Renann G. Baldovino

Design and development of a fuzzy-PLC for an earthquake simulator/shake table

This study presents the development of a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) for an earthquake simulator or shake table. This includes the use of a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) as the main controller and the Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) as the motors inverter drive. Combination of ladder logic diagrams (LLD), structured texts (ST) and function block diagrams (FBD) were used to code the fuzzy program. The FLC was built with 36 rules from the two (2) inputs, Actual Error or Δ Speed and Actual Error Rate or Rate of Δ Speed, having six (6) membership functions each: Neg_Large, Neg_Medium, Neg_Small, Pos_Small, Pos_Medium and Pos_Large. Mini-fuzzy associative matrix (FAM) was also introduced in the study to reduce the number of computational rules by 75%. Center of gravity (COG) was the defuzzification technique used to convert the fuzzy outputs into crisp real data due to the simplicity of its computation in providing fast results. The proposed fuzzy controller was based from the data feedback value of the drive to attain the desired motor speed. The controller was able to consider the effect of different load variations in different loadings.

Design considerations in manufacturing cost-effective robotic exoskeletons for upper extremity rehabilitation

The development of robotic exoskeletons is a young and active area of research in multidisciplinary fields such as biomedical engineering. In upper extremity rehabilitation, several developments have been made for robotic exoskeletons to help regain motor function by means of repetitive and task-oriented exercises. However, the economics and availability of such devices remain an issue to be addressed especially for those in the developing regions where access to healthcare options are limited. This article presents an analysis of design criteria and considerations in manufacturing cost-effective robotic exoskeletons for upper extremity rehabilitation. A review of recently developed concepts, prototypes and commercially-available devices was performed to establish a set of guidelines in developing products with high feasibility for adoption. Most of the design criteria discussed in this article focused on wearability, safety, and performance. Finally, a discussion of the trend towards low-cost manufacturing was done to challenge researchers in addressing the need for a reliable and accessible healthcare system for upper extremity rehabilitation.

Biomimetics in the design of a robotic exoskeleton for upper limb therapy

Current methodologies in designing robotic exoskeletons for upper limb therapy simplify the complex requirements of the human anatomy. As a result, such devices tend to compromise safety and biocompatibility with the intended user. However, a new design methodology uses biological analogues as inspiration to address these technical issues. This approach follows that of biomimetics, a design principle that uses the extraction and transfer of useful information from natural morphologies and processes to solve technical design issues. In this study, a biomimetic approach in the design of a 5-degree-of-freedom robotic exoskeleton for upper limb therapy was performed. A review of biomimetics was first discussed along with its current contribution to the design of rehabilitation robots. With a proposed methodological framework, the design for an upper limb robotic exoskeleton was generated using CATIA software. The design was inspired by the morphology of the bones and the muscle force transmission of the upper...

Optimization of Photosynthetic Rate Parameters using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS)

Crop growth is greatly affected by light intensity, temperature and CO2 concentration. The combinations of these factors are considered in growing crops. In this study, a system was developed using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system for the prediction of the photosynthetic rate of lettuce crop based on the temperature, light intensity and CO2. A fuzzy inference system is designed to generate the rules for the fuzzy logic where inputs of these are from the output of the trained neural network. Based on the result, the system was able to predict the photosynthetic rate of the lettuce crop based on the three input parameters. The RMSE value for the ANFIS model was found to be 2.7843e-05.

GA Optimization of Coconut Sugar Cooking Process: A Preliminary Study using Stochastic Universal Sampling (SUS) Technique

This study presents the optimization of cooking process for the coconut sugar. Designing the process control of cooking coconut sugar requires dynamic programming that uses nonlinear differential equations which could be difficult to model and analyze. The development of the optimization process will make use of genetic algorithm (GA) based approach using stochastic universal sampling as its selection process. The developed system will be incorporated for the automation of coconut sugar production. Factors associated in the drying of coconut sap like treatment time and color of the honey were considered in this study.

A Neuro-Fuzzy Mixing Control Model for the Cooking Process of Coconut Sugar

This study presents a neuro-fuzzy system used in developing an appropriate model for the mixing control of the coconut sugar cooking process. The developed model is trained and tested using actual data and process gathered from cooking coconut sap run in several trials. Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was the primary tool used to model the control cooking process. Grid partition, subtractive clustering and fuzzy c-means clustering were used in the fuzzification of the training data. Then, the neural network generates the fuzzy rules for the model, which are evaluated to measure the performance of the model. Moreover, experimental results show the detailed comparison of the performance of each fuzzy model. Among the 3 training models used, the fuzzy c-means clustering provided the best performance with only 3 fuzzy rules extracted with an accuracy of 95.4% during testing.

Conceptual design of an amphibious E-tricycle

The lack of sustainable public transport, heavy traffic, and floods are some of the major problems that the Philippines are experiencing throughout the years. Fossil fuel is a limited source of energy and it contributes to the destruction of the ecosystem, which is why more sustainable alternatives are needed. In addition, heavy traffic makes it difficult for people to travel around the metro that eventually affects productivity, efficiency and causes unnecessary stress and sickness. Flooding has also claimed the lives of many people; some have died because they have drowned or because of the strong current of the flood, while some died due to slow response of rescuers because of extremely inaccessible paths. The research revolves around conceptualizing a three-wheeled electric vehicle with amphibious characteristics (waterproof electric motor, sealed body) to tackle the problems discussed earlier. A vehicle that will not be heavy on the budget which will make it accessible to most people; the problem with most amphibious or electric vehicles that exists today is that the features or specifications, or simply the build, is extremely high-tech and thus expensive and scarce. It will serve as a multi-purpose vehicle for public utility/transportation, recreation, and or for emergency and rescue operations. The group believes that electricity is a better alternative than fossil fuels n consideration to climate change mitigation and adaptation. In addition, focusing on public transport that will carry multiple passengers would hopefully reduce current traffic and emissions.

A pulse-width modulation (PWM) LASER power controller for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) LASER machine: Support program for the productivity and competitiveness of the metals and engineering industries

This study presents the development of a LASER power controller using pulse-width modulation (PWM) technique for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) LASER Machine. This includes the use of a graphical-user interface (GUI) and a GizDuino board to produce PWM outputs. The GUI was developed in Microsoft Visual Studio. The PWM code was programmed in the Arduino development environment. In this study, PWM is effective in controlling the LASER power of the Synrad firestar f201. Actual tests were conducted to verify its performance in an acrylic plastic material. PWM is also proven to be cost-efficient since it does not require additional modules for analog converters and signal conditioning process. Other features, like motor errors, LASER and chiller temperature, were also incorporated and created in the controls for the safety of the user and the machine hardware.

Development of an automatic tool changer (ATC) system for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) router machine: Support program for the productivity and competitiveness of the metals and engineering industries

During machining operations, user safety is a big factor need to consider. The more interaction of the user with the machine, the more the user is prone to accident due to mechanical or tool failures. Like in CNC systems, especially in milling and router machines, user interaction can be seen during manual tool change operations. This study presents the development of an automatic tool changer for the 3-axis computer numerically-controlled (CNC) router machine of the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC). ATC reduces the cycle time of tool-change operations, thus, improving the machine productivity. Furthermore, ATC also ensures the users safety during tool change operations. It allows complete machining where different toolings are required to make different operations like cut, engrave, drill and mill. This includes the use of a pneumatic or quick-change electrospindle and an ISO-20 tool holder system. The tool holder system makes the CNC router adaptable and flexible to different routing operations.

Optimization of machine process parameters through 2D image layout enhancing and ArtCAM post-processing for 3D machining: Support program for the productivity and competitiveness of the metals and engineering industries

3D machining has been one of the challenges in CNC milling and CNC router machines. Its quite difficult to create 3D relief from plain 2D image. To provide a very clean 3D relief, lot of resources, like software programs, machines, tools and time, is needed. This study provide an optimized way how to enhance the 3D output without sacrificing other factors like the machining time and tool life. Image layout enhancing and the use of ArtCAM postprocessing were applied in the study. As compared with the traditional machining strategy, machine relief was added in the operation. From the results, this strategy helps in the preparation of the 3D model for the engraving toolpath and reduces its machining time operations.