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Article
Publication date: 27 August 2024

Yurui Xu, Liang Gao, Benshan Liu, Junming Zhang, Yanhe Zhu, Jie Zhao and Liyi Li

Compared to quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the tilting dual-rotor UAV is more prone to instability during exercises and disturbances. The purpose of this paper is using…

Abstract

Purpose

Compared to quad-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the tilting dual-rotor UAV is more prone to instability during exercises and disturbances. The purpose of this paper is using an active balance tail to enhance the hovering stability and motion smoothness of tilting dual-rotor UAV.

Design/methodology/approach

A balance tail is proposed and integrated into the tilting dual-rotor UAV to enhance hovering stability and motion smoothness. By strategically moving, the balance tail generates additional force and moment, which can promote the rapid stability of the UAV. Subsequently, the control strategy of the UAV is designed, and the influence of the swing of the balance tail at different installation positions with different masses on the dual-rotor UAV is analyzed through simulation. The accompany motion law and the active control, which is based on cascade Proportion Integration Differentiation (PID) control to enhance the hovering stability and motion smoothness of the UAV, are proposed.

Findings

The results demonstrate that active control has obvious adjustment effectiveness when the UAV moves to the target position or makes an emergency stop compared with the results of balance tail no swing and accompany motion.

Practical implications

The balance tail offers a straightforward means to enhance the motion smoothness of tilting dual-rotor UAV, rendering it safer and more reliable for practical applications.

Originality/value

The novelty of this works comes from the application of an active balance tail to improve the stability and motion smoothness of dual-rotor UAV.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 96 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2012

Jie Zhao, Xindan Cui, Yanhe Zhu and Shufeng Tang

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the design and the multi‐mode locomotion function of the new reconfigurable modular robotic system – UBot system – which combines the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the design and the multi‐mode locomotion function of the new reconfigurable modular robotic system – UBot system – which combines the advantages from the chain‐based and lattice‐based self‐reconfigurable robots.

Design/methodology/approach

The UBot modules the authors have designed are based on the universal joint and of cubic shape with two rotational joints and reliable automatic connecting mechanism. The modules are compact and flexible enough for locomotion and reconfiguration. The system can move in different modes to satisfy different terrains, through changing the modules' local connections and rotation of modules' joints.

Findings

The UBot system can flexibly move in the modes of cross, loop, quadruped, snake‐type and other type of locomotion modes. All the locomotion has been implemented in the physical experiments.

Originality/value

The UBot module is the new reconfigurable module which has two joints in one unit of regular cubic space and four reliable automatic connecting surfaces. A group of the modules is able to change its connective configuration by changing their local connections and has functionality of the corresponding traditional robotic system. Since it can travel through terrains that may not be fully characterized ahead of time, the system can be used in a large variety of tasks, such as transportation, assembly, inspection and exploration.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Wei Chen, Zhuzhang Yang, Hang Yan and Ying Zhao

The construction industry is widely recognized as one of the most hazardous sectors in the world. Despite extensive research on safety management, a critical issue remains that…

Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry is widely recognized as one of the most hazardous sectors in the world. Despite extensive research on safety management, a critical issue remains that insufficient attention is devoted to safety practices in rural areas. Notably, accidents frequently occur during the construction of rural self-built houses (RSH) in China. Safety management tends to be overlooked due to the perceived simplicity of the construction process. Furthermore, it is essential to acknowledge that China currently lacks comprehensive laws and regulations governing safety management in RSH construction. This paper aims to analyze the behavior of key stakeholders (including households, workmen, rural village committee and the government) and propose recommendations to mitigate safety risks associated with RSH construction.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper applies evolutionary game theory to analyze the symbiotic evolution among households, workmen and rural village committee, in situations with or without government participation. Additionally, numerical simulation is utilized to examine the outcomes of various strategies implemented by the government.

Findings

Without government participation, households, workmen, and rural village committee tend to prioritize maximizing apparent benefits, often overlooking the potential safety risks. Numerical simulations reveal that while government involvement can guide these parties towards safer decisions, achieving the desired outcomes necessitates the adoption of reasonable and effective strategies. Thus, the government needs to offer targeted subsidies to these stakeholders.

Originality/value

Considering that during the construction phase, stakeholders are the main administrators accountable for safety management. However, there exists insufficient research examining the impact of stakeholder behavior on RSH construction safety. This study aims to analyze the behavior of stakeholders about how to reduce the safety risks in building RSH. Thus, the authors intend to contribute to knowledge in this area by establishing evolutionary game model. Firstly, this study carried out a theoretical by using tripartite evolutionary game to reveal the reasons for the high safety risk during building RSH. Practically, this research points out the important role of households, workmen and rural village committee in improving safety management in rural areas. Besides, some suggestions are proposed to the government about how to reduce construction safety risks in rural areas.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 March 2022

Xiaoming Wang, Nanjun He and Xiaokang Li

Anti-epidemic Emergency Projects (AEEPs) have unique characteristics such as a short construction period, high-quality requirements, complex construction environment, many…

Abstract

Purpose

Anti-epidemic Emergency Projects (AEEPs) have unique characteristics such as a short construction period, high-quality requirements, complex construction environment, many construction participants and many uncertain affecting factors. The purpose of this paper was to propose the establishment method for the Construction Community (CC) of AEEPs (CC-AEEPs) by analyzing the management features of AEEPs, to establish the method of the Social Network Analysis (SNA) for CC-AEEPs, and to apply this method and the framework to Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital for their verification.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the CC theory, this paper explored the member composition and the establishment method for CC-AEEPs. The optimal management factors of CC-AEEPs were proposed by combining the management features of AEEPs and the SNA method for CC-AEEPs was further established. Finally, the applicability of the method was verified through a case study, and some countermeasures for the CC-AEEP social networks were proposed.

Findings

The establishment of CC-AEEPs is an important guarantee to complete AEEPs with top speed and high quality. Ten types of CC-AEEP members all played different but irreplaceable roles in cooperative construction, among which the Government, the Contractor, and the Supervisor had outstanding performances. The SNA method could effectively analyze the complexity and cooperative relationship among the members in four aspects. The case study of Huoshenshan Hospital validated the important role of CC-AEEP and its social network in the AEEP research providing beneficial enlightenment for the cooperative optimization path of the AEEP construction participants.

Originality/value

The new establishment method for CC-AEEPs was proposed from the perspective of “cooperation among human, society, and engineering” according to the theories of the engineering sociology and the CC. In this paper, the SNA method was applied to the research on the AEEP construction for the first time and the SNA method for CC-AEEPs was purposed. The optimal management factors of CC-AEEPs and the expansion path of the CC-AEEP social networks were proposed according to the whole-process tracking of AEEPs in Wuhan.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

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