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;
- a motor device for applying a load to the actuator and for producing movement in the actuator;
- a controllable smart material on and connected to the actuator that provides resistance to the actuator;
- a tensile specimen having a state capable of being changed by the actuator;
- a camera for detecting, reading, and monitoring the state of the tensile specimen;
- at least one real-time controller for changing the state of the controllable smart material and the tensile specimen, thereby resulting in deformation of the controllable smart material and the tensile specimen;
- and
- a data recorder connected to the camera and the at least one real-time controller for storing, analyzing, monitoring, and providing controllable smart material data.
A method for controlling an actuator used to control the motion of a tensile specimen, the method comprising:
- (a) applying a controllable smart material to an actuator, wherein the controllable smart material varies the resistance to the motion of the actuator;
- (b) applying an external force to the actuator;
- (c) altering and controlling the resistance to the motion of the actuator by controllable deformation of the controllable smart material;
- (d) sensing the change of state of the tensile specimen;
- (e) updating the 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
- (g) 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.