Ti6Al4V titanium alloy is considered a biocompatible material, suitable to be used for manufacturing medical devices, particularly cranioplasty plates. Several methods for processing titanium alloys are reported in the literature, each one presenting both advantages and drawbacks. A decision-making method based upon AHP (analytic hierarchy process) was used in this paper for choosing the most recommended manufacturing process among some alternatives. The result of AHP indicated that single-point incremental forming (SPIF) at room temperature could be considered the best approach when manufacturing medical devices. However, Ti6Al4V titanium alloy is known as a low-plasticity material when subjected to plastic deformation at room temperature, so special measures had to be taken. The experimental results of processing parts from Ti6Al4V titanium alloy by means of SPIF and technological aspects are considered.

Mobile robots are increasingly used in industrial applications. There are many constructive solutions for mobile robots using various variants of actuation and control. The proposed work presents a low-cost variant of a mobile robot equipped with Mecanum wheels, which uses brushed DC motors, controlled by the PWM method as the actuation solution. In the first part, a multicriteria analysis based on the AHP method was performed for the selection of the actuation solution. Then, using the software tools Simscape Multibody, Matlab, and Simulink, models were developed that allowed the simulation of the operation of the proposed robot, based both on its kinematics and dynamics. Using these models, both the Mecanum wheel drive version and the differential drive version were studied by means of simulation. The simulations mainly aimed at identifying the way the currents vary through the wheel drive motors, in order to find methods to reduce them. The values obtained by the simulation were later compared with those obtained experimentally, and the corresponding conclusions with regard to the accuracy of the models were drawn.

Robot manufacturing involves continuous path control, which is now available for both robotic controllers and CAM software packages. However, CAM solutions are focused on generating the code for the robotic structure to follow the toolpath, without taking into consideration the dynamics and energy consumption. In this study, robot incremental forming was considered as the manufacturing process, and a simulation model, based upon Matlab-Simulink Simscape Multibody technology, was developed. The proposed model was fed with the trajectory information generated by the CAM program, and using an inverse kinematics function, it was able to generate the commands to drive the robotic structure on the technological toolpaths. The model was also used to study the dynamic behavior of the robot; external experimental data from a 3D force sensor were fed to the model to include the influence of the technological forces which appeared during the incremental forming process. Thus, using the proposed model in conjunction with the external CAM software, the influence of the workpiece position upon the joint torques could be estimated, opening the way for future optimization. The shortcomings of the model, mainly involving inaccurate information with regard to the physical properties of the robotic structure, were addressed by subtracting the dry-run joint torques from those obtained from the technological process.

This scientific paper presents the development and validation process of a dynamic model in Simulink used for decision-making regarding the locomotion and driving type of autonomous omnidirectional mobile platforms. Unlike traditional approaches relying on differential equations, this study uses Simulink’s block-based diagrams, offering a simpler and efficient development process. Importantly, the dynamic model accounts for friction forces, a critical factor for energy monitoring. The model’s validation is conducted experimentally, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. This paper formulates mathematical models for both conventional and Mecanum wheel configurations, facilitating energy-efficient driving strategies. By decomposing resistive forces into inertial and frictional components using the Jacobian matrix, this study accurately simulates electrical current consumption during robot motion. Through fuzzy decision algorithms utilizing parameters such as energy consumption, travel time, precision, and desired maneuverability, this paper proposes a method for determining the optimal locomotion mode for mobile platforms with Mecanum wheels. Overall, this research brings a new contribution to the field of mobile robotics by providing a comprehensive framework for dynamic modeling and it offers the possibility to drive omnidirectional robots in an energy-efficient manner.

This article describes a method for the real-time monitoring of the current consumed by a Dynamixel MX 64 AT servomotor used in the actuation system of modular mobile robotic platforms having differential locomotion and conventional wheels. The data acquisition method is based on an Arduino Mega 2560 development board interfaced with Matlab Simulink and the ASC712-5A hall sensor for current detection. A Simulink model is presented that performs the detection of a sensor reference voltage, which needs to be calibrated for a correct reading of the current. Due to the low resolution of the analog-to-digital converter with which the Arduino Mega is equipped, current monitoring is difficult to achieve, having large fluctuations and a lower resolution than the current absorbed by the servomotor. The solution to this problem is achieved by implementing, in the hardware construction, an ADS115 conversion module with 16-bit resolution, which leads to an increase in the measurement range of the ASC712-5A sensor. The current acquisition model with the Hall sensor is experimentally validated using measurements on the physical model of the drive wheel. This article further deals with the CAD and digital block modeling of mobile platforms with four and two wheels. The dynamic model of the robot is created in the Simulink–Simscape–Multibody environment and is used to determine the servomotor torques when the robot is moving along the predefined path. The torque variations are entered as variables in the Simulink digital block model of the robot. The Simulink model is simulated when moving along a square path, which determines the variation in the current absorbed by the motors. Experimental validation of the model is carried out using measurements on the functional models that operate in real conditions. A power consumption method is further proposed.