A better understanding of how actuator design supports locomotor function may help develop novel and more functional powered assistive devices or robotic legged systems. Legged robots comprise passive parts (e.g., segments, joints and connections) which are moved in a coordinated manner by actuators. In this study, we propose a novel concept of a hybrid electric-pneumatic actuator (EPA) as an e...

An improved version of the membrane actuator has been designed and constructed based on our previous diaphragm actuator. It consists of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy composite (FSMA) diaphragm and an electromagnet system. The actuation mechanism of the membrane actuator is the hybrid mechanism that we proposed previously. The high momentum airflow will be produced by the oscillation of the c...

Abstract In this study, we applied recently developed panel unit root and cointegration techniques to examine the long-run real income per capita and price elasticities for demand of electricity in selected Middle East and North African (MENA) countries using an annual data series from 1990 to 2011.Our main finding from the panel analysis is that the demand for electricity is highly price ela...

Continuous forming and propagation of large planar deformations on a thin solid elastic film can create propulsion when the film is immersed in a fluid. Microscopic organisms such as spermatozoa use similar mechanisms to propel themselves. In this work, we present a numerical analysis of the effect of traveling plane-wave deformations on an elastic-film actuator within a fluid medium inside a c...

This paper presents the static balancing of a highly reconfigurable articulated wheeled vehicles with multiple leg-wheel subsystem. Articulated wheeled vehicles are a class of mobile robots which offer immense possibilities for enhanced locomotion-performance of autonomous mobile vehicles by virtue of the enormous reconfigurability within their articulated structure. However, changing the vehic...

In this paper, a simple piezoelectric floating mass transducer (PFMT) for implantable middle ear hearing devices (IMEHDs) is proposed and its modeling and designing are studied. The transducer which can be implanted in the meddle ear consists of a PMN-PT multi-layered piezoelectric actuator, an elastic material, and a metal case. The proposed transducer has a simple structure and the force gene...

Fixing a prestretched dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) on a flexible frame allows transformation of the intrinsic in-plane area expansion of DEAs into complex three-dimensional (3D) structures whose shape is determined by a configuration that minimizes the elastic energy of the actuator and the bending energy of the frame. These stuctures can then unfold upon the application of a voltage. Th...

abstract in this study, we applied recently developed panel unit root and cointegration techniques to examine the long-run real income per capita and price elasticities for demand of electricity in selected middle east and north african (mena) countries using an annual data series from 1990 to 2011.our main finding from the panel analysis is that the demand for electricity is highly price elast...

In this paper, buckling behavior of symmetric functionally graded plates resting on elastic foundation is investigated and their critical buckling load in different conditions is calculated and compared. Plate governing equations are derived using the principle of minimum potential energy. Afterwards, displacement field is solved using Galerkin method and the proposed process is examined throug...