Speed and position control systems for marine vehicles have been subject to an increased focus with respect to performance and safety. An example is represented by drilling operations performed with semi submersible rigs where the control of position and heading requires high accuracy. Drifting from the well position could cause severe damage to equipment and environment. Also, the use of under...

Speed and position control systems for marine vehicles have been subject to an increased focus with respect to performance and safety. An example is represented by drilling operations performed with semi submersible rigs where the control of position and heading requires high accuracy. Drifting from the well position could cause severe damage to equipment and environment. Also, the use of under...

The median fins of fishes consist of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins and have long been thought to play an important role in generating locomotor force during both steady swimming and maneuvering. But the orientations and magnitudes of these forces, the mechanisms by which they are generated, and how fish modulate median fin forces have remained largely unknown until the recent advent of Digi...

Bone drilling is an essential part of many orthopaedic surgery procedures, including those for internal fixation and for attaching prosthetics. Estimation and control of bone drilling forces are critical to prevent drill breakthrough, excessive heat generation, and mechanical damage to the bone. This paper presents a 3D finite element (FE) model for prediction of thrust forces experienced durin...

The goal of this research is to develop a versatile and fast code to compute the unsteady lift and thrust forces generated by a flapping airfoil and apply it to engineering problems. We consider both plunging and pitching types of motion and develop a time marching simulation based on early work in unsteady aerodynamics. The ability of the code to compute lift and thrust forces is validated aga...