A portable air jet actuator device for mechanical system identification.
Jesse Belden1, Wayne L Staats, Anirban Mazumdar
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. jbelden@mit.edu
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|April 5, 2011
Summary
This study introduces a portable actuator using the Coandă effect for limb mechanical system identification. The device accurately identifies system parameters, paving the way for advanced diagnostics and robotic control.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Robotics
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- System identification of limb mechanics aids in diagnosing ailments and optimizing robotic limb control.
- The Coandă effect, a fluid phenomenon, can be harnessed for novel actuator designs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and demonstrate a portable actuator for in situ mechanical system identification of human or robotic limbs.
- To utilize the Coandă effect for generating stochastic binary force disturbances.
Main Methods:
- Developed a portable actuator employing the Coandă effect.
- Applied the actuator to an underdamped elastic beam system for parameter identification.
- Modeled the nonparametric compliance impulse response as a second-order system.
Main Results:
- Successfully identified parameters of an elastic beam system with variable damping.
- Achieved excellent agreement between identified parameters and those from traditional methods.
- Demonstrated the actuator's viability for system identification.
Conclusions:
- The portable Coandă effect actuator is a viable tool for mechanical system identification.
- The device shows potential for miniaturization into a wireless, unrestrained instrument.
- Enables less intrusive and more widespread mechanical system identification applications.
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