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Investigation on a class of 2D profile amplified stroke dielectric elastomer actuators (2024)
Journal Article
Wang, X., Raimondi, L., Axinte, D., & Dong, X. (2024). Investigation on a class of 2D profile amplified stroke dielectric elastomer actuators. Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics, 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4066131

Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) have been widely studied in soft robotics due to their muscle-like movements. Linear DEAs are typically tensioned using compression springs with positive stiffness or weights directly attached to the flexible fil... Read More about Investigation on a class of 2D profile amplified stroke dielectric elastomer actuators.

Multimodal locomotion ultra-thin soft robots for exploration of narrow spaces (2024)
Journal Article
Wang, X., Li, S., Chang, J.-C., Liu, J., Axinte, D., & Dong, X. (2024). Multimodal locomotion ultra-thin soft robots for exploration of narrow spaces. Nature Communications, 15, Article 6296. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50598-1

From power plants on land to bridges over the sea, safety-critical built environments require periodic inspections for detecting issues to avoid functional discontinuities of these installations. However, navigation paths in these environments are us... Read More about Multimodal locomotion ultra-thin soft robots for exploration of narrow spaces.

Non-Causal Control For Wave Energy Conversion Based on the Double Deep Q Network (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Wang, H., Wijaya, V. V., Zhang, Y., Zeng, T., & Dong, X. (2024, April). Non-Causal Control For Wave Energy Conversion Based on the Double Deep Q Network. Presented at CONTROL 2024: 14th United Kingdom Automatic Control Council (UKACC) International Conference on Control, Winchester, UK

To harness maximal wave energy, control and optimization for wave energy converters(WECs) have been investigated for decades. It has been long recognized that WEC control is essentially a non-causal control problem, in which future wave determines cu... Read More about Non-Causal Control For Wave Energy Conversion Based on the Double Deep Q Network.

SLAMB&MAI: a comprehensive methodology for SLAM benchmark and map accuracy improvement (2024)
Journal Article
Liu, S., Sun, E., & Dong, X. (2024). SLAMB&MAI: a comprehensive methodology for SLAM benchmark and map accuracy improvement. Robotica, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574724000079

SLAM Benchmark plays a pivotal role in the field by providing a common ground for performance evaluation. In this paper, a novel methodology of simultaneous localization and mapping benchmark and map accuracy improvement (SLAMB&MAI) is introduced. It... Read More about SLAMB&MAI: a comprehensive methodology for SLAM benchmark and map accuracy improvement.

An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots (2023)
Journal Article
Ba, W., Chang, J.-C., Liu, J., Wang, X., Dong, X., & Axinte, D. (2024). An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 171, Article 104562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2023.104562

Generic and high-performance feedback control is still challenging for tendon-driven continuum robots. Conventional model-based controllers, based on the piecewise constant curvature (PCC) assumption, explicitly require the arc parameters (bending an... Read More about An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots.

Efficient and Scalable Inverse Kinematics for Continuum Robots (2023)
Journal Article
Wild, S., Zeng, T., Mohammad, A., Billingham, J., Axinte, D., & Dong, X. (2024). Efficient and Scalable Inverse Kinematics for Continuum Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 9(1), 375 - 381. https://doi.org/10.1109/lra.2023.3331291

With their flexible nature, continuum robots offer hyper-redundancy regarding their workspace; their backbone can take many shapes upon a single tip position and orientation. Deciphering which backbone shape to use under certain conditions is crucial... Read More about Efficient and Scalable Inverse Kinematics for Continuum Robots.

An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots (2023)
Journal Article
Ba, W., Chang, J. C., Liu, J., Wang, X., Dong, X., & Axinte, D. (2024). An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots. Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 171, Article 104562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2023.104562

Generic and high-performance feedback control is still challenging for tendon-driven continuum robots. Conventional model-based controllers, based on the piecewise constant curvature (PCC) assumption, explicitly require the arc parameters (bending an... Read More about An analytical differential kinematics-based method for controlling tendon-driven continuum robots.

Asymmetric Continuum Robots (2023)
Journal Article
Barrientos-Diez, J., Russo, M., Dong, X., Axinte, D., & Kell, J. (2023). Asymmetric Continuum Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 8(3), 1279-1286. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2023.3238890

Continuum robots are flexible mechanisms that enable tasks in cluttered environments where conventional robots cannot operate. However, their few design parameters and task/manufacturing constraints leave small margins for optimization. In this paper... Read More about Asymmetric Continuum Robots.

Continuum Robots: An Overview (2023)
Journal Article
Russo, M., Sadati, S. H., Dong, X., Mohammad, A., Walker, I. D., Bergeles, C., …Axinte, D. A. (2023). Continuum Robots: An Overview. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 5(5), Article 2200367. https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202200367

In this paper, we discuss recent advances, current limitations, and open challenges in the design, modeling, and control of continuum robots. Thanks to their lean bodies, these robots achieve a long reach through narrow and tortuous environments, ena... Read More about Continuum Robots: An Overview.

Design and Control of a Multiple-Section Continuum Robot With a Hybrid Sensing System (2023)
Journal Article
Fang, Y., Dong, X., Mohammad, A., & Axinte, D. (2023). Design and Control of a Multiple-Section Continuum Robot With a Hybrid Sensing System. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 28(3), 1522-1533. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2022.3229188

After decades of development, the technology of continuum robots continues to mature gradually and is used for various applications, e.g., inspection and repair in high-value-added industries such as aerospace & nuclear. However, such robots are inva... Read More about Design and Control of a Multiple-Section Continuum Robot With a Hybrid Sensing System.

Tasering Twin Soft Robot: A Multimodal Soft Robot Capable of Passive Flight and Wall Climbing (2022)
Journal Article
Sriratanasak, N., Axinte, D., Dong, X., Mohammad, A., Russo, M., & Raimondi, L. (2022). Tasering Twin Soft Robot: A Multimodal Soft Robot Capable of Passive Flight and Wall Climbing. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 4(12), Article 2200223. https://doi.org/10.1002/aisy.202200223

The application of Soft Crawling Robots (SCRs) to real-world scenarios remains a grand challenge due to their limited deployment time to reach the target and accessibility to difficult-to-reach environments by any obstacles. To overcome these limitat... Read More about Tasering Twin Soft Robot: A Multimodal Soft Robot Capable of Passive Flight and Wall Climbing.

Touching the Sound: Audible Features Enable Haptics for Robot Control (2022)
Journal Article
Shi, H., Russo, M., de la Torre, J., Mohammad, A., Dong, X., & Axinte, D. (2023). Touching the Sound: Audible Features Enable Haptics for Robot Control. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 30(3), 56-68. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2022.3225718

Haptic control interfaces can significantly improve the quality of teleoperation in robotic and mechatronic systems. However, the required force feedback introduces new challenges when highly constrained environments and systems hinder the use of con... Read More about Touching the Sound: Audible Features Enable Haptics for Robot Control.

A Continuum Robot for Remote Applications: From Industrial to Medical Surgery With Slender Continuum Robots (2022)
Journal Article
Troncoso, D. A., Robles-Linares, J. A., Russo, M., Elbanna, M. A., Wild, S., Dong, X., Mohammad, A., Kell, J., Norton, A. D., & Axinte, D. (2023). A Continuum Robot for Remote Applications: From Industrial to Medical Surgery With Slender Continuum Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine, 30(3), 94-105. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2022.3223220

The maintenance of critical industrial components is often hindered by limited access, tortuous passages, and complex geometries. In highly constrained environments, inspection tasks are currently performed with borescopes, but even skilled operators... Read More about A Continuum Robot for Remote Applications: From Industrial to Medical Surgery With Slender Continuum Robots.

Novel Reconfigurable Walking Machine Tool Enables Symmetric and Nonsymmetric Walking Configurations (2022)
Journal Article
Camacho-Arreguin, J. I., Wang, M., Russo, M., Dong, X., & Axinte, D. (2022). Novel Reconfigurable Walking Machine Tool Enables Symmetric and Nonsymmetric Walking Configurations. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2022.3183689

Current research on walking robots strives to achieve a higher efficiency, a better load capacity, and an increased adaptability. Parallel kinematic manipulators (PKMs) are characterized by high payload and accuracy, but conventional PKMs with fixed... Read More about Novel Reconfigurable Walking Machine Tool Enables Symmetric and Nonsymmetric Walking Configurations.

A Novel Underactuated Continuum Robot With Shape Memory Alloy Clutches (2022)
Journal Article
Bishop, C., Russo, M., Dong, X., & Axinte, D. (2022). A Novel Underactuated Continuum Robot With Shape Memory Alloy Clutches. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 27(6), 5339-5350. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2022.3179812

The many degrees of freedom of continuum robots (CRs) enable unique applications in the search and rescue, medical and aerospace industries. However, the many motors required result in unwieldy external actuation packs and additional weight. Underact... Read More about A Novel Underactuated Continuum Robot With Shape Memory Alloy Clutches.

EyeGlove for Inspection and Measurement in Confined Environments (2022)
Journal Article
Sun, E., Axinte, D., Alatorre, D., & Dong, X. (2023). EyeGlove for Inspection and Measurement in Confined Environments. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 70(3), 2718-2728. https://doi.org/10.1109/TIE.2022.3167144

A novel wearable vision system is proposed in this article. The wearable system contains a vision glove (EyeGlove) and a wearable display unit, which assists operators with inspection and measurement in confined environments. Three microcameras and a... Read More about EyeGlove for Inspection and Measurement in Confined Environments.

A class of novel underactuated positioning systems for actuating/configuring the parallel manipulators (2022)
Journal Article
Ma, N., Dong, X., Arreguin, J. C., Bishop, C., & Axinte, D. (2022). A class of novel underactuated positioning systems for actuating/configuring the parallel manipulators. Robotica, 40(10), 3631-3650. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0263574722000431

Parallel manipulators are increasingly utilized in extensive industrial applications due to their high accuracy, compact structure, and significant stiffness characteristics. However, most of the time, massive actuators are involved in constructing a... Read More about A class of novel underactuated positioning systems for actuating/configuring the parallel manipulators.

Modelling and experimental study of surface treatment in abrasive waterjet peening of Nickel-based superalloy: Inverse problem (2022)
Journal Article
Wang, Z., Liao, Z., Yang, Y., Dong, X., Augustinavicius, G., Yu, T., & Zhao, J. (2022). Modelling and experimental study of surface treatment in abrasive waterjet peening of Nickel-based superalloy: Inverse problem. Materials and Design, 215, Article 110471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2022.110471

Abrasive waterjet peening (AWJP) is a promising method of surface treatment for modifying mechanical properties of components by introducing compressive residual stress (CRS) to a workpiece surface. Many efforts have been paid so far to modelling and... Read More about Modelling and experimental study of surface treatment in abrasive waterjet peening of Nickel-based superalloy: Inverse problem.

Continuum Robots Collaborate for Safe Manipulation of High-Temperature Flame to Enable Repairs in Challenging Environments (2022)
Journal Article
Dong, X., Wang, M., Mohammad, A. E. K., Ba, W., Russo, M., Norton, A., …Axinte, D. (2022). Continuum Robots Collaborate for Safe Manipulation of High-Temperature Flame to Enable Repairs in Challenging Environments. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 27(5), 4217-4220. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMECH.2021.3138222

This letter presents two long continuum robots, inserted through small holes, and working collaboratively in a crammed space to manipulate an extreme-temperature (>2000 °C) flame for coating repair on aeroengines without the need of their disassembly... Read More about Continuum Robots Collaborate for Safe Manipulation of High-Temperature Flame to Enable Repairs in Challenging Environments.

Cooperative continuum robots: Enhancing individual continuum arms by reconfiguring into a parallel manipulator (2021)
Journal Article
Russo, M., Sriratanasak, N., Ba, W., Dong, X., Mohammad, A., & Axinte, D. (2022). Cooperative continuum robots: Enhancing individual continuum arms by reconfiguring into a parallel manipulator. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 7(2), 1558-1565. https://doi.org/10.1109/LRA.2021.3139371

Continuum robots are able of in-situ inspection tasks in cluttered environments and narrow passages, where conventional robots and human operators cannot intervene. However, such intervention often requires the robot to interact with the environment,... Read More about Cooperative continuum robots: Enhancing individual continuum arms by reconfiguring into a parallel manipulator.