Towards a Multi-imager Compatible Continuum Robot with Improved Dynamics Driven by Modular SMA

Though the conventional pyrotechnic fastener mechanisms are widely used in spacecraft for their reliable releasable-fastening function, they still have several unavoidable problems: physical shock, high maintenance cost, to name a few. This paper introduces a new type of smart releasable mechanism based on a Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) spring and its corresponding heating apparatus. To obtain the high heating efficiency and increase the response speed, the SMA spring is transitionally fit with the heating apparatus shell instead of directly heating by electric current. As soon as the heating apparatus begins to work, the SMA spring will provide an un-locking force to release the fastening device within the standard time, which also realizes the similar releasable-fastening function comparing with the conventional pyrotechnic fastener mechanisms. In order to ensure the reliability of space products, the heating apparatus is composed of two identical ceramic heating elements which can be controlled independently or synchronously. Finally, the experimental results clearly show that, under the satellite power supply at the constant value of 28 V, the SMA spring can reach the desired 30 N unlocking force within 93 s and 51 s by single or dual heating elements, respectively. The maximal output force can even be increased as large as 40 N under the limited volume of the releasable mechanism.

Simultaneous measurements for the interlink of electro-thermo-mechano-electro characteristics in shape memory springs

This study details the design and construction of an Analog Water Heater Chamber (AWHC) specifically tailored for tensile testing of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) rods and springs. The AWHC is designed to simulate various temperature conditions, enabling precise control over the thermo-mechanical behavior of SMA specimens. Energy conversion from the electrical to heat form is achieved using an electrical heating element of 1000 watts. This heat is transferred to the SMA spring/wire using convection using a water medium, and phase transformation occurs. The chamber's unique design allows for real-time monitoring of deformation and recovery processes under controlled temperature and loading conditions. Different test results for both the SMA rod and SMA spring at various loading rates and constant temperature, and continuous loading rate and different temperatures showed a good thermo-mechanical coupling result The AWHC's performance was validated through tensile testing of SMA rods and springs, demonstrating its efficacy in evaluating the mechanical properties and phase transformation temperatures of these materials. The results show excellent correlation with theoretical predictions, confirming the AWHC's suitability for characterizing SMA behavior under diverse thermal and mechanical conditions. This research contributes to the development of efficient testing protocols for SMA components, paving the way for their enhanced integration into various engineering applications, thus the aim of which AWHC is designed for is achieved.

A transmission method of magnetorheological(MR) fluid in disc type driven by shape memory alloy (SMA) spring with the thermal effect was proposed. The torque changed at difference temperatures. Based on the thermal effect of SMA, the expression for displacement of SMA spring was established and the rheological properties of MR fluids under the magnetic fields was described by Herschel-Bulkley model. The shear flow of MR fluid between two discs was analyzed by the momentum equation and the expressions of flow velocity and torque were obtained. The experimental results show the displacement of SMA spring and the transmit torque of MR Fluid are directly proportional to the temperature and the applied magnetic field, respectively. The transmit torque of MR Fluid can be continuously controlled by the SMA spring in difference temperatures. Keywords-thermal affect; SMA spring; MR fluid; transmission property

The use of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) materials for actuation represents a technological opportunity for the development of innovative applications. The issue of using the SMA actuators is an enticing solution that has attracted the interest of specialists in recent years, due to their numerous advantages (i.e. reliability, compactness and flexibility, reduced cost, linear or angular movement etc.). In addition, their unmatched energy density, easy integration into various structures and the simplicity in terms of design, have all motivated the authors to develop a barrier structure model, actuated by three SMA helical springs. The actuator used in this structure works as a linear actuator, contracting with great strength and speed, thus exerting the necessary force to lift the barrier arm in the SMA springs heat-activated, austenitic state. The first part of this paper provides a description of the accomplished model and of its functioning principle. The second part of the study presented in this paper focuses on the authors' investigation on how the performances of the actuator inserted in the barrier structure—namely the actuator's heating time, cooling time, actuation time and stroke—are affected by the SMA spring activating direct current values. The tests were conducted while keeping the geometrical parameters of SMA springs and the weight of the barrier arm constant.

The design and analysis of continuum robots have consistently been a prominent research focus in the field of mechanics. However, portable continuum robots with minimal spatial occupancy, which have great potential for applications such as search and rescue, are scarcely available. This paper presents a novel helical-coiled multi-segment flexible continuum robot featuring helical deployment and compact design, with an integrated framework for structural design, kinematic modeling, and experimental validation. The design of the helical-coiled multi-segment flexible continuum robot for unstructured environment detection, including a flexible body, an actuation module, a feed module, and a sensing module, is presented systematically. Kinematic models of both single- and multi-segment continuum robots were established based on the constant curvature model to analyze the parameter mapping relationship from the end-effector position and orientation to the driving inputs. Furthermore, the feedforward motion of the robot was examined, and an uncoiling strategy based on S-curve compensation was employed to complete the kinematic analysis. Finally, the accuracy of the kinematic model considering the active uncoiling feed motion was validated through experimental analysis, demonstrating the motion characteristics of the continuum robot. Altogether, this study provides a framework for the design and analysis of helical-coiled continuum robots.

This paper presents a gripper actuated by a pair of differential shape memory alloy (SMA) springs with the tactile feedback controller of the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) films. The SMA actuator is heated by the electric current and cooled by the fans, and a proportional-integral (PI) controller is proposed to control the output position of the gripper. In order to handle soft, deformable or slippery objects very well, the PVDF sensor is added to the finger of the gripper to perform the tactile feedback when it grasps the objects. The hardware system is established including data acquisition and signal processing parts, the control system is programmed. Experiments of grasping a soft object are carried out, and the gentle grasp ability of the gripper is also tested. Experiments results show that the SMA gripper with the PVDF tactile sensor could grasp a soft object through controlling tactile forces.

This paper designs a new composite transmission device for improving the transmission torque by squeezing magnetorheological fluid (MRF) with an electrothermal shape memory alloy (SMA) spring. Based on the finite element method, a numerical analysis of the magnetic circuit and magnetic field distribution of the magnetorheological (MR) transmission is presented, as well as a theoretical derivation and calculation of the squeezing force output by the electrothermal SMA spring and the transfer torque of the variable thickness MR transmission. In addition, the output characteristics of the electrothermal SMA spring at different temperatures are analyzed, as are the torque characteristics of the variable thickness MR transmission. The research shows that the electrothermal SMA springs exhibit a highly non-linear squeezing force output during the temperature rise, and the increase in current affects the martensite phase transition quality, and thus the phase transition temperature. The squeezing force generated by the springs increases significantly when the temperature is within the martensitic phase transformation interval, with a maximum squeezing force of 318.43 N when the SMA temperature reaches 100 °C. The proposed variable thickness MR transmission can increase the maximum torque by 4.88 times under SMA spring squeezing force, and its maximum transmitted torque is increased from 15.08 to 73.56 N·m. By squeezing the MRF with an electrothermal SMA spring, the torque of the variable thickness MR transmission can be increased quickly and effectively.

This paper presents an extension of the existing phase kinetics model of shape memory alloy (SMA) wire on a SMA spring actuator. The phenomenological modeling of an SMA spring under two different bias conditions – SMA spring with (A) normal spring (B) SMA wire along with the computing algorithm is addressed. The results of Case A are found in close agreement with the published literature. Whereas, the results of Case B are reported for the first time and outperform the results of Case A in terms of equal deflection, more controllability, and degrees of freedom as compared with Case A.

This paper introduces a method for computing the shape of a continuously-flexible (continuum) robot in 3-D space which includes gravity loading by applying Cosserat rod theory to a continuum robot. With this theory, the shape of the rod can be determined using force-torque balance equations obtained from a simple free body diagram that represents the continuum robot. Real-time performance of 125 Hz makes this approach viable for the control of a continuum robot, enabled by avoiding boundary-value conditions in the solution.

A shape memory alloy (SMA)-based spring actuated gripper (SAG) was designed and developed for facilitating minimally invasive surgeries (MIS). Specifically the research consists of design and development of a SMA spring which acts as the actuator for the gripper. A novel mechanism was also developed to transfer the actuator force to the gripper jaws. Further, the actuator force was characterized by a testing apparatus which uses a full-bridge load cell as the force sensing element. The activation temperature of the SMA actuator was obtained by performing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) tests on the samples.

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have several unique characteristics, including their Young's modulus-temperature relations, shape memory effects, and damping characteristics. The Young's modulus of the high-temperature austenite of SMAs is about three to four times as large as that of low-temperature martensite. Therefore, a spring made of shape memory alloy can change its spring constant by a factor of three to four. Since a shape memory alloy spring can vary its spring constant, provide recovery stress (shape memory effect), or be designed with a high damping capacity, it may be useful in adaptive vibration control. Some vibration control concepts utilizing the unique characteristics of SMAs will be presented in this paper. Shape memory alloy springs have been used as actuators in many applications although their use in the vibration control area is very recent. Since shape memory alloys differ from conventional alloy materials in many ways, the traditional design approach for springs is not completely suitable for designing SMA springs. Some design approaches based upon linear theory have been proposed for shape memory alloy springs. A more accurate design method for SMA springs based on a new nonlinear thermomechanical constitutive relation of SMA is also presented in this paper.

A piezoelectric cantilever beam-based energy harvester working with solar energy is proposed in this paper. The piezoelectric cantilever beam is excited by a shape memory alloy (SMA) spring actuator. The heating and cooling of the SMA actuator is done by designing an appropriate piping and transport system with water as a working fluid. The frequency and amplitude of excitation force exerted by an SMA actuator to the piezoelectric cantilever beam depend on the flow rate of water used for heating and cooling of SMA and the temperature of the water. The energy harvester is modeled analytically and fabricated to evaluate its performance in the laboratory. The analytical and experimental results show that higher output voltage from the energy harvester can be obtained with higher water temperature and frequency of the output voltage is limited to the dynamics of the SMA actuator. The voltage generated with the proposed energy harvester at the flow rate of 24ml/s with the temperature of ${\bf {70}}^\circ {\bf C}$ is found to be 12 V. The harvester utilizes only the solar energy for its operation and hence the proposed design is a new addition to the area of energy harvesting using piezoelectric cantilever beam.

To unlock the lock of futuristic developments, nowadays shape memory alloys (SMAs) are acting as key by outnumbering the existing smart materials in view of new design competence, innovative techniques, enhanced technologies, and meeting the dire need according to the demand of ongoing scientific and industrial progress. Undoubtedly, it can be worthy to associate SMAs with the term polymorphism, as they possess unique capability to encapsulate multitudinous inherent characteristics under their name. Shape memory effect, superelasticity, and damping are there to name a few among many others, as prime indicators. The exhibition of these characteristics of SMAs is due to the transformation that takes place between austenite phase and martensite phase which is achieved either by temperature or stress variation. The fascinating characteristics they possess enable them to attract researchers and designers toward their potential applications in diverse domain as smart and multi-functional materials. The present work focuses on the review of research works accomplished in the recent 5 years pertaining to modeling and applications of shape memory alloys in distinct domains. Under the topic of modeling, a look into the research carried out on a variety of SMA structures—like functionally graded SMAs, SMA springs, porous SMAs, novel SMA actuators—is presented. In addition to this, the work carried out to represent SMAs with large strains and large rotations and to model polycrystalline SMAs is also covered. This is supplemented by application-oriented domains, each of which disseminates the attributes of SMAs that are self-sufficient to express what factors make SMAs more prominent. It is believed that the foregoing works comprehensively detailed in this review article will certainly lay a solid platform for the future investigations that are going to take place in time to come.

Neurogenic bladder, a bladder dysfunction resulting from injury or disease affecting the central or peripheral nervous systems, significantly compromises patient quality of life and poses potentially life-threatening risks. Currently, no reliably effective clinical treatments are available. In this context, medicine-engineering integrated approaches aimed at developing artificial detrusor systems to facilitate voluntary voiding demonstrate unique value and advantages. However, existing artificial detrusor system designs face significant challenges, including structural complexity and suboptimal biomechanical compatibility. This study proposes a novel artificial detrusor system, inspired by the physiological mechanisms of human urine storage and voiding, driven by shape memory alloy (SMA) springs and powered via transcutaneous energy transfer (TET). The system employs the shape memory effect of SMA springs to mimic detrusor contraction and utilizes TET for non-contact energy transmission. The driving performance and feasibility of the system were evaluated using simulation experiments and animal studies. Results indicate that excitation voltage, SMA spring specifications, and energization duration significantly influence the voiding rate and temperature increment of the artificial detrusor. The animal-tested prototype effectively induced bladder voiding. This study presents a promising artificial detrusor system that combines SMA-driven actuation with TET to address neurogenic bladder dysfunction. This system features a simple structure and a feasible working principle, providing a basis for subsequent optimization of artificial detrusor designs and offering a new technical pathway for assistive solutions addressing neurogenic bladder dysfunction.