Optical fibre precision positioning at cryogenic conditions

Single photon detectors are an important optical sensing tool in many industries. However, these highly efficient detectors suffer from variations in the size of an optical cavity when cooling down to 3K. An active positioning system is therefore required to correct the relative position of the fibre to the detector, so an optimal and...

Magnetisation state and position control of a hybrid tunable magnet actuator

This report presents two different methods for controlling the remnant magnetisation state of a permanent magnet within a Hybrid Tunable Magnet Actuator. Addressing, individually, the desire for optimum energy efficiency and control accuracy. The purpose of this actuator is to track a quasi-static position reference without continuous thermal...

Fuzzy logic based active vibration control using novel photostrictive composites

Although conventional actuators like piezoelectric and electrostrictive are efficient, but they required hard wiring, which contaminates the control signal and adds to the weight of the structure. The current study presents a wireless control strategy using photostrictive actuators. Owing to the fortunate combination of photovoltaic effect...

Robotic Metamaterial with Odd Elasticity: Design and testing of a Metamaterial with novel actuation and control method

Going beyond naturally occurring materials, Metamaterials exploit a design at the microscale resulting in macroscopic behaviour, to achieve different or even new properties that can have a wide range of applications. By incorporating sensors, actuators and control, Robotic Metamaterials can achieve even more extremely different behaviour such as...

FlexTECH: Taking the next step with 'Printed Electronics'

By combining the recent innovations of 4D Printing and Printed Electronics, the Emerging Materials group at the Delft University of Technology has developed a new, printable, self-actuatable material that can continuously change shape in a programmable manner. A specifically designed strip of conductive and non-conductive materials exhibits...

Design and validation of an implantable actuator for use in a novel dynamic arteriovenous shunt system

Millions of people around the world rely on kidney dialysis to replace the essential function of their kidneys. In order to receive dialysis, adequate access to the circulation is needed. The golden standard, the Arteriovenous Fistula (AVF), hasn’t really changed since the 1940’s and comes with disappointing patency and reintervention rates....

Passive autonomy: Hygromorphic rotational actuators

Inspired by phenomena in the plant world, a meteoro-sensitive rotational actuator is developed. The design uses a hygro-active shell, whose water-based swelling is restricted at selective locations to form a helicoid structure. The influence of geometrical parameters on the performance is investigated using a numerical analysis of various...

Air-based Contactless Wafer Precision Positioning System: Contactless Sensing Using Charge Coupled Devices

This thesis presents the development of a contactless sensing system and the dynamic evaluation of an air-bearing based precision wafer positioning system. The contactless positioning stage is a response to the trend seen in the high-tech industry, with the substrates becoming thinner and larger to reduce the cost and increase the yield. With...

Development of a 3D printed hydraulic piston-cylinder system

Introduction: Recently 3D printing has received an increasing attention on the area of actuators. It can provide design freedom allowing complex geometries, as well as customization, among other benefits. However, there is no research on 3D printing of hydraulic piston-cylinder systems. The aim of this article is to check the feasibility of 3D...

Hydraulic actuator selection for a compliant surgical bone drill: A theoretical approach

A compliant bone drill provides advantages over conventional straight drills, because it allows surgical access via a minimally invasive approach. Hydropower allows the transfer of pressurized water with a compliant hose. The goal is to select the hydraulic actuator for this compliant bone drill by reviewing existing actuator principles. The...