Bent and folded beam configurations have been popularly used in electrothermoelastic (E-T) actuation. This paper introduces new designs of thermal end-effector with micro-grasping and micro-heating capabilities. We obtained analytical models for all possible steady state temperature responses of suspended and overhanging microstructures that constitute bent beam, folded beam, and combined actua...

This article presents a performance measure, the actuation eficiency, which describes the imbalance between the end-effector accelerations achievable in different directions of non-redundant robotic manipulators. A key feature of the proposed measure is that in its development the unitam differences between linear and angular accelerations are treated in a physically meaningful manner. The memu...

This paper evaluates state-of-the-art contact models at predicting the motions and forces involved in simple in-hand robotic manipulations. In particular it focuses on three primitive actions—linear sliding, pivoting, and rolling—that involve contacts between a gripper, a rigid object, and their environment. The evaluation is done through thousands of controlled experiments designed to capture ...

In this paper we explore state-of-the-art underactuated, compliant robot gripper designs through looking at their performance on a generic grasping task. Starting from a state of the art open gripper design, we propose design modifications, and importantly, evaluate all designs on a grasping experiment involving a selection of objects resulting in 3600 object-gripper interactions. Interested in...

Robotica / Volume 33 / Issue 04 / May 2015, pp 747 767 DOI: 10.1017/S0263574714000538, Published online: 13 March 2014 Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0263574714000538 How to cite this article: Masayuki Shimizu (2015). Analytical inverse kinematics for 5-DOF humanoid manipulator under arbitrarily specied unconstrained orientation of end-effector. Robotica, 33, pp ...

This article presents a new performance meamre, the actuation eficiency, which describes isotropy in acceleration capability for non-redundant manipulators. It measures the imbalance between the end-effector accelerations achievable in different directions. Prior to this, no measurre of this characteriStic was adequate for a six dem-of-freedom manipulator, because its endeffector motions are re...

In this contribution we focus on a method which is able to reduce an unwanted oscillation in a mechatronic drive system. A mechatronic drive consists of a motor, a gear-box, electronics and control joint to one module. When now applying the method of harmonic modulation, i.e. the modulation of the set-point signal used within the mechatronic drive, oscillations of the system (at e.g. the end-ef...

This paper describes a complete robotic system which is capable of removing unmodeled objects from a heap, one by one. As it relies on geometric information only, the use of range data is a natural choice. The objects are to be grasped by a two-ngered gripper, thus it is mandatory that the system can see opposite faces on the objects. Two range views from opposite sides are acquired and analyze...

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization of a device able to exchange the tip part (so-called the tools) of a two fingered microgripper. The principle of this tool changer is based on the use of a thermal glue whose state (liquid or solid) is changed by heating or cooling. Several kinds of pairs of tools have been designed. The suitable pair of tools can be chosen accord...

In space applications, it is conceivable that part of the robotic activities could involve the grasp and/or manipulation of free-floating objects in absence of gravity. In this case, synchronous application of contacts seems to represent a basic feature in order to efficiently grasp the floating items. In this sense, an additional difficulty is that objects may have irregular shape and/or be no...