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This paper investigates the kinematics and the optimization of a generic robotic structure composed by N serial rotary joints and actuated with a mono-directional tendon system. In the first part of the paper, the specific case that brought us to develop this study is introduced; the main motivations and the scenario with its specific constraints and design choices have been described.Since a complete and detailed analysis of an n-R serial structure with this kind of characteristics could not be found in the literature, the study of the kinematics and the parameter optimization of such a structure is treated as generally as possible, in order to make the procedure and the results applicable for any similar structure. Finally, in the last part, through the introduction of specific constraints and the definition of the parameters, the general analysis has been applied to the specific case of study: the preliminary study of a finger exoskeleton for an astronaut suit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, sedimentary microbial fuel cells (s-MFC) have been proposed as effective tools to power remote sensors in different aquatic environments, thanks to their ability to produce renewable and sustainable energy continuously and autonomously. The present work proposes the optimization of cylindrical sedimentary microbial fuel cells (s-MFC) as a compact and cost-effective system suitable to be integrated as a payload in an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). To this purpose, a new AUV payload, named MFC-payload, is designed to host the cylindrical s-MFC and a data acquisition system to collect and store information on the voltage produced by the cell. Its overall performance was evaluated during two field measurement campaigns carried out in the Mediterranean Sea. This investigation demonstrates the power production by s-MFC during operation of the AUV in seawater and analyzes the actual influence of environmental conditions on the output power. This study demonstrates that energy production by s-MFCs integrated in AUV systems is decoupled by the navigation of the autonomous vehicle itself, showing the effectiveness of the application of MFC-based technology as a power payload for environmental analysis. All these latter results demonstrate and confirm the ability of the devices to continuously produce electricity during different AUV operation modes (i.e., depth and speed), while changing environmental conditions (i.e., pressure, temperature and oxygen content) demonstrate that cylindrical s-MFC devices are robust system that can be successfully used in underwater applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An organic flexible capacitor was prepared via a multilayer UV-curing process of an acrylic based formulation. The outermost conductive layers were obtained by adding CNTs to PEG-DA resin up to a percolation threshold, found to correspond in between 1 and 2 phr CNTs. The presence of the filler did not significantly influence the photopolymerization rate, while a slight decrease on final acrylic double bond conversion was observed. An increase of Tg values was measured for the films containing CNTs and attributed to an hindering of the polymer chain mobility. A flexible layer was anyway obtained in the presence of 2 phr CNTs, with a Tg value around −25 °C. The three-layer capacitors were electrically characterized, studying impedance module and phase of the system as a function of frequency. Capacitances values are in the range of the shelf standard available discrete components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hand fatigue is one of the most important problems of astronauts during their missions to space. This fatigue is due to the stiffness of the astronauts' gloves known as Extravehicular Activity (EVA) gloves. The EVA glove has a multilayered, bulky structure and is pressurized against the vacuum of space. In order to evaluate the stiffness of EVA gloves, different methods have been proposed in the past. In particular, the effects of wearing an EVA glove on the performance of the hands have been published by many researchers to represent the stiffness of the EVA glove. In this paper, a new method for measuring the stiffness of EVA gloves is proposed. A tendon-actuated finger probe is designed and used as an alternative to the human index finger in order to be placed inside an EVA glove and measure its stiffness. The finger probe is equipped with accelerometers, which work as tilt sensors, to measure the angles of its phalanges. The phalanges are actuated by applying different amount of torque using the tendons of the finger probe. Moreover, a hypobaric glove box is designed and realized to simulate the actual operating pressure of the EVA glove and to measure its stiffness in both pressurized and non-pressurized conditions. In order to prove the right performance of the proposed finger probe, an Orlam-DM EVA glove is used to perform a number of tests. The equation of stiffness for the PIP joint of this glove is extracted from the results acquired from the tests. This equation presents the torque required to flex the middle phalanx of the glove. Then, the effect of pressurization on the stiffness is highlighted in the last section. This setup can be used to measure the stiffness of different kinds of EVA gloves and allows direct, numerical comparison of their stiffness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The human hand has a wide range of degrees of freedom, allowing a great variety of movements, and is also one of the most sensitive parts of the human body. Due to these characteristics, it is the most important tool for astronauts to perform extravehicular activities (EVA). However, astronauts must wear mandatory EVA equipment to be protected from the harsh conditions in space and this strongly reduces hand performance, in particular as regards dexterity, tactile perception, mobility and fatigue. Several studies have been conducted to determine the influence of the EVA glove on manual capabilities, both in the past and more recently. This study presents experimental data regarding the performance decline occurring in terms of force and fatigue in the execution of grasping and pinching tasks when wearing an EVA glove, in pressurized and unpressurized conditions, compared with barehanded potential. Results show that wearing the unpressurized EVA glove hinders grip and lateral pinch performances, dropping exerted forces to about 50–70%, while it barely affects two- and three-finger pinch performances. On the other hand, wearing the pressurized glove worsens performances in all cases, reducing forces to about 10–30% of barehanded potential. The results are presented and compared with the previous literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]