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In this work, the fabrication of Rochelle salt based piezoelectric structures is illustrated. Structures composed of paper and Rochelle salt are easily manufactured using simple processes. Both manufacturing and the material itself are environmental friendly. Additionally Rochelle salt is biocompatible. In the paradigm of a cleaner piezoelectric technology, the fabrication of active sensing or actuating devices is developed. Thus processing method, material and piezoelectric properties have been studied: (1) pure crystals are used as acoustic actuator, (2) properties of paper impregnated with Rochelle salt are detailed, (3) charge generation is demonstrated on the impregnated material. Actuating and sensing devices are reported in order to highlight the potential of this green piezoelectric material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time biomechanical feedback (BMF) is a relatively new area of research. The potential of using advanced technology to improve motion skills in sport and accelerate physical rehabilitation has been demonstrated in a number of studies. This paper provides a literature review of BMF systems in sports and rehabilitation. Our motivation was to examine the history of the field to capture its evolution over time, particularly how technologies are used and implemented in BMF systems, and to identify the most recent studies showing novel solutions and remarkable implementations. We searched for papers in three research databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. The initial search yielded 1167 unique papers. After a rigorous and challenging exclusion process, 144 papers were eventually included in this report. We focused on papers describing applications and systems that implement a complete real-time feedback loop, which must include the use of sensors, real-time processing, and concurrent feedback. A number of research questions were raised, and the papers were studied and evaluated accordingly. We identified different types of physical activities, sensors, modalities, actuators, communications, settings and end users. A subset of the included papers, showing the most perspectives, was reviewed in depth to highlight and present their innovative research approaches and techniques. Real-time BMF has great potential in many areas. In recent years, sensors have been the main focus of these studies, but new types of processing devices, methods, and algorithms, actuators, and communication technologies and protocols will be explored in more depth in the future. This paper presents a broad insight into the field of BMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper discusses the development trends of agricultural autonomous all-terrain vehicles (AATVs) from four cornerstones, such as (1) control strategy and algorithms, (2) sensors, (3) data communication tools and systems, and (4) controllers and actuators, based on 221 papers published in peer-reviewed journals for 1960–2023. The paper highlights a comparative analysis of commonly employed control methods and algorithms by highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. It gives comparative analyses of sensors, data communication tools, actuators, and hardware-embedded controllers. In recent years, many novel developments in AATVs have been made due to advancements in wireless and remote communication, high-speed data processors, sensors, computer vision, and broader applications of AI tools. Technical advancements in fully autonomous control of AATVs remain limited, requiring research into accurate estimation of terrain mechanics, identifying uncertainties, and making fast and accurate decisions, as well as utilizing wireless communication and edge cloud computing. Furthermore, most of the developments are at the research level and have many practical limitations due to terrain and weather conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with guitar playing robot, which is able to play any song. Paper explores only electromechanical parts of robot with aim to build prototype of the robot. Robot is dedicated for educational purpose. Also functional experiments have been executed with actuators for strumming and also own concept of actuator has been developed for pushing of string. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this review paper is to discuss the various channel access methodologies applied in various sensor and actuation based wireless networks. In most of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) researchers have focused on priority centered approaches for channel accessibility. This paper also explains the procedure for Medium Access Control (MAC) in Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs) which is a combination of Wireless Sensor Actuator Networks (WSANs) and WSNs. Finally, we discuss the successive collision avoidance technique using the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol, and also brief on how the Internet of Thing (IoT) approach connects and transfers information among smart devices linked in a wireless network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce the concept, modelling and analysis of triangular and sinusoidal springs intended for large in-plane translational displacements for MEMS-guiding applications. The proposed spring systems combine the advantages of minimal space requirement, low stiffness in the axial direction and high mechanical resistance in off-axis directions. An analytical model for the description of the force-displacement characteristic of triangular springs is derived considering typical mechanical constraints. Based on the model, geometrical parameters of the springs influencing linearity and selectivity with respect to the in- and off-axis stiffness are analyzed. The validity of the models is demonstrated by finite element analysis and experimental verification realized by silicon-on-insulator demonstrators. [2020-0360] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper discusses the development trends of agricultural autonomous all-terrain vehicles (AATVs) from four cornerstones, such as (1) control strategy and algorithms, (2) sensors, (3) data communication tools and systems, and (4) controllers and actuators, based on 221 papers published in peer-reviewed journals for 1960–2023. The paper highlights a comparative analysis of commonly employed control methods and algorithms by highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. It gives comparative analyses of sensors, data communication tools, actuators, and hardware-embedded controllers. In recent years, many novel developments in AATVs have been made due to advancements in wireless and remote communication, high-speed data processors, sensors, computer vision, and broader applications of AI tools. Technical advancements in fully autonomous control of AATVs remain limited, requiring research into accurate estimation of terrain mechanics, identifying uncertainties, and making fast and accurate decisions, as well as utilizing wireless communication and edge cloud computing. Furthermore, most of the developments are at the research level and have many practical limitations due to terrain and weather conditions.

This paper presents a review of the current applications of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in the robotics and industrial applications. MEMS are widely used as actuators or sensors in numerous respects of our daily life as well as automation lines and industrial applications. Intersection of founding new polymers and composites such as silicon and micro manufacturing technologies performing micro-machining and micro-assembly brings about remarkable growth of application and efficacy of MEMS devices. MEMS indicated huge improvement in size reduction, higher reliability, multi-functionality, customized design, and power usage. Demonstration of various devices and technologies utilized in robotics and industrial applications are illustrated in this article along with the use and the role of silicon in the development of the sensors. Some future trends and its perspectives are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The joint W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) and OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) Spatial Data on the Web (SDW) Working Group developed a set of ontologies to describe sensors, actuators, samplers as well as their observations, actuation, and sampling activities. The ontologies have been published both as a W3C recommendation and as an OGC implementation standard. The set includes a lightweight core module called SOSA (Sensor, Observation, Sampler, and Actuator) available at: http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/ , and a more expressive extension module called SSN (Semantic Sensor Network) available at: http://www.w3.org/ns/ssn/. Together they describe systems of sensors and actuators, observations, the used procedures, the subjects and their properties being observed or acted upon, samples and the process of sampling, and so forth. The set of ontologies adopts a modular architecture with SOSA as a self-contained core that is extended by SSN and other modules to add expressivity and breadth. The SOSA/SSN ontologies are able to support a wide range of applications and use cases, including satellite imagery, large-scale scientific monitoring, industrial and household infrastructures, social sensing, citizen science, observation-driven ontology engineering, and the Internet of Things. In this paper we give an overview of the ontologies and discuss the rationale behind key design decisions, reporting on the differences between the new SSN ontology presented here and its predecessor [Web Semantics: Science, Services and Agents on the World Wide Web17 (2012), 25–32] developed by the W3C Semantic Sensor Network Incubator group (the SSN-XG). We present usage examples and describe alignment modules that foster interoperability with other ontologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the dynamic analytical solution of a piezoelectric stack utilized in an actuator and a generator based on the linear piezo-elasticity theory. The solutions for two different kinds of piezoelectric stacks under external load were obtained using the displacement method. The effects of load frequency and load amplitude on the dynamic characteristics of the stacks were discussed. The analytical solutions were validated using the available experimental results in special cases. The proposed model is able not only to predict the output properties of the devices, but also to reflect the inner electrical and mechanical components, which is helpful for designing piezoelectric actuators and generators in a comprehensive manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite laminates consisting of passive and multi-functional materials represent a powerful material system. Passive layers could be made of isotropic materials or fiber-reinforced composites, while piezoelectric ceramics are considered here as a multifunctional material. The paper is focused on linear and geometrically nonlinear dynamic analysis of smart structures made of such a material system. For this purpose, a linear 3- node shell element is used. It employs the Mindlin-Reissner kinematics and the discrete shear gap (DSG) technique to alleviate the transverse shear locking effects. The electric potential is assumed to vary linearly through the thickness for each piezoelectric layer. A co-rotational formulation is used to handle the geometrically nonlinear effects. A number of examples involving actuator and sensor application of piezoelectric layers are considered. For the validation purposes, the results available in the literature and those computed in Abaqus are used as a reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of things recently emerges as a common platform and service for consumer electronics. This paper presents an interactive framework of visualizing and authoring IoT in indoor environments such as home or small office. Building blocks of the framework are virtual sensors and actuators that abstract physical things and their virtual behaviors on top of their physical networks. Their behaviors are abstracted and programmed through visual authoring tools on the web, which allows a casual consumer to easily monitor and define their behaviors even without knowing the underlying physical connections. The user study performed to assess the usability of the visual authoring showed that the visual authoring is easy to use, understandable, and also preferred to typical text-based script programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) integrate information, sensor, control, and communication technologies to provide transport related services. Their users range from everyday commuters to policy makers and urban planners. Given the complexity of these systems and their environment, their study in real settings is frequently unfeasible. Simulations help to address this problem, but present their own issues: there can be unintended mistakes in the transition from models to code; their platforms frequently bias modeling; and it is difficult to compare works that use different models and tools. In order to overcome these problems, this paper proposes a framework for a model-driven development of these simulations. It is based on a specific modeling language that supports the integrated specification of the multiple facets of an ITS: people, their vehicles, and the external environment; and a network of sensors and actuators conveniently arranged and distributed that operates over them. The framework works with a model editor to generate specifications compliant with that language, and a code generator to produce code from them using platform specifications. There are also guidelines to help researchers in the application of this infrastructure. A case study on advanced management of traffic lights with cameras illustrates its use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correct implementation and behavior of Internet of Things (IoT) applications are seldom investigated in the literature. This paper shows how the simulation mechanism can be integrated well into an IoT application development platform for correct implementation and behavior investigation. We use an IoT application development platform called IoTtalk as an example to describe how the simulation mechanism called SimTalk can be built into this IoT platform. We first elaborate on how to implement the simulator for an input IoT device (a sensor). Then we describe how an output IoT device (an actuator) can be simulated by an animated simulator. We use a smart farm application to show how the simulated sensors are used for correct implementation. We use applications including interactive art (skeleton art and water dance) and the pendulum physics experiment as examples to illustrate how IoT application behavior investigation can be achieved in SimTalk. As the main outcome of this paper, the SimTalk simulation codes can be directly reused for real IoT applications. Furthermore, SimTalk is integrated well with an IoT application verification tool in order to formally verify the IoT application configuration. Such features have not been found in any IoT simulators in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic systems for lower limb rehabilitation are essential for improving patients' physical conditions in lower limb rehabilitation and assisting patients with various locomotor dysfunctions. These robotic systems mainly integrate sensors, actuation, and control systems and combine features from bionics, robotics, control, medicine, and other interdisciplinary fields. Several lower limb robotic systems have been proposed in the patent literature; some are commercially available. This review is an in-depth study of the patents related to robotic rehabilitation systems for lower limbs from the point of view of the sensors and actuation systems used. The patents awarded and published between 2013 and 2023 were investigated, and the temporal distribution of these patents is presented. Our results were obtained by examining the analyzed information from the three public patent databases. The patents were selected so that there were no duplicates after several filters were used in this review. For each patent database, the patents were analyzed according to the category of sensors and the number of sensors used. Additionally, for the main categories of sensors, an analysis was conducted depending on the type of sensors used. Afterwards, the actuation solutions for robotic rehabilitation systems for upper limbs described in the patents were analyzed, highlighting the main trends in their use. The results are presented with a schematic approach so that any user can easily find patents that use a specific type of sensor or a particular type of actuation system, and the sensors or actuation systems recommended to be used in some instances are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correct implementation and behavior of Internet of Things (IoT) applications are seldom investigated in the literature. This paper shows how the simulation mechanism can be integrated well into an IoT application development platform for correct implementation and behavior investigation. We use an IoT application development platform called IoTtalk as an example to describe how the simulation mechanism called SimTalk can be built into this IoT platform. We first elaborate on how to implement the simulator for an input IoT device (a sensor). Then we describe how an output IoT device (an actuator) can be simulated by an animated simulator. We use a smart farm application to show how the simulated sensors are used for correct implementation. We use applications including interactive art (skeleton art and water dance) and the pendulum physics experiment as examples to illustrate how IoT application behavior investigation can be achieved in SimTalk. As the main outcome of this paper, the SimTalk simulation codes can be directly reused for real IoT applications. Furthermore, SimTalk is integrated well with an IoT application verification tool in order to formally verify the IoT application configuration. Such features have not been found in any IoT simulators in the world.

High strain piezoceramics are required for various sensor and actuator applications such as opening and closing of valves in fuel injector systems, for controlled flow of fuel in automobiles, applications for micro-propulsion in satellites, and other engineering applications. The precision control of fuel flow in automobiles is necessary for fuel efficiency and pollution control. In this article, lead free piezo systems having higher strain are reviewed with a focus on origin/mechanisms of high strain behavior with critical comments and future directions. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) delivers linear but low strain of ~0.15% of total length due to the piezoelectric effect. However, lead free piezoceramic material systems such as bismuth sodium titanate (BNT), potassium sodium niobate (KNN), barium zirconate titanate (BZT) etc. deliver high but non-linear strains, as high as 0.79% due to electrostriction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical and bio-engineering fields have been increasingly using information and communication technology. To introduce robots into surgical procedures, data on surgical operations are required. Several studies have tried the creation of data on living tissues for mechanical actions, which makes determining the mechanical characteristics of living tissues vital, but few have been commonly used. Therefore, we previously developed a sensing system that uses a hydraulic-driven micro mechanism to measure the force applied to an object when it is touched. Micro force sensors are necessary for various manipulations requiring careful operation. Unfortunately, the measurement accuracy of sensors tends to reduce with the reduction in sensor size. The proportional output in conventional force sensors, such as piezoelectric sensors, also decreases when the size of the sensor is reduced. However, a micro force sensor using a hydraulic-driven micro mechanism can obtain a large output even when it is small. Our system uses Pascal's principle to measure small forces acting on the end effector. We propose methods for identifying the mechanical characteristics of certain viscoelastic materials similar to those used in a living organ. A hydraulic-driven micro device pushes an object and measures the reaction force and its displacement. We have used two types of micro devices, micro cylinder and micro bellows. Its stiffness and viscosity coefficient are obtained through calculations using Kelvin-Voigt and Zenner models. Discrete displacement and load data are applied to the estimated model, and the mechanical characteristics of the materials are identified as a minimized value between the estimated value and experimental one. We conducted experiments using the proposed identification methods on viscoelastic materials, and the results indicate that the value provided from the Kelvin-Voigt model was near the truth value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spaces and elements in the built environment have emerged as platforms where materializations of observations and actuations promise to be very profitable. The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) paves the way to address this challenge but the heterogeneity of the represented knowledge about these artifact systems poses a real problem. Ontologies can be considered as part of the solution to overcome the IoT's inherent hurdles. A wise option promoted by recent approaches is to design networks of complementary ontologies. However, different points of view are possible and such diversity could lead to interoperability problems. This article advocates for a networked ontology infrastructure conceived on a principled basis guided by documented judicious conceptualizations. In this regard, this survey points towards ontologies involved in conceptualizations of observations and actuations, where the utility of that conceptualization arises when some features of interest need to be observed or acted upon. For each of the reviewed ontologies, their fundamentals are described, their potential advantages and shortcomings are highlighted, and the use cases where these ontologies have been used are indicated. Additionally, use case examples are annotated with different ontologies in order to illustrate their capabilities and showcase the differences between reviewed ontologies. Finally, this article tries to answer two research questions: Is there a firm basis, broadly admitted by the community, for the development of such a networked ontology infrastructure for the observations and actuations in buildings? What ontologies may be considered helpful towards that goal? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent developments in ultrasonic material testing have increased the need to evaluate the current status of the different applications of piezoelectric elements (PEs). This research have reviewed state-of-the-art emerging new technology and the role of PEs in tests for a number of mechanical properties, such as creep, fracture toughness, hardness, and impact toughness, among others. In this field, importance is given to the following variables, namely, (a) values of the natural frequency to PEs, (b) type and dimensions of specimens, and (c) purpose of the tests. All these variables are listed in three tables to illustrate the nature of their differences in these kinds of tests. Furthermore, recent achievements in this field are emphasized in addition to the many important studies that highlight the role of PEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITSs) integrate information, sensor, control, and communication technologies to provide transport related services. Their users range from everyday commuters to policy makers and urban planners. Given the complexity of these systems and their environment, their study in real settings is frequently unfeasible. Simulations help to address this problem, but present their own issues: there can be unintended mistakes in the transition from models to code; their platforms frequently bias modeling; and it is difficult to compare works that use different models and tools. In order to overcome these problems, this paper proposes a framework for a model-driven development of these simulations. It is based on a specific modeling language that supports the integrated specification of the multiple facets of an ITS: people, their vehicles, and the external environment; and a network of sensors and actuators conveniently arranged and distributed that operates over them. The framework works with a model editor to generate specifications compliant with that language, and a code generator to produce code from them using platform specifications. There are also guidelines to help researchers in the application of this infrastructure. A case study on advanced management of traffic lights with cameras illustrates its use.

This paper presents the dynamic analytical solution of a piezoelectric stack utilized in an actuator and a generator based on the linear piezo-elasticity theory. The solutions for two different kinds of piezoelectric stacks under external load were obtained using the displacement method. The effects of load frequency and load amplitude on the dynamic characteristics of the stacks were discussed. The analytical solutions were validated using the available experimental results in special cases. The proposed model is able not only to predict the output properties of the devices, but also to reflect the inner electrical and mechanical components, which is helpful for designing piezoelectric actuators and generators in a comprehensive manner.

Three‐axis spacecraft simulators are widely used to verify spacecraft control strategies. Designing a simulator whose moment of inertia are similar to the spacecraft's is important for control research. Moreover, to reduce the disturbance of gravity torque, the centre of mass of the simulator attitude stage must be exactly aligned with the centre of rotation. Various sensors and actuators are on the simulator. An optimisation method for the locations of these devices on the simulator is presented. In this method, these devices are described as rectangles and circles. Their spatial relationship are expressed by a series of inequalities. The total inertia parameters of these devices are optimised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared thermography can be applied in different medical systems, for example it can be used to catch the images of living blood vessels. Far infrared rays can be used in a heating machine, which can be applied in the clinical hemodialysis patients. Infrared electronically sensitized images, which are generated by near-infrared Charge-coupled Device (CCD), are used to detect blood vessels, and used as a long-wavelength external stimulating therapeutic tissue repair system. When an infrared sensor detection and actuator treatment is applied during hemodialysis, a missing needle can be detected, and far infrared rays have a therapeutic effect on blood vessels. Because a far-infrared actuated light source can improve blood circulation, it is currently used to prevent fistula embolism in hemodialysis (HD) patients and reduce vascular occlusion after hemodialysis. Sensors used for sudden changes in heart rate variability (HRV) are used as predictive and evaluation indicators for our new method. Far-infrared actuated radiation can increase sympathetic nerve activity and regulation of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. We performed baseline measurements of the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio of autonomic nerve activity before hemodialysis (low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), LF/HF, before HD) and after hemodialysis (LF/HF, after-HD). Based on data from the HRV continuity tracking report, 35 patients with autonomic nerve activation were treated and evaluated. We have demonstrated that the resulting near-infrared (NIR) sensor imaging and far-infrared actuator illumination can be used for the detection and treatment of hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]