entitled the asynchronous sampling pulse method (ASPM), for determining velocity in systems with low but variable speeds, and/or with low-resolution encoders. The ASPM forces the estimator procedure to synchronize with the actual encoder pulse input, thus eliminating encoder positioning error independent of target velocity variations. This method is bas... View full abstract»

This paper presents the motion control of a six degree-of-freedom tendon-based parallel manipulator, which moves a platform with high speed using seven cables. To control the motion of the platform along desired trajectories in space, nonlinear feedforward control laws in the cable length coordinates are used. Taking account of the effect of redundancy on actuation, the optimal tension distributio... View full abstract»

The problem considered in this paper is the design and tuning of the control system of a power-split continuously variable transmission (CVT) used in high-power tractors. Power-split CVTs are characterized by the combination of a traditional mechanical transmission and by a continuously-variable transmission. This guarantees, at the same time, smooth variations of the transmission-ratio and high e... View full abstract»

Two novel discrete anti-windup (AW) techniques are applied to a dual-stage actuator of an experimental hard disk drive system. The techniques, one low order, the other full order, employ convex l/sub 2/-performance constraints in combination with linear-matrix-inequality-optimization methods. It is shown that the AW compensators can improve the performance of the nominal dual-stage servo-system wh... View full abstract»

Rapid prototyping is an automated manufacturing process that quickly builds physical models from three-dimensional (3-D) prototype computer-aided design files. It dramatically speeds up design and manufacturing processes and substantially reduces the cost. This paper presents a new adaptive slicing algorithm for rapid prototyping (RP) processes. The proposed adaptive slicing approach determines th... View full abstract»

This paper presents a novel model-free approach for modeling friction for servo-motion systems. The proposed approach uses the support vector machine networks to parameterize the static friction mapping. The procedure of constructing such networks from a finite amount of training (sampling) data is developed based on support vector machine regression (SVMR). The validity of the proposed approach h... View full abstract»