Control of Underactuated Mechanical Systems: Stabilisation and Limit Cycle Generation explains the concepts of stabilization and stable limit cycle generation for the class of underactuated mechanical systems. The book demonstrates the proposed concepts through real-time experiments on a real UMS subject and explores the challenges and constraints related to real-time control design. These concepts are illustrated in terms of the modeling and control of systems, such as the inertia wheel inverted pendulum (IWIP). This book serves as a valuable resource for PhD and Master students, engineers, researchers, and teachers.This book is organized into three parts: Part I: General context and case study; Part II: Control solutions for the stabilization problem; Part III: Control solutions for stable limit cycle generation. The final part addresses the problem of stable limit cycle generation, where the proposed control solution is detailed, as well as its related issues of implementation and validation through different case studies. Its content guides them in the field of robotics and automatic control, with a simplified methodology to control dynamical underactuated mechanical systems.
Modeling and Simulation of Dynamical Systems explores the common methods used in the modeling and simulation of dynamic systems, providing foundational information that is essential for further research. A key feature of this title is its systematic separation and classification of various modeling methods, enabling readers to select their preferred approach after studying the initial chapter and becoming familiar with fundamental definitions. Another unique feature is the use of numerous examples and solved problems throughout the book to support a basic understanding of a system’s behavior.This title is highly recommended for researchers, professionals, and students in mechanical, biosystems, and mechatronic engineering.
Designing Advanced Respiratory Protective Devices for Pandemics: Performance, Mechanism and Future Perspectives identifies emerging and critical issues that directly or indirectly influence the protective performance of Respiratory Protective Devices (RPDs), along with important future research directions. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the vital role of respiratory protection provided by PPE (and RPD) in novel infectious respiratory disease control. A wealth of recent research on coronavirus mitigation measures is combined with prior information on infectious diseases, RPDs, and human physiological and psychological responses to make this a fundamental resource on recent advances, innovative perspectives on respiratory protection, and new applications.The effectiveness of such disease control measures rely greatly on the performance of the RPD, user compliance, and proper use. Only an interdisciplinary approach to this issue can lead to success.
Nonmetallic electroconductive textiles, unlike metals, offer flexibility, durability, moldability, and lightweight attributes. A brilliant quality of these textiles is the capability to alter conductivity through various external stimuli (e.g., strain, torsion, pH, humidity) to suit a specific application such as sensors, heating garments, EMI shielding, energy harvesting devices, and wearable electronics.Based on these concepts, Advances in Electrically Conductive Textiles: Materials, Characterization, and Applications has been structured into three main sections. Section I contains chapters discussing the various preparation methods of electroconductive textiles, Section II contains chapters on their characteristics and features, and Section III details the end-use applications and sustainability of these textiles.
Nano-Engineering at Functional Interfaces for Multi-disciplinary Applications: Electrochemistry, Photoplasmonics, Antimicrobials, and Anticancer Applications provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals and latest advances of nano-engineering strategies for the design, development, and fabrication of novel nanostructures for different applications in the fields of photoplasmonics and electrochemistry, as well as antibacterial and anticancer research areas. The book begins with an introduction to the fundamentals and characteristics of nanostructured interfaces and their associated technologies, including an overview of their potential applications in different fields.The following chapters present a thorough discussion of the synthesis, processing, and characterization methods of nanomaterials with unique functionalities suitable for energy harvesting, food and textile applications, electrocatalysis, biomedical applications and more. It then concludes outlining research future directions and potential industrial applications.
Modern systems have become increasingly complex to design and build, while the demand for reliability and cost-effective enhancement continues. Robust international competition has further intensified the need for all designers, managers, practitioners, scientists, and engineers to ensure a level of reliability of their products and processes before release at the lowest cost.Developments in Reliability Engineering equips its audience with the necessary information to keep up with the latest original research and state-of-the-art advances in reliability engineering. The volume offers an excursus from historical theories and methods to the present-world practical utility of these concepts with worked-out examples.
Smart Materials in Additive Manufacturing, Volume Three: 4D-Printed Robotic Materials, Sensors, and Actuators covers the principles, real-world use, and advances in the cutting-edge field of 4D printed smart robotic materials. It discusses the mechanics of these materials, techniques by which to manufacture them, and different applications. Detailed modeling and control techniques are outlined, illustrating their use in real-world settings. Shape memory polymers, hydrogels, shape memory alloys, biomaterials, natural fibers, dielectric elastomers, liquid crystal elastomers, electroactive polymers, and more materials are covered, featuring in-depth discussion of their responses to stimuli, fabrication, multi-physics modeling, control techniques, and applications.
Circular economy can serve as a key building block for the sustainability targets of manufacturing companies. Although the term itself has long been established, we see that proper implementation of a circular economy model across entire manufacturing value chains is still lacking and remains a challenge. However, there are clearly visible and good examples of circular economy standards which have already been applied and are generating value among multiple layers. Circular Economy and Manufacturing presents these and more, providing a roadmap of optimized, flexible, efficient, effective, and competitive green production strategies for the manufacturing industry and its multiple stakeholders.The volume proves to be an excellent springboard for further discussion and research into new frameworks of best practices in view of achieving more socially responsible and sustainable organizations in a not-so-distant future.
Proactive Human–Robot Collaboration Toward Human-Centric Smart Manufacturing is driven by an appreciation of manufacturing scenarios where human and robotic agents can understand each other’s actions and conduct mutual-cognitive, predictable, and self-organizing teamwork. Modern factories’ smart manufacturing transformation and the evolution of relationships between humans and robots in manufacturing tasks set the scene for a discussion on the technical fundamentals of state-of-the-art proactive human–robot collaboration; these are further elaborated into the three main steps (i.e., mutual-cognitive and empathic coworking; predictable spatio-temporal collaboration; self-organizing multiagent teamwork) to achieve an advanced form of symbiotic HRC with high-level, dynamic-reasoning teamwork skills. The authors then present a deployment roadmap and several case studies, providing step-by-step guidance for real-world application of these ground-breaking methods which crucially contribute to the maturing of human-centric, sustainable, and resilient production systems. The volume proves to be an invaluable resource that supports understanding and learning for users ranging from upper undergraduate/graduate students and academic researchers to engineering professionals in a variety of industry contexts.
Advances in Plasma Treatment of Textile Surfaces offers a detailed overview on the use of plasma in natural and synthetic textiles and explores applications in technical textiles, including composites, ballistic performance, functionalization, and textile wastewater treatment. This promising technology can alter the surface properties of textiles without having a significant effect on their bulk properties, leading to potential improvements to the scouring, de-sizing, dyeing, finishing, printing, and laminating processes among others. Drawing on an international team of contributors from industry as well as academia, this important book brings these innovative sustainable plasma treatments to textile and polymer scientists working in textile functionalization.