Control of soft robots with inertial dynamics.

Soft robots promise improved safety and capability over rigid robots when deployed near humans or in complex, delicate, and dynamic environments. However, infinite degrees of freedom and the potential for highly nonlinear dynamics severely complicate their modeling and control. Analytical and machine learning methodologies have been applied to model soft robots but with constraints: quasi-static motions, quasi-linear deflections, or both. Here, we advance the modeling and control of soft robots into the inertial, nonlinear regime. We controlled motions of a soft, continuum arm with velocities 10 times larger and accelerations 40 times larger than those of previous work and did so for high-deflection shapes with more than 110° of curvature. We leveraged a data-driven learning approach for modeling, based on Koopman operator theory, and we introduce the concept of the static Koopman operator as a pregain term in optimal control. Our approach is rapid, requiring less than 5 min of training; is computationally low cost, requiring as little as 0.5 s to build the model; and is design agnostic, learning and accurately controlling two morphologically different soft robots. This work advances rapid modeling and control for soft robots from the realm of quasi-static to inertial, laying the groundwork for the next generation of compliant and highly dynamic robots.

Nano-Mechanical Behavior of Ti6Al4V Alloy Manufactured Using Laser Powder Bed Fusion.

The microstructure of Ti6Al4V alloy, manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), is affected by process parameters and heat treatment. However, their influence on the nano-mechanical behavior of this widely applicable alloy is still unknown and scarcely reported. This study aims to investigate the influence of the frequently used annealing heat treatment on mechanical properties, strain-rate sensitivity, and creep behavior of L-PBF Ti6Al4V alloy. Furthermore, the influence of different utilized L-PBF laser power-scanning speed combinations on mechanical properties of annealed specimens has been studied as well. It has been found that the effect of high laser power remains present in the microstructure even after annealing, resulting in increase in nano-hardness. Moreover, the linear relation between the Young's modulus and the nano-hardness after annealing has been established. Thorough creep analysis revealed dislocation motion as a dominant deformation mechanism, both for as-built and annealed conditions of the specimens. Although annealing heat treatment is beneficial and widely recommended, it reduces the creep resistance of Ti6Al4V alloy manufactured using L-PBF. The results presented within this research article contribute to the L-PBF process parameter selection, as well as to understanding the creep behavior of these novel and widely applicable materials.

Association between arch width changes and long-term stability 20 years after orthodontic treatment with and without extractions.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate long-term stability 20 years after orthodontic treatment and the association with arch width changes during treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study investigated 103 patients with Class I and II malocclusions treated with fixed appliances with and without extractions. The sample was treated by one experienced orthodontist and collected from a private orthodontic office. Dental casts were obtained pretreatment (T1), posttreatment (T2), and long-term postretention (T3); they were scanned and converted to STL files. Measurements were evaluated in for the upper and lower arch: intercanine width (IC), intermolar (IM) width, Little's irregularity index (LII). RESULTS: There were 73 female and 30 male patients. Class I was present in 74 patients and Class II in 29. Average postretention time was 17.2 (±6.5) years after an average active retention time of 3.4 (±1.17) years. Extraction was performed in 55 patients while 48 received nonextraction treatment. Bonferroni Post Hoc test showed that LII in the upper and lower arches at T1 was significantly higher in the extraction group (P < .001). Upper and lower arch LII at T3 was slightly higher in extraction cases but remained under 2.05 mm. LII at T3 in the upper and lower arches showed negative correlation with IM T3 in the upper arch (Pearson, N = 103, P = .047), while IC in the upper and lower arches at T3 correlated with IM T3 in the upper and lower (N = 103, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Clinically relevant long-term stability in both arches was found in extraction and nonextraction cases. Intermolar width and its change during orthodontic treatment was an influential factor on long-term stability in extraction cases.

Ion Release and Surface Changes of Nickel-Titanium Archwires Induced by Changes in the pH Value of the Saliva-Significance for Human Health Risk Assessment.

The aim of this study was to explore whether changes in the salivary pH influence mechanical properties, surface roughness, and ion release from NiTi archwires with various surface coatings, and discuss the clinical significance of the findings. The uncoated, rhodium-coated, and nitrified NiTi wires were immersed into artificial saliva of different pH values (4.8, 5.1, 5.5, and 6.6). Released nickel and titanium ions were measured with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy at the end of 28 days. Atomic force microscopy was used to measure the arithmetic average surface roughness Ra, the root-mean-square roughness Rq, and the maximum height of the asperities RZ. The nanoindentation hardness (HIT) and Young's modulus (EIT) measurements were performed. The change in the pH of artificial saliva is inversely proportional to the release of titanium from both coated and uncoated wires, and the release of nickel from uncoated wires. The surface roughness parameters of both coated and uncoated wires are unaffected by the change in the pH of artificial saliva. The change in the pH of saliva has minor influence on the hardness and Young's modulus of elasticity of both coated and uncoated wires. The concentration of released metal ions measured was below the recommended upper limit for daily intake; nevertheless, hypersensitivity effects cannot be excluded, even at lower concentrations and at low pH.

Influence of intraoral application of antiseptics and fluorides during orthodontic treatment on corrosion and mechanical characteristics of nickel-titanium alloy in orthodontic appliances.

OBJECTIVES: To explore whether the commercial agents recommended for controlling dental biofilm formation had a significant effect in vivo on mechanical and corrosion properties of nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: NiTi archwires (dimensions 0.508 × 0.508 mm) were collected from 36 orthodontic patients aged 13-42 years after a 3-month intraoral exposure. Three experimental groups were formed: (1) subjects conducting regular oral hygiene, (2) subjects who used fluorides for intensive prophylaxis for the first month, and (3) subjects who used chlorhexidine in the same manner. Corrosion behavior, surface characteristics, stiffness, hardness, and friction were analyzed. RESULTS: Exposure to intraoral conditions significantly reduced the stiffness and hardness of the NiTi alloy (P ≤ .015). Fluoride tended to reduce stiffness and hardness more than did saliva or antiseptic, but not significantly. Roughness and friction were not significantly influenced by oral exposure. Intraoral aging predominantly produced general corrosion independent of the adjuvant prophylactic agent, although localized corrosion may also have occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorides and the antiseptic chlorhexidine do not increase corrosion more than saliva itself, nor do they further modify the mechanical properties of the NiTi alloy.

Energy Harvesting Technologies for Structural Health Monitoring of Airplane Components-A Review.

With the aim of increasing the efficiency of maintenance and fuel usage in airplanes, structural health monitoring (SHM) of critical composite structures is increasingly expected and required. The optimized usage of this concept is subject of intensive work in the framework of the EU COST Action CA18203 "Optimising Design for Inspection" (ODIN). In this context, a thorough review of a broad range of energy harvesting (EH) technologies to be potentially used as power sources for the acoustic emission and guided wave propagation sensors of the considered SHM systems, as well as for the respective data elaboration and wireless communication modules, is provided in this work. EH devices based on the usage of kinetic energy, thermal gradients, solar radiation, airflow, and other viable energy sources, proposed so far in the literature, are thus described with a critical review of the respective specific power levels, of their potential placement on airplanes, as well as the consequently necessary power management architectures. The guidelines provided for the selection of the most appropriate EH and power management technologies create the preconditions to develop a new class of autonomous sensor nodes for the in-process, non-destructive SHM of airplane components.

Kinetic Energy Harvesting for Wearable Medical Sensors.

The process of collecting low-level kinetic energy, which is present in all moving systems, by using energy harvesting principles, is of particular interest in wearable technology, especially in ultra-low power devices for medical applications. In fact, the replacement of batteries with innovative piezoelectric energy harvesting devices can result in mass and size reduction, favoring the miniaturization of wearable devices, as well as drastically increasing their autonomy. The aim of this work is to assess the power requirements of wearable sensors for medical applications, and address the intrinsic problem of piezoelectric kinetic energy harvesting devices that can be used to power them; namely, the narrow area of optimal operation around the eigenfrequencies of a specific device. This is achieved by using complex numerical models comprising modal, harmonic and transient analyses. In order to overcome the random nature of excitations generated by human motion, novel excitation modalities are investigated with the goal of increasing the specific power outputs. A solution embracing an optimized harvester geometry and relying on an excitation mechanism suitable for wearable medical sensors is hence proposed. The electrical circuitry required for efficient energy management is considered as well.

Geometrical design characteristics of orthodontic mini-implants predicting maximum insertion torque.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the unique contribution of geometrical design characteristics of orthodontic mini-implants on maximum insertion torque while controlling for the influence of cortical bone thickness. METHODS: Total number of 100 cylindrical orthodontic mini-implants was used. Geometrical design characteristics of ten specimens of ten types of cylindrical self-drilling orthodontic mini-implants (Ortho Easy®, Aarhus, and Dual Top™) with diameters ranging from 1.4 to 2.0 mm and lengths of 6 and 8 mm were measured. Maximum insertion torque was recorded during manual insertion of mini-implants into bone samples. Cortical bone thickness was measured. Retrieved data were analyzed in a multiple regression model. RESULTS: Significant predictors for higher maximum insertion torque included larger outer diameter of implant, higher lead angle of thread, and thicker cortical bone, and their unique contribution to maximum insertion torque was 12.3%, 10.7%, and 24.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The maximum insertion torque values are best controlled by choosing an implant diameter and lead angle according to the assessed thickness of cortical bone.