Design of High Performance Minimally Actuated Robots

Monday June 16th 2025 at 14:00 

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering , Room 206 

Abstract:

From delicate medical procedures to hazardous environment exploration, bio-inspired robots are transforming fields like medicine, search and rescue, maintenance, and security.

Our lab builds versatile bio-inspired robots for medicine, exploration, and environmental tasks. We often draw inspiration from nature's ingenuity but with a minimalist approach. Unlike animals' intricate musculature, our robots achieve impressive capabilities with a small number of motors, leading to innovative designs that can crawl, drive, and fly across diverse environments. From reconfigurable robots that adapt to challenging surfaces to wave-like swimmers, these robotic designs showcase the power of combining biological inspiration with efficient design.

In this talk, we will present the impact of minimalistic actuation on enhancing performance in robotics and explore new actuation concepts that hold the potential to address specific challenges. By reducing the number of actuators and incorporating minimalist approaches, we can reduce the weight and size, improve energy efficiency, and enhance the robots' overall mobility and maneuverability. During the talk, we will showcase a variety of examples of robots that we designed in the last years. (The talk will discuss methods and concepts but will not include analytical models).

Bio:

David Zarrouk is an Associate Professor at the Mechanical Engineering department of Ben Gurion University of the Negev and director of the “Bio-inspired and Medical Robotics” Laboratory. He received his M.Sc. in 2007 (in stochastic mechanics) and Ph.D. in 2011 (in medical robotics) from the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technion. Between Aug. 2011 and Sep. 2013, he was a Fulbright postdoctoral scholar at the EECS Dep. of U.C. Berkeley, working on miniature crawling robots. His research interests are in robotic design, bio-inspired and miniature robotics, flexible and slippery robot-to-surface interaction, space robotics, minimally actuated mechanisms, and medical devices. Prof. Zarrouk received multiple prizes in teaching, research, and innovation.

Multi-scale remote sensing of jellyfish swarms

Monday May 26th 2025 at 14:00 

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206 

Abstract:

The study of jellyfish swarms, which comprise large amounts of individuals that spread over broad

areas, is a multi-scale scientific endeavor. Focusing on seasonal swarms of the jellyfish

Rhopilema nomadica in the eastern Mediterranean, we show how integration of remote sensing

observations from multiple platforms enables a broad perspective on the dynamics of jellyfish swarms, providing new insights over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales - from the behavior of individuals to the spatial characteristics and biogeochemical importance of the bloom as a whole.

At the smallest scale, jellyfish swimming behavior is characterized through Lagranian tracking the

trajectories of multiple adjacent individuals as appear in videos taken by drones hovering over the

bloom. At the regional scale, time varying spatial characteristics of the jellyfish bloom are extracted from aerial images taken from light airplanes. Finally, based on comparison with consecutive satellite images of surface chlorophyll concentrations, which is used as a tracer to transport by the currents, we link the displacement of the jellyfish swarm to fine scale (~1-100 km) circulation patterns.

This research sheds new light on the characteristics of Rhopilema nomadica blooms in the

eastern Mediterranean, and emphasizes the advantages of incorporating multi-platform remote

sensing observations in regional studies of jellyfish blooms worldwide.

Bio:

Yoav Lehehn is faculty member at the Charney School of Marine Sciences in the University of Haifa. In his scientific work, Yoav is studying marine systems through synergy between in-situ measurements and remote-sensing data from airplanes, satellites and drones. Yoav’s current research focuses on promoting data-based oceanic research by automating the process of ocean data integration; development and implementation of Lagrangian methods and image analysis tools for interpretation satellite and drone imagery; and harnessing drone technology to support marine research, with emphasis on small-scale ocean dynamics and motion of marine organisms.

The Role of Computer Simulations in Optimization Exoskeletons

Monday May 12th 2025 at 14:00 

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206

Abstract:

The design of exoskeletons poses a complex challenge that goes beyond traditional robotic systems, as the interaction between humans and exoskeletons must be taken into account. In contrast to controlled robots, exoskeletons must be seamlessly integrated into the human musculoskeletal system, which requires appropriate control strategies and an understanding of human motion dynamics. In this talk, I will review the three main methods for developing exoskeletons: 1) Test and rebuild, 2) Human in the loop, and 3) simulation. I will mainly focus on simulation, which includes models of both the electromechanical system and the biomechanics of the human user. The advantages and limitations of the simulation method will be demonstrated using several exoskeletons that we have built in our lab: (1) biomechanical energy harvester, designed to produce electricity without increasing the user’s effort; (2) exoskeleton for vertical jumping that allows explosive movements at high speed, unlike most exoskeletons that are designed for continuous use in aerobic tasks (e.g., walking, running, lifting). Thus, we have developed the first exoskeleton that increases the user's jumping height and investigated the interactions between humans and exoskeletons. While traditional simulation uses experimental trajectories without the actual exoskeletons, we have developed a simulation for jumping exoskeletons that enables motion adaptation for improved utilization. We also compared the simulation results with experimental data using an actual exoskeleton. This framework was extended to also create a simulation for a running exoskeleton. The results of our studies reveal similarities and important discrepancies between experiments and simulations and shed light on the limitations of current modeling techniques.

Bio:

Raziel Riemer is an Associate Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. He holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering, both from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. His research interests are in the areas of human motion analysis, modelling and simulation and wearable robotics. Prior to his academic career, Raziel worked in industry for six years as a mechanical and industrial engineer, primarily at Intel. In the distant past, he was a competitive swimmer (Israel champion and record holder) and enjoys using his knowledge of biomechanics to improve the performance of athletes.

Experimental optimization of a 3-element high-lift system with active flow control

Monday April 28th 2025 at 14:00 

Wolfson Building of Mechanical Engineering, Room 206 

Abstract:

The Seminar will present the experimental investigation of the efficiency of Active Flow Control (AFC) as a means of enhancing the aerodynamic performance of aircraft wings. The overarching goal is to demonstrate its economic viability and potential for widespread use in the aviation industry. By actively generating several forms of oscillatory blowing and suction, the airflow around various wing models is manipulated to augment the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoils.

The research encompasses three experimental studies, each employing wind tunnel experiments to assess the effectiveness of AFC in diverse scenarios. The first study experimentally examines the feasibility of replacing a conventional leading-edge slat with an AFC system that integrates suction and oscillatory blowing, aiming to achieve comparable aerodynamic benefits with reduced weight and complexity. The second study focuses on mitigating local flow separation induced by integrating ultra-high bypass ratio engines with the wing, utilizing suction and pulsed blowing to redirect and re-energize the flow in the affected region. The final study experimentally investigates the potential of AFC for controlling flutter, a detrimental aeroelastic phenomenon, by implementing a closed-loop control system based on fluidic oscillators.

The findings of these studies collectively highlight the capability of AFC to increase lift, delay stall, and mitigate flow separation, thereby contributing to improved aerodynamic efficiency and reduced fuel consumption in aircraft. The research also includes an in-depth discussion on the energy efficiency of the AFC systems, emphasizing the importance of minimizing energy consumption for practical implementation. The thesis underscores the promise of AFC as a practical and effective solution for enhancing the performance and sustainability of future aircraft designs, supported by concrete experimental evidence. The research also delves into the complexities of implementing AFC in real-world scenarios, addressing system integration, control algorithms, and scalability challenges. The thesis concludes by highlighting the potential of AFC to revolutionize aircraft design and operation, enabling the development of more efficient, quieter, safer, and environmentally friendly aircraft.

Bio:

Shay Monat is a PhD student in the Meadow Aerodynamics Laboratory under the former guidance of Prof. Avi Seifert (R.I.P) and currently under the guidance of Prof. Alex Liberzon and Prof. Oksana Stalnov.