• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.39-44
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• 2024

This study introduces a novel method for predicting the shape of soft catheter robots embedded with electromagnets. As an advancement in the realm of soft robotics, these catheter robots are crafted from flexible and pliable materials, ensuring enhanced safety and adaptability during interactions with human tissues. Given the pivotal role of catheters in minimally invasive surgeries (MIS), our design stands out by facilitating active control over the orientation and intensity of the inbuilt electromagnets. This ensures precise targeting and manipulation of the catheter segments. The research encompasses a comprehensive breakdown of the magnetic modeling, tracking algorithms, experimental layout, and analytical techniques. Both simulation and experimental results validate the efficacy of our method, underscoring its potential to augment accuracy in MIS and revolutionize healthcare-oriented soft robotics.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.361-367
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• 2010

The principal objective of this paper was to evaluate the steering characteristics of a tandem tracked vehicle, each side of which features two tandem tracks, when crawling on extremely cohesive soft soil. The tandem tracked vehicle is assumed to be a rigid-body with 6-dof. The dynamic analysis program of the tandem tracked vehicle was developed via Newmark's method and the incremental-iterative method. A terra-mechanics model of extremely cohesive soft soil was implemented according to the relationships of normal pressure to sinkage, of shear resistance to shear displacement, and of dynamic sinkage to shear displacement. In order to simplify the characteristics of contact interaction between track segments and cohesive soft soil, the characteristics of soil are equated to the properties of intact soil. In an effort to evaluate the steering characteristics of a tandem tracked vehicle crawling on extremely cohesive soft soil, a series of dynamic simulations were conducted for a tandem tracked vehicle model with respect to the front and rear steering angle, the steering ratio, and the initial velocity.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-47
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• 2019

The main objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the efficiency of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) in enhancing the unconfined compressive strength of soft soil alone and soft soil mixed with recycled tiles. The recycled tiles have been used to treat soft soil in a previous research by Al-Bared et al. (2019) and the results showed significant improvement, but the improved strength value was for samples treated with low cement content (2%). Hence, OPC is added alone in this research in various proportions and together with the optimum value of recycled tiles in order to investigate the improvement in the strength. The results of the compaction tests of the soft soil treated with recycled tiles and 2, 4, and 6% OPC revealed an increment in the maximum dry density and a decrement in the optimum moisture content. The optimum value of OPC was found to be 6%, at which the strength was the highest for both samples treated with OPC alone and samples treated with OPC and 20% recycled tiles. Under similar curing time, the strength of samples treated with recycled tiles and OPC was higher than the treated soil with the same percentage of OPC alone. The stress-strain curves showed ductile plastic behaviour for the untreated soft clay and brittle behaviour for almost all treated samples with OPC alone and OPC with recycled tiles. The microstructural tests indicated the formation of new cementitious products that were responsible for the improvement of the strength, such as calcium aluminium silicate hydrate. This research promotes recycled tiles as a green stabiliser for soil stabilisation capable of reducing the amount of OPC required for ground improvement. The replacement of OPC with recycled tiles resulted in higher strength compared to the control mix and this achievement may results in reducing both OPC in soil stabilisation and the disposal of recycled tiles into landfills.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.89-96
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• 2016

Compressive axial behavior of the variable cross-section soft ground reinforced foundation is investigated from the field load test results at ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ construction site in Incheon city. Variable cross-section soft ground reinforced foundation is a type of partial-displacement pile formed by mixing bidding material with in situ soils to obtain a rigid and strong variable cross-section column in a relatively soft ground. The foundations are usually constructed as a group; however in this study, only single foundation was installed and tested under compressive axial load on foundation head. For the comparison of the variable cross-section soft ground reinforced foundation axial behavior, behavior of typical Pretensioned spun high strength concrete (PHC) pile constructed on a relatively soft ground near the surface was analyzed. It was concluded that variable cross-section soft ground reinforced foundation efficiently resists against axial load with sufficient stiffness and strength within a considerable range of axial load magnitude.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.279-285
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose a novel speech enhancement method to improve the performance of the conventional global soft decision which is based on the spectral gradient method applied to the ratio of a priori speech absence and presence probability value (q). Conventional global soft decision scheme used a fixed value of q in accordance with the hypothesis assumed, but the proposed algorithm is a technique for improving the speech absence probability which is applied adaptively variable value of q according to the speech presence or absence in the previous two frames and the conditions of the spectral gradient value. Experimental results show that the proposed improved global soft decision method based on the spectral gradient method yields better results compared to the conventional global soft decision technique based on the performance criteria of the ITU-T P. 862 PESQ (Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality).

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2004

A new driving circuit for the SPSS (Single-Pulse Soft-Switching) PFC converter is proposed. The switching device of a SPSS converter switches once in every half cycle of an AC commercial power source. Therefore, it can be solved many problems caused by the high frequency operation. The proposed SPSS converter achieves the soft-switching operation and the EMI noise can be reduced. The resonant capacitor voltage supplies to the resonant inductor even if the input AC voltage is the vicinity of zero cross voltage. Then, the power factor and input current waveform can be improved without delay time. A new driving circuit achieves the operation of SPSS converter by one switching drive circuit. The proposed converter can be satisfied the IEC standard sufficiently

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.602-609
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• 2015

In this paper, a zero current transition (ZCT) double-ended flyback converter is proposed. All of the switching elements act under soft switching conditions and the voltage stress of the main switches is limited to the input voltage due to the innate behavior of the double-ended flyback converter. Providing soft switching conditions and clamping the voltage stress improves the efficiency and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The Proposed converter is analyzed in detail and its operating modes are discussed in detail. Experimental results are presented to verify the theoretical predictions. Moreover, the conducted electromagnetic emissions of the proposed ZCT double-ended flyback converter are measured to show another merit of the proposed converter in addition to providing soft switching conditions. The measured electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the proposed converter demonstrates that its EMI is lower than the conventional double-ended flyback converter. Furthermore, two simple and cost effective EMI reduction methods are applied to satisfy the EMC standard.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2010.09a
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• pp.379-391
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• 2010

In order to understand the mechanism of cementation of soft soils treated with bacteria, three types of specimens(untreated, normal bacteria concentration treated, and high bacteria concentration treated) were made. Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM), EDX and X-ray diffraction(XRD) analyses were performed on the soft silt and loose sand specimens. Compared with the untreated specimen, a clearer cementation between particles was observed in the high bacteria concentration treated specimen. Based on the scanning electron microscope(SEM) EDX analyses, more calcium carbonate was observed in the specimen treated with high bacteria concentration than other specimens. On the basis of the preliminary results, it appears that microbial cementation can occur in the soft soil. Further study on the cementation of soils using bacteria is necessary to validate this result.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.229-241
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• 2012

In this paper, utilizing void ratio-effective stress and void ratio-permeability relationships, a system of two nonlinear partial differential equations is derived to predict the consolidation characteristics of normally consolidated (NC) and overconsolidated (OC) soft clays subjected to cyclic loading. A developed feature of the coefficient of consolidation containing two key parameters is emerged from the differential equations. Effect of these parameters on the consolidation characteristics of soft clays is analytically discussed. It is shown that the ratios between the slopes of e-$log{\sigma}^{\prime}$ and e-log k lines in the NC and OC states play a major role in the consolidation process. In the companion paper, the critical assumptions made in the analytical discussion are experimentally verified and a numerical study is carried out in order to examine the proposed theory.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.1228-1233
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• 2005

In this paper, we present a new guidance law for a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) that lands vertically after reentry. In our past studies, a guidance law was developed for a vertical/soft landing to a target point. The guidance law, which is analytically obtained, can regenerate a trajectory against disturbances because it is expressed in the form of state feedback. However, the guidance law does not necessarily guarantee a vertical/soft landing when a dynamical system such as an RLV includes a nonlinear phenomenon owing to the atmosphere of the earth. In this study, we introduce a design of the guidance law for a nonlinear system to achieve a vertical/soft landing on the ground using the exact linearization method and solving the two-point boundary-value problem for the derived linear system. Numerical simulation confirmed the validity of the proposed guidance law for an RLV in an atmospheric environment.