Ravi Kant Jain

This paper presents a robust and adaptive real-time control system for soft actuators based on ionic polymer–metal composites (IPMCs), where key challenges are in precision control due to their non-linear behavior, hysteresis, and environmental sensitivity. The proposed novel architecture consists of an artificial neural network (ANN) with a PID controller to minimize tip deflection error effectively. An experimental test setup has been developed to collect the deflection data of the IPMC actuator. A Baumer laser sensor captures accurate deflection data, which is digitized via a MAX485 module and processed using an Arduino microcontroller. In this study, a real-world dataset has been employed to train an ANN model in MATLAB software, which facilitates accurate prediction of IPMC deflection values corresponding to given voltage inputs. The control loop is implemented in Simulink, where a setpoint deflection feeds into a PID controller, which then adjusts the voltage input to the ANN model. The maximum steady-state error is up to 0.01 mm. This novel hybrid framework compensates for system non-linearities and sensor noise, significantly enhancing actuator performance. The integration of high-resolution sensing, intelligent modeling, and closed-loop control demonstrates an efficient solution for precise IPMC actuation in grippers, manipulation, soft robotics, bio-mimetic, and other applications.

This paper proposes a novel design methodology of Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) protocol for an IoT-enabled mobile robot system to operate remotely and access wirelessly. These devices can be used in different applications such as monitoring, inspection, robotics, healthcare, etc. For communicating with such devices, the different frameworks of IoT can be deployed to attain secured transmission using different protocols such as HTTP, MQTT, CoAP, etc. In this paper, the novel IoT-enabled communication using the CoAP protocol in mobile robotic systems is attempted. A mathematical analysis of the CoAP model is carried out where this protocol provides a faster response within less time and less power consumption as compared to other protocols. The main advantage of the CoAP protocol is to facilitate Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication which contains features like small packet overhead and less power consumption. An experimental prototype has been developed and several trials have been conducted to evaluate the CoAP protocol’s performance for rapid communication within the mobile robotic system. Signal strength analysis is also carried out. This reveals that the reliability of sending signals is up to 99%. Thus, the application of the CoAP protocol shows enough potential to develop IoT-enabled mobile robotic systems and allied applications.

This study introduces an innovative design for a compliant micro gripper based on Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) technology, intended for micro-assembly applications where SMA wire is used as an active actuator for opening and closing the jaw of micro gripper and gripping the object because it has a flexible behavior with high strength and large defection. This SMA wire can achieve the active actuator property by shape-changing properties with temperature. To control the temperature, the mathematical modeling and electro-mechanical characterizations of SMA wire are carried out by applying Joule's heating law method for identifying shape-changing properties with temperature. An experimental testing setup is also developed for characterizations of SMA wire where the behavior of SMA wire is controlled by setting the control parameters using the Lab VIEW software. After testing the SMA wires, the key finding is that the SMA wire shows steady-state behavior. Further, an SMA-based compliant micro gripper is developed. This development demonstrates that SMA wire facilitate the opening and closing of the jaws during the handling of miniature objects which shows that this flexible SMA-based micro gripper can be utilized in futuristic micro-assembly applications.

Summary: This paper proposes an IoT‐enabled soil monitoring system using wireless sensor network for automatic irrigation in agricultural applications, especially for lemongrass plants, where an automated control system is required for irrigation applications. This can solve the problem of the water crisis, which is faced by the farmers during the cultivation of the crop in the field. This controls the water supply in the irrigation process using an IoT communication system. A system architecture for soil monitoring and controlling irrigation using IoT technique is designed where the different sensors and actuators like humidity, soil moisture, temperature, pump, and so forth are connected with a node microcontrol unit and message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT) protocol for enhancing communication capabilities. This wireless sensor network gives feedback to the system. This provides automation by the on/off pump system during drip irrigation. The sensor data are displayed on a PC or mobile phone through wireless communication and an IoT cloud platform. An experimental testing setup is developed and the experimental performance of a soil monitoring system using IoT technique for automatic drip irrigation has been carried out and soil moisture data are also stored in a cloud server for analytics. The performance shows that the MQTT protocol sends data within 48 s to the IoT cloud so that the data can be acquired in a faster manner. This shows that this kind of soil monitoring system is suitable for automatic drip irrigation, which enhances the farming process and overcomes the water crises in the agricultural system by reducing the wastage of water.

Robotics has always been demanding rapid and faster development in different applications like automobiles, material handling, power plant, coal mines, inspection, agriculture, defense, biomedical, and so on where controlling the robots is a major challenge which can be provided the remote operation through wirelessly. Internet-of-Things (IoT) technology has been introduced for robotic applications which can facilitate the transferring of data almost without the intervention of human-to-machine-interface (HMI) or human-to-computer interaction via a wireless communication approach. In this paper, an IoT-enabled mobile robot is designed for proving the robot's functionality which provides the user with all the necessary controls in mobile android phones using IoT. A robotic system is developed and the data visualization of gasses content and air quality testing within the working environment have been carried out where the use of sensors is essential for finding and detecting certain factors within the working environment. A mobile app is developed using a web application by which the different gasses content and air quality can be monitored in various industrial applications. This kind of application demands for use of an IoT cloud for storing data in futuristic robotic applications.

Water pollution is a serious problem in different parts of the world. In addition, water quality must be monitored to ensure that the water is provided safely for drinking and other purposes. Too high a concentration of Arsenic ions in drinking water is the cause of many health problems, including heart problems, neurological problems, etc. Water sampling and laboratory analysis are required for traditional water quality monitoring. In this paper, we discussed an IoT-based interfacing sensor device for sensing arsenic contaminants in water where IoT cloud computing networks enable the integration of a variety range of mechanical and electronic devices. A Node MCU device is used for data transmission which emphasizes on Wi-Fi-controlled interface devices and IoT-enabled communication protocol for the detection of water contaminants. This system is connected to an IoT cloud platform to store the data for analyzing purposes where Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color detection occurs by identifying the wavelength of contaminants. The system makes use of IoT to display the output in real-time for on-site and off-site monitoring via mobile phone. The system makes use of IoT to display the output in real-time for on-site and off-site monitoring via mobile phone, The major advantage of IoT technology is that it easily connects devices and stores the generated data in the cloud. With the help of command control systems, data can be used for appropriate applications to make human life easier and safer while considering Industry's impact. The acceptable limits set by WHO and the Bureau of Indian Standards for Arsenic are 0.05 mg/litres and 0.01 mg/l respectively. Therefore, a smart and intelligent device that can be used for measuring Arsenic content which is very necessary today to ensure the health of human life in society.