System to control an actuator
OwnerWilburn Whittington, Haitham El Kadiri +1inventors
InventorsWilburn Whittington, Haitham El Kadiri, Cory Krivanec
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Abstract
The invention consists of a novel system and method for controlling an actuator, such as a linear actuator, used to control motion of an object, such as a tensile specimen or other component. The invention comprises applying a controllable smart material to an actuator, wherein the controllable smart material varies the resistance to the actuator motion; deforming or moving the object; sensing the objects current state; recording an associated data set comprising a plurality of parameters related to the objects state; comparing the current state of the object to the target state of the object; and altering the resistance to the actuator by deforming the smart material until the target state is reached.
Claims20
A system for controlling an actuator used to control the motion of a tensile specimen, the system comprising:
- an actuator configured to change a state of a tensile specimen;
- a motor device configured to apply a load to the actuator and to produce movement in the actuator;
- a controllable smart material on and connected to the actuator, the controllable smart material configured to apply controllable resistance to the actuator;
- a camera configured to sense the state of the tensile specimen;
- at least one real-time controller configured to alter deformation of the controllable smart material, wherein alteration of the deformation of the controllable smart material results in alteration of the controllable resistance applied to the actuator;
- and
- a data recorder connected to the camera and the at least one real-time controller, the data recorder configured to store data corresponding to the deformation of the controllable smart material.
A method for controlling an actuator used to control motion of a tensile specimen, the method comprising:
- applying a controllable smart material to an actuator, wherein the controllable smart material applies controllable resistance to the motion of the actuator;
- applying an external force to the actuator;
- controlling the actuator by altering the controllable resistance applied to the motion of the actuator via controllable deformation of the controllable smart material;
- sensing a change of state of the tensile specimen;
- updating a dataset of the change of state of the tensile specimen;
- comparing a current state of the tensile specimen with a target state of the tensile specimen;
- and
- altering the deformation of the controllable smart material to change the resistance to the motion of the actuator until the current state of the tensile specimen reaches the target state of the tensile specimen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.