Topology Optimization Algorithm for Synthesis of Dynamically Balanced Compliant Mechanisms

As mechanisms become increasingly precise, so becomes the reduction of noise and vibration increasingly important. One method for eliminating vibrations in mechanisms is dynamic balancing. This method prevents vibrations from occurring by designing the mechanism such that the inertial forces and moments of all bodies in the mechanism cancel each...

The Effect of Totalizer Bound Tightening on MaxSAT Solving

Maximum Satisfiability (MaxSAT) is a known problem within the optimization field which has led many different solving approaches to be devised in the last several decades. From Linear Search to unsatisfiable core-based solvers, many MaxSAT algorithms rely on cardinality constraints to express how many soft clauses can be violated at most....

A Smart-Charging Algorithm Development Considering Uncertainties in the System

With the current urge around the globe for switching to “green energy” and Renewable Energy Sources (RES) utilization, the electrification of the transportation sector has become a necessity. While the emerging Electric Vehicles (EVs) can provide several benefits to the power grid, such as voltage and frequency regulation and power quality...

Towards optimizing dual-mode fleet routing and parcel allocation

More and more parcels are delivered all over the world, by numerous carriers. Collaboration between couriers can benefit both companies and their customers, as it has the potential to reduce cost and reduce the number of couriers stopping at the same location. Furthermore, autonomous driving is gradually picking up traction opening up another...

Tree-child Network Containment

Interest in phylogenetic trees for histories of species and DNA has spawned many problems, one of which is TreeContainment; a problem that asks whether a tree is contained within a network. The TreeContainment problem is proven to be NP-hard for general trees and networks, however it is solvable in polynomial time for networks that meet the tree...

Parameter estimation for lateral dynamic tire models using empirical inertial data: A comparative case study of gradient-based algorithms vs genetic algorithms

Self-driving vehicles are the future of automotive engineering. Systems that take over control from the driver are developed to be able to interact with the conditions of the road and other obstacles. To develop these systems, developers use vehicle models to simulate the behaviour of the moving vehicle. The systems developed using these models...

Robot Placement for Mobile Manipulation in Domestic Environments

The development of domestic mobile manipulators for unconstrained environments has driven significant research recently. Robot Care Systems has been pioneering in developing a prototype of a mobile manipulator for elderly care. It has a 6 degrees of freedom robotic arm mounted on their flagship robot LEA, a non-holonomic differential drive...