2026-06-15 2026, Volume 21 Issue 3

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  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Jian Zheng, Huan Liu, Jiyao Wang, Jianwei Wu

    Aerostatic bearings are extensively applied in the motion stage systems of cutting-edge equipment such as lithography machines. In this paper, a novel aerostatic bearing with non-coplanar orifice and groove (NCOG) is proposed, which effectively addresses the issue that the air supply tubes affect the high-speed motion accuracy of aerostatic guideways. Based on the gas lubrication theory, a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is established to analyze the pressure distribution and flow field status of the aerostatic bearing with NCOG. This reveals the lubrication mechanism as well as the static and dynamic characteristics of the aerostatic bearing with such a structure. The results indicate that the aerostatic bearing with NCOG can achieve the same functionality as traditional bearings with identical structural dimensions. The research on static characteristics shows that increasing the orifice diameter and the groove depth can enhance the pressure within the groove. The results of the dynamic characteristics study demonstrate that increasing the orifice diameter can reduce the micro-vibrations of the bearing. Additionally, when the groove depth is less than 0.04 mm, the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) of the bearing increases with the increase in groove depth, while when it is greater than 0.04 mm, the TKE decreases with the deepening of the groove. Notably, when the groove depth exceeds 0.1 mm, the TKE of the bearing decreases sharply. The effectiveness of the CFD model and the accuracy of the conclusions regarding the static and dynamic characteristics are verified through experiments.

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Xinyang Fan, Zhaoyang Chen, Shu Xin, Yi Ren, Zainan Jiang, Fenglei Ni, Hong Liu

    Multi-object nonprehensile transportation in teleoperated robotic systems poses a dual control challenge: real-time trajectory tracking and simultaneous tray orientation control to satisfy object dynamic constraints. Existing approaches face limitations, including difficulty satisfying trajectory state constraints, excessive model dependency, inadequate adaptability to multi-object scenarios, and a lack of robust mechanisms for handling uncertain object parameters. To address these limitations, this work proposes a novel shared teleoperation framework for multi-object nonprehensile transportation, which enables shared control between human operators and the robotic system for object positioning; meanwhile, the robot autonomously controls object orientation to satisfy task constraints. The primary contributions are threefold: First, a theoretical analysis of dynamic constraints is developed, incorporating object position, inertial parameters, quantity, friction coefficients, and motion states. Furthermore, a virtual object-based dynamic constraint processing method is proposed for the first time, enabling simplified dynamic constraints to be directly utilized for trajectory planning. Second, a model predictive control-based trajectory smoothing algorithm with real-time dynamic constraint enforcement is designed, enabling dynamic coordination between user input tracking and orientation control. Third, simulation and experimental validation confirm that the proposed method successfully ensures dynamic constraints for all objects and achieves stable manipulation of nine different objects at accelerations up to 2.4 m/s2. Compared with the baseline method, the approach achieves a 72.45% reduction in sliding distance and maintains a zero tip-over rate (compared with 13.9% for the baseline). These results demonstrate enhanced adaptability to multi-object parameters and robust performance in complex nonprehensile transportation scenarios.

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Yang Zhou, Xinjia Yu, Jiaxin Liu, Hu Long, Tielin Shi

    While carbon-based nanocomposites are widely used for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and flexible sensing, achieving uniform dispersion and structural continuity within flexible matrices remains challenging due to the intrinsic agglomeration of carbon nanomaterials. Furthermore, maintaining material flexibility in composites with 3D continuous structures is difficult. In this study, we synthesized a carbon-based nanocomposite featuring a 3D continuous network to fabricate flexible composite films. Morphological characterizations revealed a hollow, 3D tube-network utilizing a graphite nanosheet framework, densely decorated with surface-grown carbon nanotubes. Upon infiltrating this network with flexible matrices, its microscopic and macroscopic structural integrity was exceptionally preserved. Consequently, the flexible film achieved a maximum EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 28.1 dB in the X-band, predominantly driven by absorption loss. Specifically, the composite utilizing a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix exhibited optimal EMI SE while closely mirroring the stress-strain behavior of pure PDMS. Mechanical testing demonstrated an elongation at break of 51.9% and an ultimate tensile strength of 1.25 MPa. The composite film displayed extraordinary mechanical and piezoresistive stability, maintaining uncompromised performance after extensive stretch-release cycling and prolonged static strain. For human physiologic monitoring, the PDMS-based film successfully tracked articular movements—including the fingers, elbows, and cervical spine—accurately distinguishing subtle variations in joint flexion angles.

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Cheng Hu, Tielin Shi, Jiantao Lu, Jianqiang Liang, Bin Jia, Jian Duan

    Aero-engines are critical industrial assets whose failures can lead to severe consequences, highlighting the necessity of effective Prognostics and Health Management (PHM). However, existing approaches suffer from limitations in data availability and model accuracy, particularly when real fault samples are scarce or absent, hindering reliable diagnostics. This study develops a novel physics-informed network, named Generative Data-Simulation Adversarial Network (GDSAN), to generate labeled fault vibration signals for reliable aero-engine rotor systems health monitoring. This model introduces a learnable modifying matrix to systematically reconcile discrepancies between simulated and measured data across four error dimensions. After that, physics-informed spectral and energy constraints are embedded into the loss function to enhance both model training stability and the physical plausibility of generated signals. Furthermore, a hybrid-driven PHM framework is constructed, leverages former generated labeled fault data to realize zero-shot fault diagnosis, thereby reducing reliance on high-fidelity simulation models or extensive measured fault samples. The following experimental validation on an aero-engine test bench demonstrates that the proposed framework successfully generates labeled fault signals closely aligned with experimental measurements in both the feature space and frequency spectrum, and eliminates the desperate need for enormous but expensive measured fault samples in model training process. Moreover, the proposed physics-informed terms in the loss function significantly improve the physical plausibility of generated signals.

  • RESEARCH ARTICLE
    Letian Qian, Shuhan Wang, Chuanlin Zhao, Peng Sun, Weixian Lin, Xin Luo

    This paper investigates how to further enhance the dynamic running performance of electrically actuated quadruped robots (e-QRs) under structural, actuation, and load constraints. While existing model predictive control frameworks typically rely on pre-defined gait sequences, we propose a gait sequence optimization method that adapts to variable motor limits and payload conditions to better exploit the robot’s motion capabilities. Experiments on a 518 kg battery-powered e-QR demonstrate a 27% improvement in outdoor running speed—from 1.8 m/s to 2.3 m/s—compared with a baseline using a fixed gait under the same controller.