This study addresses the challenge of mechanism design optimization, particularly focusing on the energy efficiency and design space of reciprocating mechanisms. The research question centers on how to effectively utilize Computer-Aided Design (CAD) simulations alongside Bayesian optimization (BO) and a constrained design space to streamline the design optimization process, overcoming the limitations of traditional kinematic and dynamic analysis methods. The objective is to investigate and develop a novel optimization framework that integrates CAD-based simulations with a BO approach. To achieve this, the study employs a methodological approach. At first, the feasibility of a chosen mechanism design is evaluated through a sequence of CAD-motion simulations to quantify the (in)feasibility of this design. When this design appears to be feasible, a CAD-based design evaluation method is started, in which the objective value is extracted by a sequence of CAD-motion simulations. In this paper, we advocate the use of non-parametric Gaussian processes to build a surrogate model of the objective function and the feasible design space constrained by static and dynamic constraints. The main research results demonstrate that the proposed CAD-based Bayesian optimization framework can effectively identify optimal design parameters that minimize the root mean square (RMS) torque while adhering to specified static and dynamic constraints. This optimization approach significantly reduces the complexity associated with analytic methods, making it scalable to more complex mechanisms and implementable by machine builders. In conclusion, the study successfully develops a novel optimization framework that leverages CAD-based simulations and Bayesian optimization to streamline the design process of mechanisms. The results of an emergency ventilator case study with three design parameters show a reduction of the RMS torque with 71% after 255 CAD-based design evaluations. Moreover, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of incorporating constraints into the design optimization process and the usage of Bayesian optimization (BO), providing insights into the obtained optimum. This approach offers probabilistic insights into the expected improvement of the optimum, highlighting that the full optimization potential is utilized in a computationally efficient manner.

Over the past decade, mobile autonomous robots have been widely used efficiently for different applications. Recently, self-balancing robots attracted more attention and showed impressive performance. A self-balancing robot is simply a two-wheeled robot; hence it needs to be balanced vertically using a closed-loop control algorithm. In this paper, a new hybrid two-wheeled self-balancing robot is fully designed and implemented, which is able to track objects and to avoid obstacles efficiently. The proposed robot consists of a two-wheeled chassis equipped with an ultrasonic sensor, camera, gyroscope and accelerometer allowing a multi-directional navigation of the robot tracker. Additionally, the Internet of Things (IOT) framework has been used for remote control and monitoring via wireless interface. The Fuzzy Logic Controller is designed considering all the realistic hindrances in order to achieve high performance and meet robust stability. To approximate the position of an object about the robot, vision system and ultrasonic sensor coupled with a camera are used. Finally, it has been observed via simulation and hardware implementation the efficiency of fuzzy control technique which achieved both stability and robustness outcomes; however, due to processing restrictions other control techniques are also successfully implemented. Regarding the experimental results it can be concluded that, balancing and tracking techniques can be achieved by applying sequential algorithm in Simulink combined with vision system and sensors like ultrasonic, accelerometer and gyroscope.

A resonance and an antiresonance peak characterize many industrial mechanisms dynamics driven by a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM). The presence of the resonance peak can lead to vibrations and instability of the system. On that account, advanced methods exist to tune the speed Proportional Integral (PI) controller based on adaptive or fuzzy theory. However, those methods require expertise in control theory and are not available in commercial drives. For that, this paper proposes a Bode-based method for PI parameters selection in combination with a notch filter that can be easily set in any industrial drive. The proposed method is compared with conventional tuning methods in a physical setup.

Optimizing process outcomes by tuning parameters through an automated system is common in industry. Ideally, this optimization is performed as efficiently as possible, using the minimum number of steps to achieve an optimal configuration. However, care must often be taken to ensure that, in pursuing the optimal solution, the process does not enter an “unsafe” state (for the process itself or its surroundings). Safe Bayesian optimization is a viable method in such contexts, as it guarantees constraint fulfillment during the optimization process, ensuring the system remains safe. This method assumes the constraints are real-valued and continuous functions. However, in some cases, the constraints are binary (true/false) or classification-based (safe/unsafe), limiting the direct application of safe Bayesian optimization. Therefore, a slight modification of safe Bayesian optimization allows for applying the method using a probabilistic classifier for learning classification constraints. However, violation of constraints may occur during the optimization process, as the theoretical guarantees of safe Bayesian optimization do not apply to discontinuous functions. This paper addresses this limitation by introducing an enhanced version of safe Bayesian optimization incorporating a simulation-informed Gaussian process (GP) for handling classification constraints. The simulation-informed GP transforms the classification constraint into a piece-wise function, enabling the application of safe Bayesian optimization. We applied this approach to optimize the parameters of a computational model for the isotope separator online (ISOL) at the MYRRHA facility (Multipurpose Hybrid Research Reactor for High-Tech Applications). The results revealed a significant reduction in constraint violations—approximately $80\%$—compared to safe Bayesian optimization methods that directly learn the classification constraints using Laplace approximation and expectation propagation. The sensitivity to the accuracy of the simulation model was analyzed to determine the extent to which it is advantageous to use the proposed method. These findings suggest that incorporating available information into the optimization process is valuable for reducing the number of unsafe outcomes in constrained optimization scenarios.