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MEAM Seminar: “Leveraging Impedance Properties for Free Self-Sensing in Actuators for Compact Robots”

December 12, 2024 at 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Details
Date: December 12, 2024
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Event Category: SeminarDoctoral
  • Event Tags:,
  • Organizer
    Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
    Phone: 215-746-1818
    Venue
    Towne 319 220 S. 33rd Street
    Philadelphia
    19104
    Google Map

    Self-sensing actuators provide a compelling approach to designing compact robotic systems by integrating sensing capabilities directly into the actuator, eliminating the need for external sensors. This presentation, titled “Leveraging Impedance Properties for Free Self-Sensing in Actuators for Compact Robots,” highlights how the intrinsic impedance properties of actuators—resistance, inductance, and induced EMF—can be harnessed to achieve low-volume solutions of self-sensing actuators. Evidence for this approach is demonstrated through three projects: a self-sensing I-cord knitted SMA actuator that uses resistance measurements to monitor its state, applied in an inchworm robot and a gripper; a custom PET solenoid actuator that utilizes induced EMF to sense movement and velocity, enabling applications such as an origami-inspired bistable gripper and a facial reanimation device acting as an artificial muscle; and a custom acrylic linear solenoid actuator that leverages inductance to self-sense plunger position, demonstrated as an active valve in underwater swimming robots. These examples illustrate the potential of impedance-based self-sensing to streamline actuator design, enhance functionality, and enable new possibilities in robotics across domains.