Mekatronika: Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing and Mechatronics

Effects of Varied Planar Dimensions of IPMC on Simulated Actuation using COMSOL

Danial Haziq Rizal — 2023-07-24

This study focuses on mechatronic systems and their use of bending smart materials, specifically the ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC), for compliant actuation. The advantages of IPMC actuators, such as low power consumption and high flexibility, are highlighted. The actuation mechanism of IPMCs involving ion migration, water transport, and mechanical stress imbalance is discussed. The influence of geometric parameters, specifically length and width, on IPMC performance is investigated through simulations. Results show a positive correlation between IPMC lengths exceeding 30 mm and displacement, with longer lengths leading to higher displacements. The relationship between width and maximum displacement is attributed to factors like increased active area, larger polymer volume, and potential effects on mechanical properties. Further electromechanical analysis is needed for a comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms.

Application of Mahalanobis-Taguchi System in Rainfall Trends at UMP Gambang Campus

M.A.M. Jamil — 2023-09-27

Rainfall is a variable meteorological phenomenon that exhibits spatial variability across different locations. Weather stations collect a wide range of parameters to monitor and analyze rainfall patterns. However, not all parameters are equally significant or efficient in performing classification and optimization tasks. In this study, we propose the use of the Mahalanobis-Taguchi system (MTS) method to classify rainfall occurrences by RT-Method and optimize the parameter selection process by T-Method. The data were collected by weather station Vantage Pro2 in UMP Gambang. By applying RT- Method, we can classify the data sample in term of MD for November, May and April while reducing the number of parameters to only those that significantly contribute to the classification, which from 16 parameters to 8 parameters using T-Method. This approach provides a streamlined and efficient methodology for analyzing rainfall patterns and optimizing weather station data collection processes.

A PID-Controlled Approach in the Design of a Physiotherapy Robot for Upper Arm Rehabilitation

Ngee Bing Lau — 2023-10-24

The main objective to develop controller for the rebab robot, therefore to achieve the main objective, the subsequent objective is to formulate the mathematical modelling of 2 DOF of upper arm, to develop upper arm rebab robot, evaluate the performance of the controller and facilitate the creation of new and more improved devices for physiotherapy robot ; therefore, this research will investigate rehabilitation robots, it have shown a high potential for improving the patient’s mobility, improving their functional movements and assisting in daily activities. However, this technology is still an emerging field and suffers from several challenges like compliance control and dynamic uncertain caused by the human–robot collaboration. The main challenge addressed in this thesis is to develop a controller to the rehab robot and formulate the mathematical modelling of 2 DOF of upper arm. Ensure that the exoskeleton robot provides a suitable compliance control that allows it to cooperate perfectly with humans even if the dynamic model of the exoskeleton robot is uncertain. The PID controller is a widely used control algorithm that aims to regulate a system's output by continuously adjusting its input. In the context of a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) robot arm, the PID controller plays a crucial role in achieving precise and accurate arm movements. The Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller employs three main components to achieve control: proportional, integral, and derivative terms.

Efficiency and Accuracy of Scheduling Algorithms for Final Year Project Evaluation Management System

Chang Herng Loo — 2023-10-23

Scheduling algorithms play a crucial role in optimizing the efficiency and precision of scheduling tasks, finding applications across various domains to enhance work productivity, reduce costs, and save time. This research paper conducts a comparative analysis of three algorithms: genetic algorithm, hill climbing algorithm, and particle swarm optimization algorithm, with a focus on evaluating their performance in scheduling presentations. The primary goal of this study is to assess the effectiveness of these algorithms and identify the most efficient one for handling presentation scheduling tasks, thereby minimizing the system's response time for generating schedules. The research takes into account various constraints, including evaluator availability, student and evaluator affiliations within research groups, and student-evaluator relationships where a student cannot be supervised by one of the evaluators. Considering these critical parameters and constraints, the algorithm assigns presentation slots, venues, and two evaluators to each student without encountering scheduling conflicts, ultimately producing a schedule based on the allocated slots for both students and evaluators.

Application of Modified Adaptive Bats Sonar Algorithm with Doppler Effect and Levy Flight (MABSA-DELF) to Optimize Mechanical Engineering Problems

Nur Naajihah Ab Rahman — 2023-10-24

This paper describes the application of the Modified Adaptive Bats Sonar Algorithm with Doppler Effect and Levy Flight (MABSA-DELF) to mechanical engineering design optimization issues. MABSA-DELF is a new algorithm that employs Doppler Effect and Levy Flight theory to improve the position of the transmitted bats’ beam. This project served as a showcase for the superior performance of MABSA-DELF. It was created using the MATLAB software’s computer simulation method. MABSA-DELF demonstrated a superior ability to solve engineering design problems in the fields of business, mechanical/manufacturing engineering, and electrical engineering. MABSA-DELF’s result are compared to those of other established algorithms.

Exploring Micro Aerial Vehicle Mechanism and Controller Design Using Webots Simulation

Dwi Pebrianti — 2023-11-12

Quadrotor Micro Aerial Vehicle (MAV) is one of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which very versatile with their capabilities for specific purposes. Understanding and controlling MAV is important for various applications, from surveillance and delivery services to disaster response and entertainment. In engineering education, providing a hardware platform for understanding MAV mechanism and the controller design is very challenging in terms of cost and safety issue. This paper presents a study on drone mechanisms and controller design using Webots, a versatile robot simulation environment. The primary objectives of this research were to simulate and analyze the behavior of drones in a line following task, employing PID controller as the control strategies, and to evaluate the suitability of Webots as a simulation tool for drone-related teaching and learning as well as research. In the methodology section, the setup of the Webots-based drone simulation, including the selection of a suitable drone model, sensor configurations, and the implementation of control algorithms will be explained. Line following task will be focused to analyze the drone mechanism and the controller design. Data on the drone performance will be collected through the experiment and will be analyzed rigorously. The findings reveal the effectiveness of Webots as a platform for simulating drone behavior. The advantages of using simulation tools like Webots, including cost-effectiveness, safety, and the ability to test and refine control algorithms before deployment on physical drones was proved in this study. It is shown that Webots can be leveraged to teach and train individuals in drone technology without the need for physical hardware.

Identification of Transfer Function to Model Brush Temperature of a Small DC Machine at No-Load

Muhammad Syawal Mat Jahak — 2023-11-13

Using temperature measurement to provide insight into the health condition of an electrical machine at any operating point could be possible if a baseline temperature of the machine could be modelled in real-time and compared to the actual current temperature. In this study, transfer functions are being identified to be used as a baseline temperature response model for a small DC machine. As a preliminary study, the transfer functions are identified using experimental data of temperature responses at several no-load speed step inputs. The order of transfer function tested was between a range from 0 to 4. The third order transfer function was found to be the best followed by the first order transfer function with a model MSE error of less than 0.41 and 0.65 respectively. The slight variation on the poles of the system indicates that the thermal system of the electrical machine does not obey exactly the LTI hypothesis.

A Study of Engineering Student IQ and EQ Based on Analyzing of Electroencephalogram (EEG) Signals

Afiqah Norsepri — 2023-11-29

This paper elaborates about the analyzing of Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ) of an engineering student based on Electroencephalogram (EEG) or brain signals using a computing tool such as MATLAB. The influence of individual’s IQ and EQ on the development of innovative thinking is significant. An IQ alone is not adequate to measure the success of a person. An EQ somehow is found to have a substantial correlation with individual’s performance which shows that both IQ and EQ are important in determining the character and manner of individual’s thinking skills. The main objective of this project is to analyze the output of EEG signals produced by an engineering student based on their IQ and EQ level. A comparison of which quotient influences the student’s thinking skill is also observed in this study. In this project, a single channel EEG amplifier is used to record the EEG signals from 6 different subjects with three different conditions: while not doing anything, during an IQ test and during an EQ test. The data is recorded using the EEG sensors with Unicorn Recorder software that is connected to the amplifier while recording is run. The result of the experiment also explained in terms of the mean value and standard deviation of the EEG bands for each subject and condition. The results of the study conclude that the IQ level of an individual is affected by the Beta band of the EEG signals. Meanwhile, Alpha band of the EEG signals is more dominant in the determination of EQ level of an individual. When Alpha band is higher than Beta band, it shows that the subject is dominant to an EQ dominant person. If Beta band is higher than Alpha band, then IQ is the dominant quotient for the subject. The highest k-NN classification accuracy is obtained at 80:20 classification with 81.84% accuracy using Mean features and 79.53% accuracy using Standard Deviaton features. This study also included the development of Graphical User Interface (GUI) in MATLAB. The GUI is used for the classification of the chosen EEG features. Theta, Alpha, and Beta power band are observed from the EEG signals to identify brain activity. In addition, IQ and EQ analyzer is constructed using Arduino microcontroller once the analysis of the EEG signals are done through GUI.

Improved Inverted Pendulum Control through PID and EPID Controllers

S. A. Jalo — 2023-11-29

This presentation is on studies of application of combined constant rate reaching law and proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control law (EPID) for the control of inverted pendulum system. The inverted pendulum system is similar to a typical attitude control of booster rocket undergoing the takeoff process. Recent studies indicated records of higher rates of accidents in aircrafts. The records show that about half results due to malfunctions of aircraft systems and close to one-third from propulsion system malfunctions. Others are higher complexities of modern aircraft systems and in trying to reduce cost of maintenance. Therefore, the need enhanced automation, fault detection, faults isolation, faults tolerance, faults diagnosis and faults correction. Linear control techniques may not yield the desired performances in aircraft systems due to high levels of system nonlinearities. Applications of the intelligent control counterparts may not guarantee the generation of mathematical model for in-depth analysis. The major demerit of nonlinear control methods is higher requirement of computational burden making practical implementation difficult. The model of the inverted pendulum system is a linearized analytical model. The system performance of the system was observed with the EPID and PID controllers. Furthermore the effect of sudden changes such as wind, gust or other related variations on the system was also studied using step disturbance. It was a simulation studies using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. Results showed that with the EPID a near zero deviation was achieved. Whereas with PID controller was able to only maintain a deviation of about 40. Results also indicated a near zero disturbance rejection ability with the EPID, while the PID was able to only suppress the disturbance to some extent. It implies a more robust control with the EPID was achieved for aircraft/inverted pendulum control. Hence, it implies enhanced performance and with further improvement it can be used for application in this class of systems as well as similar systems. The work would help to for basic researches in aircraft/inverted pendulum control for beginners as well as experienced researchers in the field.

Haptic Feedback Wristband for Tactile Graphics Reader

Muhammad Ikmal Hakim Shamsul Bahrin — 2023-12-17

Traditionally, blind and visually impaired (BVI) readers face challenges in interpreting tactile graphics due to the need for specialized skills, training, and often external assistance. Existing audio feedback systems also present limitations, including susceptibility to surrounding noise and imprecise guidance. Therefore, this paper presents the design of an assistive device for tactile graphics reader using a haptic feedback system. This device takes the form of a digital watch with an adjustable strap, ensuring compatibility with various wrist sizes. It incorporates four strategically placed vibrating mini-motor discs that deliver directional signals to the user's hand through precise vibrations, guiding their exploration towards the area of interest on the tactile graphic. Pilot testing involving blindfolded sighted readers was conducted to assess the effectiveness of this haptic feedback wristband. The results of the testing revealed that participants could successfully discern direction cues and distinguish varying levels of vibration intensity. Notably, the success rates exceeded 70% for navigation and 85% for vibration intensity recognition.

Investigation on a Vision-Based Approch For Smart Pothole Detection Using Deep learning Based on Fast CNN

Ashraf Khaled Alsharafi — 2023-12-17

The quality of road these days are important and roads always dangerous since its filled with potholes and damages which cause a lot of incident and numbers gets more increased in crowded area , this article investigates and compare the performance metrics of different object detection models that utilized the Fast CNN structure in it's backbones , Four processes make up the standard method of pothole detection: data acquisition, data pre-processing, feature extraction, and pothole classification. for the task of pothole detection. The study focuses on the evaluation of YOLOv6n, YOLOv8n, YOLOv5n, and YOLOv7 models using a dataset of road images containing pothole instances. The performance metrics analyzed include precision (P), recall (R), mean average precision at 50% IoU (mAP@.5), and mean average precision from 50% to 95% IoU (mAP@.5:.95) . The findings indicate that YOLOv8n demonstrates the highest overall performance, achieving significant precision and recall rates. These results provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of object detection models for pothole detection, contributing to the field of road maintenance and safety. The outcomes of this study can assist in the development of intelligent systems for automated pothole detection and maintenance planning

Supervised Feature Selection based on the Law of Total Variance

Nur Atiqah Mustapa — 2023-12-28

Feature selection is a fundamental pre-processing step in machine learning that decreases data dimensionality by removing superfluous and irrelevant features. This study proposes a supervised feature selection method based on feature relevance by employing the law of total variance (LTV). Specifically, the LTV is used to quantify the relevance of features by analysing the association between features and class label. Six classifiers were employed to evaluate the performance and reliability of the proposed method pertaining to classification accuracy. The results proved that a feature subset given by the proposed method has the capability to achieve comparable classification accuracy to the full feature set when just half or less than half of the original features are retained. The proposed method was also proven to be versatile as it can achieves adequate classification accuracy with all six classifiers with different learning schemes. In addition, a comparison with a similar type of feature selection method (AmRMR) shows that the proposed method yields a more accurate classification.