N. M. Fonseca Ferreira

Modeling and control of biologically inspired flying robots

This paper covers a wide knowledge of physical and dynamical models useful for building flying robots and a new generation of flying platform developed in the similarity of flying animals. The goal of this work is to develop a simulation environment and dynamic control using the high-level calculation tool MatLab and the modeling, simulation, and analysis of dynamic systems tool Simulink. Once created the dynamic models to study, this work involves the study and understanding of the dynamic stability criteria to be adopted and their potential use in the control of flying models.

ROBLIB: An Educational Program for Robotics

Abstract The paper presents a program for robotics education that runs on standard PCs under the Microsoft Windows environment. The RobLib package is designed for undergraduate students and emphasis the fundamental aspects of robot modelling and control. The software is self-explanatory and uses menus, dialog boxes with figures and context-dependent on-line help. In this perspective, students are motivated to investigate on the workspace, kinematics, dynamics, trajectory planning, position and force control of manipulators. Based on this first experience, further studies on robotics, using more sophisticated packages and concepts, are, then, more attractive from the students point of view.

Biological Inspired Flying Robot

This paper presents the development of computational simulation based on the dynamics of a robotic bird. The study analyze the wing angle of attack and the velocity of the bird, the tail influence, the gliding flight and the flapping flight with different strategies and algorithms of control. The results are positive for the construction of flying robots. Some highlights are given about the fist implemented architecture of the structure of a robotic bird. This platform consists on a body, wings and tail with actuators independently controlled though a microcontroller; a radio transmission system and batteries are used in order to avoid wired connections between the computer and the robot.Copyright

Application of Fractional Controllers for Quad Rotor

This paper studies the application of fractional algorithms in the control of a quad-rotor rotorcraft. The development of a flight simulator provide the evaluation of the controller algorithm. Several basic maneuvers are investigated, namely the elevation and the position control.

Fractional-Order Position/Force Robot Control

This paper presents the implementation of fractional-order algorithms both for hybrid and cascade position/force control of robotic manipulators. The system performance and robustness is analyzed in the time and frequency domains. The effects joint backlash and flexibility are also investigated

Single-objective front optimization: application to rf circuit design

This paper proposes a new algorithm which promotes well distributed non-dominated fronts in the parameters space when a single-objective function is optimized. This lgorithm is based on µ-dominance concept and maxmin sorting scheme. Besides that, the paper also presents the results of the algorithm when it is used in the automated synthesis of optimum performance CMOS radio-frequency and microwave binary-weighted differential switched capacitor arrays (RFDSCAs). The genetic synthesis tool optimizes a fitness function which is based on the performance parameter of the RFDSCAs. To validate the proposed design methodology, a CMOS RFDSCA is synthesized, using a 0.25 ¼m BiCMOS technology.

Modeling and control of a dragonfly-like robot

Dragonflies demonstrate unique and superior flight performances than most of the other insect species and birds. They are equipped with two pairs of independently controlled wings granting an unmatchable flying performance and robustness. In this paper, the dynamics of a dragonfly-inspired robot is studied. The system performance is analyzed in terms of time response and robustness. The development of computational simulation based on the dynamics of the robotic dragonfly allows the test of different control algorithms. We study different movements, the dynamics, and the level of dexterity in wing motion of the dragonfly. The results are positive for the construction of flying platforms that effectively mimic the kinematics and dynamics of dragonflies and potentially exhibit superior flight performance than existing flying platforms.

Fractional-Order Control of a Robotic Bird

In this paper it is studied the relation between the angle of attack and the velocity of the bird, the tail influence over the bird trajectory, the gliding and the flapping flight in a closed loop with fractional order controllers. The results are positive for the design and construction of flying robots having similarities with flying animals. The development of computational simulation based on the dynamic of the robotic bird that should allow testing strategies and algorithms of control.Copyright

The Cooperation of Two Manipulators with Fractional Controllers

This paper analyzes the dynamics and the implementation of fractional-order algorithms in the position/force control of two robots holding an object. The experiments reveal that fractional algorithms lead to performances superior to classical integer-order controllers.

FRACTIONAL CONTROL OF TWO ARMS WORKING IN COOPERATION

Abstract This paper analyzes the performance of two cooperative robot manipulators. It is studied the implementation of fractional-order algorithms in the position/force control of two robots holding an object. The experiments reveal that fractional algorithms lead to performances superior to classical integer-order controllers.