The objective of this book is to provide those interested in the field of flexible robotics with an overview of several scientific and technological advances in the practical field of robotic manipulation. The different chapters examine various stages that involve a number of robotic devices, particularly those designed for manipulation tasks characterized by mechanical flexibility.Chapter 1 deals with the general context surrounding the design of functionally integrated microgripp...

The Finite Element Method: Its Basis and Fundamentals offers a complete introduction to the basis of the finite element method, covering fundamental theory and worked examples in the detail required for readers to apply the knowledge to their own engineering problems and understand more advanced applications. This edition sees a significant rearrangement of the book's content to enable clearer development of the finite element method, with major new chapters and sections added to cover: - ...

A synergistic approach to signal integrity for high-speed digital designThis book is designed to provide contemporary readers with an understanding of the emerging high-speed signal integrity issues that are creating roadblocks in digital design. Written by the foremost experts on the subject, it leverages concepts and techniques from non-related fields such as applied physics and microwave engineering and applies them to high-speed digital design—creating the opti...

Signal Processing for Neuroscientists introduces analysis techniques primarily aimed at neuroscientists and biomedical engineering students with a reasonable but modest background in mathematics, physics, and computer programming. The focus of this text is on what can be considered the 'golden trio' in the signal processing field: averaging, Fourier analysis, and filtering. Techniques such as convolution, correlation, coherence, and wavelet analysis are considered in the context of time an...

This book addresses the need in the field for a comprehensive review of motion planning algorithms and hybrid control methodologies for complex legged robots. Introducing a multidisciplinary systems engineering approach for tackling many challenges posed by legged locomotion, the book provides engineering detail including hybrid models for planar and 3D legged robots, as well as hybrid control schemes for asymptotically stabilizing periodic orbits in these closed-loop systems. Complete wit...

Using fundamentals of communication theory, thermodynamics, information theory and propagation theory, this book explains the universal principles underlying a diverse range of electro-optical systems. From fiber optics and infra-red imaging to free space communications and laser remote sensing, the authors relate key concepts in science and device engineering to practical systems issues. A broad spectrum of coherent and incoherent imaging and communications systems is considered, accompan...

Written by two of Europe's leading robotics experts, this book provides the tools for a unified approach to the modelling of robotic manipulators, whatever their mechanical structure. No other publication covers the three fundamental issues of robotics: modelling, identification and control. It covers the development of various mathematical models required for the control and simulation of robots. - World class authority· Unique range of coverage not available in any other book - Provides ...

Introduction to Mobile Robot Control provides a complete and concise study of modeling, control, and navigation methods for wheeled non-holonomic and omnidirectional mobile robots and manipulators. The book begins with a study of mobile robot drives and corresponding kinematic and dynamic models, and discusses the sensors used in mobile robotics. It then examines a variety of model-based, model-free, and vision-based controllers with unified proof of their stabilization and tracking perfor...

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is the interdisciplinary engineering field devoted to the monitoring and assessment of structural health and integrity. SHM technology integrates non-destructive evaluation techniques using remote sensing and smart materials to create smart self-monitoring structures characterized by increased reliability and long life. Its applications are primarily systems with critical demands concerning performance where classical onsite assessment is both difficult a...

The topics addressed in this book cover the whole range of kinematic analysis, synthesis and design and consider robotic systems possessing serial, parallel and cable driven mechanisms. The robotic systems range from being less than fully mobile to kinematically redundant to over constrained.The fifty-six contributions report the latest results in robot kinematics with emphasis on emerging areas such as design and control of humanoids or humanoid subsystems. The book is of interest...

Extremum-seeking control tracks a varying maximum or minimum in a performance function such as output or cost. It attempts to determine the optimal performance of a control system as it operates, thereby reducing downtime and the need for system analysis. Extremum-seeking Control and Applications is divided into two parts. In the first, the authors review existing analog-optimization-based extremum-seeking control including gradient-, perturbation- and sliding-mode-based control designs. T...

Computational kinematics is an enthralling area of science with a rich spectrum of problems at the junction of mechanics, robotics, computer science, mathematics, and computer graphics. The covered topics include design and optimization of cable-driven robots, analysis of parallel manipulators, motion planning, numerical methods for mechanism calibration and optimization, geometric approaches to mechanism analysis and design, synthesis of mechanisms, kinematical issues in biomechanics, con...