Ali Poursina

• Kashyap, Subham; Saha, Nilanjan; Jiang, Zhiyu & Poursina, Mohammad (2026). Dynamic response analysis of an offshore wind turbine under seismic loads and vibration-induced shutdown. Ships and Offshore Structures. ISSN 1744-5302. doi: 10.1080/17445302.2025.2611327. Full text in Research Archive
• Hua, Minh Tuan; Poursina, Mohammad; Vu, Viet Hung & Sanfilippo, Filippo (2026). Dynamic Modeling and Analysis of Robotic Manipulators With Mixed Rigid–Elastic Joints. IEEE Access. 14, p. 33966–33995. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2026.3668125. Full text in Research Archive
• Tsoulis, Dimitrios; Gavriilidou, Georgia; Tsagkalidou, Maria; Poursina, Mohammad; Ho, Alex & Wold, Margrethe (2026). Methods and applications of potential field modeling of finite distributions. Journal of Applied Geophysics. ISSN 0926-9851. 245. doi: 10.1016/j.jappgeo.2025.106066. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The evaluation of the gravity field induced by a finite mass distribution is an interdisciplinary research topic with a wide number of applications in geodesy, geophysics and astronomy. Starting from the equation of motion, modeling of the force component due to a given distribution is a challenging procedure. The scope of the paper is to review different methodologies available for this computation. The considered techniques examine both analytical and numerical evaluation of the corresponding integral expressions and include the polyhedral and prismatic modeling, surface and volume integral methods, series expansions and spherical harmonics, dynamic modeling of polyhedral shapes and gravity signal changes. In addition, three state-of-the-art applications related to potential field modeling are presented. Firstly, the computation of mutual potentials in the frame of studying the dynamics of binary mass systems and their interactions. Secondly, the stochastic representation of asteroid shape models in order to compute gravity signal variations implied by specific mass changes, an approach suited to model time variable gravity fields. Thirdly, the calculation of terrain corrections based on the evaluation of regional potential fields using Digital Terrain Model data.

• Jaiswal, Suraj & Poursina, Ali M. (2025). Historical Evolution of Heavy Machinery and a General Role of Multibody Dynamics. Machines. 13(8). doi: 10.3390/machines13080741. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Heavy machinery has evolved significantly in productivity, efficiency, and safety over the past century and a half, where most technological advances occurred after the 1990s. The field of multibody dynamics has significantly contributed to this development. The objective of this study is to introduce the historical evolution of heavy machinery and to analyze the general role of multibody dynamics in this evolution. The latter part of the objective is the novel contribution of this study. The historical evolution of heavy machinery is presented from the ancient times of 30–20 BC to the modern innovations of 2024. The general role of multibody dynamics in heavy machinery is identified and analyzed in five phases, from using simple kinematic models in the 1970s to real-time simulations and autonomous systems in the 2020s. This study can serve as a benchmark for future work.

• Jaiswal, Suraj; Poursina, Mohammad & Mikkola, Aki (2025). Comparing various semi-recursive multibody methods based on different reference frames in simulating mechanical systems. Multibody system dynamics. ISSN 1384-5640. doi: 10.1007/s11044-025-10117-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mechanical systems are extensively utilized in many fields such as the forest, earth-moving, and mining industries. The computer simulation of a mechanical system is often carried out by utilizing a multibody dynamics approach, where various semi-recursive methods can lead to varied computational efficiencies. The objective of this paper is to introduce and systematically compare various semi-recursive multibody methods based on different reference frames in the framework of the index-3 augmented Lagrangian method with projections. The novelty of this paper is the direct formulation and implementation of the method in the center of mass reference frame, whereas the method in the instantaneous reference frame is taken from the literature. Here, simulation models of four-bar, slider-crank, and quick-return mechanical structures are demonstrated as numerical examples. The methods are analyzed depending on the simulation accuracy, violation of constraints, mechanical energy balance, and computational efficiency. The results show that for the presented examples, the center of mass reference frame method is computationally efficient and accurate compared to the method taken from the literature.

• Tsoulis, Dimitrios; Gavriilidou, Georgia; Poursina, Mohammad & Wold, Margrethe (2025). Degree Wise Validation of Gravity Spherical Harmonics for Polyhedral Sources. Surveys in geophysics. ISSN 0169-3298. 46, p. 843–871. doi: 10.1007/s10712-025-09892-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The gravitational potential and its first-order derivatives induced by finite mass distributions are evaluated numerically and analytically. Three asteroid shape models have been used for the implementation, namely Eros which is the most irregular one, Didymos which is nearly spherical and Dimorphos which is a perfect ellipsoid. For the numerical approach, the spherical harmonic series up to maximum expansion degree 100 were computed. For the analytical approach on the other hand, the line integral algorithm of general polyhedra was applied. The two methods are compared in terms of numerical convergence between them with respect to maximum expansion degree of the corresponding harmonic series and relative position between computation point and modeled body. Additionally, emphasis is given on the different geometric characteristics of the applied shapes and their influence on the induced gravity signal evaluation. The results are separated for points located inside and outside the Brillouin sphere. Inside Brillouin sphere, better agreement between methods is provided for the case of Didymos due to its spherical-like shape. Outside Brillouin sphere, Dimorphos secured the highest convergence between analytical and numerical methods, due to its smooth exterior boundary, with the maximum difference being 6E−10 m2∕s2 for the gravitational potential and 7E−10 m∕s2 for its first-order derivatives. For gravitational potential the highest differences are observed for Eros ( 2E−6 m2∕s2 ). For the first-order derivatives, both Eros and Didymos provided differences of the same magnitude, 1E−8 m2∕s2 and 2E−8 m2∕s2 . Finally, regarding the maximum expansion degree, the convergence between the two methods at degree 100 for Eros and Didymos are provided by Dimorphos at degrees 27 and 35, respectively.

• Zafar, Muhammad Hamza; Poursina, Mohammad; Moosavi, Syed Kumayl Raza & Sanfilippo, Filippo (2025). Trajectory Optimisation of a Robotic Manipulator Using a Novel Evolutionary Intelligence Algorithm. In Scarpa, Marco; Cavalieri, Salvatore; Serrano, Salvatore & Vita, Fabrizio De (Ed.), Proceedings of the 39th ECMS International Conference on Modelling and Simulation (ECMS 2025), June 24th - June 27th, 2025, Catania, Italy. ECMS European Council for Modelling and Simulation. ISSN 9783937436869. p. 93–99. doi: 10.7148/2025-0093. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we present a novel approach for Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) tuning of a robotic manipulator, modeled using the Lagrange method and validated through comprehensive modeling and simulation. To optimize the PID gains, we developed a hybrid algorithm that combines Greylag Goose Optimization (GGO) with the Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), leveraging the strengths of both optimization techniques. The proposed hybrid algorithm, termed GGOSCA, was tested against GGO and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) using three objective functions: Lyapunov Based Function (LBF), Integral of Absolute Error (IAE), and Integral of Time-weighted Absolute Error (ITAE). The results demonstrated that GGOSCA outperforms both GGO and PSO across all objective functions. Specifically, GGOSCA achieved the lowest costs of 0.1018, 0.2484, and 0.6601 for LBF, IAE, and ITAE, respectively, compared to 0.1022, 0.2580, and 0.6939 for GGO, and 0.1023, 0.2660, and 0.7273 for PSO. The superior performance of GGOSCA highlights its effectiveness in balancing exploration and exploitation, making it well-suited for complex control tasks such as PID tuning in robotic systems. This novel combination of GGO and SCA provides a robust and efficient solution for optimizing control parameters in dynamic environments, demonstrating its potential through rigorous modeling and simulation.

• Sveen, Emil Mühlbradt; Zhou, Jing; Ebbesen, Morten Kjeld & Poursina, Mohammad (2025). Decentralised adaptive learning-based control of robot manipulators with unknown parameters. Journal of Automation and Intelligence (JAI). 4(2), p. 136–144. doi: 10.1016/j.jai.2025.02.002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper studies motor joint control of a 4-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic manipulator using learning-based Adaptive Dynamic Programming (ADP) approach. The manipulator’s dynamics are modelled as an open-loop 4-link serial kinematic chain with 4 Degrees of Freedom (DoF). Decentralised optimal controllers are designed for each link using ADP approach based on a set of cost matrices and data collected from exploration trajectories. The proposed control strategy employs an off-line, off-policy iterative approach to derive four optimal control policies, one for each joint, under exploration strategies. The objective of the controller is to control the position of each joint. Simulation and experimental results show that four independent optimal controllers are found, each under similar exploration strategies, and the proposed ADP approach successfully yields optimal linear control policies despite the presence of these complexities. The experimental results conducted on the Quanser Qarm robotic platform demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed ADP controllers in handling significant dynamic nonlinearities, such as actuation limitations, output saturation, and filter delays.

• Sanfilippo, Filippo; Salvietti, Gionata; Blažauskas, Tomas; Gabriele, Guido; Zafar, Maria & Hua, Minh Tuan [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2025). Integrating VR, AR, and Haptics in Basic Surgical Skills Training: A Review and Perspective. IEEE Access. 13, p. 99203–99220. doi: 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3574265. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Traditional surgical training faces challenges related to sustainability, cost, and ethical considerations. Limited access to resources, ethical concerns about cadaver-based learning, limited availability of surgical cases, and the high costs associated with hands-on training impede the effectiveness and accessibility of surgical education. Despite these challenges, the need for direct tactile experience remains critical, as it fosters the development of essential motor skills and tactile abilities vital for surgical practice. However, advancements in immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and haptics offer a promising solution to address these challenges. VR and AR technologies offer realistic, controlled environments where learners can visualise anatomical structures and practice surgical procedures without risks. The integration of haptic feedback in these immersive simulations further enriches the learning process by adding the sense of touch and physical interaction, aiding in mastering critical surgical skills. The incorporation of immersive technologies in surgical training presents an opportunity to address the constraints of conventional methods. These technologies offer the possibility of creating platforms that replicate real-life surgical scenarios, allowing learners to hone their skills and build confidence in a safe and controlled environment. Moreover, immersive learning offers an ethical alternative to cadaver-based training and extends access to training materials irrespective of geographical limitations. Such an approach allows for step-based training, where students may begin acquiring skills through immersive learning, then move to special surgical simulators, and finally to patients. This article deals with the impact of immersive technologies such as VR, AR, and haptics on reshaping conventional surgical training, by focusing specifically on basic surgical skills. Targeting educators, medical experts, and involved parties, the article aims to stimulate additional exploration and adoption of immersive technologies to elevate surgical competencies and patient care standards.

• Hua, Minh Tuan; Poursina, Mohammad & Sanfilippo, Filippo (2024). Dynamic Modelling of Mixed Rigid-Flexible Joint Robotic Manipulator Using Recursive Newton-Euler Formulation, 2024 10th International Conference on Automation, Robotics and Applications (ICARA). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9798350394245. p. 165–171. doi: 10.1109/ICARA60736.2024.10553136. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rigid joints have good position control accuracy due to their stiffness. On the other hand, elastic joints are advantageous when interacting with the environment due to their compliance characteristics. Most of the current robot arms use all rigid joints or all elastic joints in their designs. This work presents a highly efficient approach to formulate both inverse and forward dynamics of robots with mixed rigid-elastic joints using recursive Newton-Euler algorithm. To simplify the modelling process, a unified rigid body is proposed, where the link and all motors attached to it are unified as a whole unyielding entity. In addition, the effect of gear ratio is considered in the development of this modelling approach. Successively, an inverse dynamics controller is presented. Finally, simulations are conducted based on the proposed modelling method and the inverse dynamics control algorithm.

• Chitikena, Hareesh; Mohammadi, Alireza; Sanfilippo, Filippo & Poursina, Mohammad (2024). Anisotropic Friction Skin for Holonomic Snake Robot Mobility. In NN, . (Eds.), IEEE International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Its Social Impacts (ARSO 2024). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). ISSN 9798350344646. p. 222–227. doi: 10.1109/ARSO60199.2024.10557914. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Achieving effective locomotion for holonomic snake robots in diverse terrains for Search and Rescue (SAR) poses a significant challenge. While biological snakes exhibit complex mobility with the aid of anisotropic skin and a flexible body, replicating such capabilities in robotic systems demands specialised design considerations. This paper addresses designing and analysing anisotropic frictional skin to enhance the locomotion of holonomic snake robots in flat, variably friction environments. Two distinct frictional skins are developed and analysed through a peristaltic dynamic model. Moreover, comprehensive testing is conducted on various substrates to assess the effectiveness of the designed snakeskins. Experimental results indicate that a snake robot equipped with an interlocking-based skin on an Expanded Polystyrene substrate achieves small forward locomotion, while a Molecular Interaction-based skin enables sideways motion. This study provides insights into preliminary skin designs and locomotion tests conducted on flat surfaces, emphasising the need for further refinement to meet the demands of SAR applications.

• Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E. (2024). A new model with uniform damping force for frictionless impacts with non-permanent deformation at the time of separation. Multibody system dynamics. ISSN 1384-5640. p. 1–19. doi: 10.1007/s11044-024-10003-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents a new approach to modeling the contact force in continuous method of modeling an impact. This method considers the traditionally used Hertz spring force to represent the elastic behavior of the impact. A new nonlinear damping force is introduced to model the energy dissipation during the impact. Unlike the traditional spring-damping force elements used in some continuous contact force models, the introduced nonlinear damper can address impacts with non-permanent local deformation at the time of separation. We conduct both analytical and numerical investigations to mathematically express the damping factor as an explicit function of system parameters. In order to ensure that the presented force model can recover the desired restitution, an optimization approach is introduced and implemented to determine the optimal damping factor. The proposed force model is numerically verified on random systems. Finally, this new model is used to study the behavior of two colliding pendulums along with well-established piecewise and continuous approaches for modeling impacts.

• Ho, Alex; Wold, Margrethe; Poursina, Mohammad & Conway, John Thomas (2023). The accuracy of mutual potential approximations in simulations of binary asteroids. Astronomy and Astrophysics (A & A). ISSN 0004-6361. 671. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202245552. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Context. Simulations of asteroid binaries commonly use mutual gravitational potentials approximated by series expansions, leading to truncation errors, and also preventing correct computations of force and torque for certain configurations where the bodies have overlapping bounding spheres, such as in the rotational fission model for creating asteroid binaries and pairs. Aims. We address errors encountered when potentials truncated at order two and four are used in simulations of binaries, as well as other errors related to configurations with overlapping bounding spheres where the series diverge. Methods. For this we utilized a recently developed method where the gravitational interaction between two triaxial ellipsoids can be calculated without approximations for any configuration. The method utilizes surface integration for both force and torque calculations, and it is exact for ellipsoidal shapes. We also computed approximate solutions using potentials truncated at second and fourth order, and we compare these with the solutions obtained with the surface integral method. The approximate solutions were generated with the “General Use Binary Asteroid Simulator” (GUBAS). Results. If the secondary is located with its centroid in the equatorial plane of the primary, the error in the force increases as the secondary is moved closer to the primary, but is still relatively small for both second and fourth order potentials. For torque calculations, the errors become more significant, especially if the other body is located close to one of the extended principal axes. On the axes themselves, the second order series approximation fails by 100%. For dynamical simulations of components separated a few primary radii apart, the fourth order approximation is significantly more accurate than the second order. Furthermore, because of larger errors in the torque calculations, the rotational motion is subject to greater inaccuracies than the translational motion. For configurations resembling contact binaries where the bounding spheres overlap, the errors in both force and torque in the initial stages of the simulation are considerable, regardless of the approximation order, because the series diverge. A comparison of the computational efficiency of the force and torque calculations shows that the surface integration method is approximately 82 times and four times slower than the second and fourth order potentials, respectively, but approximately 16 times faster than the order eight potential. Comparing the computation efficiency of full simulations, including the calculations of the equations of motion, shows that the surface integration scheme is comparable with GUBAS when an order four potential is used. Conclusions. The errors generated when mutual gravitational potentials are truncated at second or fourth order lead to larger errors in the rotational than in the translational motion. Using a mathematically exact method for computing forces and torques becomes important when the bodies are initially close and the bounding spheres overlap, in which case both the translational and rotational motion of the bodies have large errors associated with them. For simulations with two triaxial ellipsoids, the computational efficiency of the surface integral method is comparable to fourth order approximations with GUBAS, and superior to eight order or higher.

• Mamo, Mebaye Belete; Ebbesen, Morten Kjeld & Poursina, Mohammad (2023). Dynamic Modelling and Simulation of Two-link Flexible Robot Using Rayleigh Beam Theory. In Zhou, Jing (Eds.), 2023 11th International Conference on Control, Mechatronics and Automation (ICCMA). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9798350315684. p. 164–170. doi: 10.1109/ICCMA59762.2023.10374812. Full text in Research Archive
• Mamo, Mebaye Belete; Ebbesen, Morten Kjeld & Poursina, Mohammad (2023). Closed-Form Dynamic Model of Planar Multilink Flexible Manipulator. In IEEE, . (Eds.), IECON 2023- 49th Annual Conference of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9798350331820. doi: 10.1109/IECON51785.2023.10312080. Full text in Research Archive
• Nikravesh, Parviz E. & Poursina, Mohammad (2022). Determination of effective mass for continuous contact models in multibody dynamics. Multibody system dynamics. ISSN 1384-5640. doi: 10.1007/s11044-022-09859-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Continuous contact models have been popular in representing contact forces between impacting bodies of a multibody system. These models consider the contact force to be the result of a logical spring-damper element between the contacting bodies that exists for a very short period. The simplified and approximated model for generating the contact force is then assumed to be a mass-spring-damper system. Therefore, three common parameters that these models require are the spring stiffness, damping coefficient, and the so-called effective mass. For systems containing one degree-of-freedom, classical methods based on the kinetic energy have commonly been used to determine the effective mass. However, for multiple-degree-of-freedom multibody systems that contain kinematic joints, the determination of the effective mass has not been adequately addressed in the literature. This paper proposes a simple method for computing the effective mass based on the concept of impulse–momentum balance. This approach is applicable to both constrained and unconstrained equations of motion regardless of the multibody system’s number of degrees-of-freedom.

• Ho, Alex; Wold, Margrethe; Poursina, Mohammad & Conway, John Thomas (2022). Dynamics of asteroid systems post-rotational fission. Astronomy and Astrophysics (A & A). ISSN 0004-6361. 665. doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202243706. Full text in Research Archive
• Ho, Alex; Wold, Margrethe; Conway, John Thomas & Poursina, Mohammad (2021). Extended two-body problem for rotating rigid bodies. Celestial mechanics & dynamical astronomy. ISSN 0923-2958. 133. doi: 10.1007/s10569-021-10034-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A new technique that utilizes surface integrals to find the force, torque and potential energy between two non-spherical, rigid bodies is presented. The method is relatively fast, and allows us to solve the full rigid two-body problem for pairs of spheroids and ellipsoids with 12 degrees of freedom. We demonstrate the method with two dimensionless test scenarios, one where tumbling motion develops, and one where the motion of the bodies resemble spinning tops. We also test the method on the asteroid binary (66391) 1999 KW4, where both components are modelled either as spheroids or ellipsoids. The two different shape models have negligible effects on the eccentricity and semi-major axis, but have a larger impact on the angular velocity along the z-direction. In all cases, energy and total angular momentum is conserved, and the simulation accuracy is kept at the machine accuracy level.

• Sabet, Sahand; Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2021). Control of Spherical Robots on Uneven Terrains, 2021 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665417143. p. 8159–8165. doi: 10.1109/IROS51168.2021.9636543. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hybrid robots incorporate the advantages of both aerial-only and terrestrial-only vehicles to achieve enhanced mobility and better energy efficiency. Among hybrid vehicles, spherical robots offer the best maneuverability. While operating on uneven surfaces is one of the main benefits of spherical robots, the current literature only covers control of these robots on flat surfaces. This work presents two control algorithms to track a desired trajectory and angular velocity of spherical robots on uneven terrains. The proposed control algorithms can be used when the terrain is known analytically or empirically (i.e., point cloud). By allowing the controller to use empirical information about the terrain profile, this work broadens the implementation of spherical robots in real applications.

• Sabet, Sahand; Singh, Mohit; Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2021). A Highly Maneuverable Hybrid Energy-Efficient Rolling/Flying System, 2021 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). ISSN 9781665417143. p. 2485–2490. doi: 10.1109/IROS51168.2021.9636811. Full text in Research Archive
• Dabiri, Arman; Poursina, Mohammad & Machado, Jose Tenreiro (2020). Dynamics and optimal control of multibody systems using fractional generalized divide-and-conquer algorithm. Nonlinear dynamics. ISSN 0924-090X. 102, p. 1611–1626. doi: 10.1007/s11071-020-05954-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2020). Characterization of the Optimal Damping Coefficient in the Continuous Contact Model. Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics. ISSN 1555-1415. 15(9). doi: 10.1115/1.4047136. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper presents an analytical formula to characterize the damping coefficient as a function of system's parameters in a continuous force model of impact. The contact force element consists of a linear damper which is in a parallel connection to a spring with Hertz force-deformation characteristic. Unlike the existing models in which the separation condition is assumed to be at the time at which both zero penetration (deformation) and zero force occur, in this study, only zero contact force is considered as the separation condition. To ensure that the continuous contact model obtains the desired restitution, an optimization process is performed to find the equivalent damping coefficient. The analytical and numerical investigations show that the resulting damping coefficient can be expressed as a function of system's parameters such as the effective mass, penetration speed at the start of the impact, Hertz spring constant, and the coefficient of restitution.

• Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E. (2020). Optimal damping coefficient for a class of continuous contact models. Multibody system dynamics. ISSN 1384-5640. 50, p. 169–188. doi: 10.1007/s11044-020-09745-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study, we develop an analytical formula to approximate the damping coefficient as a function of the coefficient of restitution for a class of continuous contact models. The contact force is generated by a logical point-to-point force element consisting of a linear damper connected in parallel to a spring with Hertz force–penetration characteristic, while the exponent of deformation of the Hertz spring can vary between one and two. In this nonlinear model, it is assumed that the bodies start to separate when the contact force becomes zero. After separation, either the restitution continues or a permanent penetration is achieved. Therefore, this model is capable of addressing a wide range of impact problems. Herein, we apply an optimization strategy on the solution of the equations governing the dynamics of the penetration, ensuring that the desired restitution is reproduced at the time of separation. Furthermore, based on the results of the optimization process along with analytical investigations, the resulting optimal damping coefficient is analytically expressed at the time of impact in terms of system properties such as the effective mass, penetration velocity just before the impact, coefficient of restitution, and the characteristics of the Hertz spring model.

• Sabet, Sahand; Poursina, Mohammad; Nikravesh, Parviz E.; Reverdy, Paul & Agha-Mohammadi, Ali-Akbar (2020). Dynamic Modeling, Energy Analysis, and Path Planning of Spherical Robots on Uneven Terrains. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters. ISSN 2377-3766. 5(4). doi: 10.1109/LRA.2020.3010489. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Spherical robots are generally comprised of a spherical shell and an internal actuation unit. These robots have a variety of applications ranging from search and rescue to agriculture. Although one of the main advantages of spherical robots is their capability to operate on uneven surfaces, energy analysis and path planning of such systems have been studied only for flat terrains. This work introduces a novel approach to evaluate the dynamic equations, energy consumption, and separation analysis of these robots rolling on uneven terrains. The presented dynamics modeling, separation analysis, and energy analysis allow us to simply implement path planning algorithms to find an optimal path. One of the advantages of this work is that these algorithms can be used when either the analytical or the empirical information about the terrain is available.

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• Mamo, Mebaye Belete; Ebbesen, Morten Kjeld & Poursina, Mohammad (2023). Dynamic Modelling and Simulation of Two-link Flexible Robot Using Rayleigh Beam Theory. Full text in Research Archive
• Mamo, Mebaye Belete; Ebbesen, Morten Kjeld & Poursina, Mohammad (2023). Closed-Form Dynamic Model of Planar Multilink Flexible Manipulator. Full text in Research Archive
• Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2023). Damping Coefficient for Impacts with Residual Deformation at the Time of Separation. Full text in Research Archive
• Wold, Margrethe; Ho, Alex; Poursina, Mohammad & Conway, John Thomas (2022). Two-body interactions with surface integrals. Full text in Research Archive
• Ho, Alex; Wold, Margrethe; Conway, John Thomas & Poursina, Mohammad (2021). Dynamics of Asteroid Binary Systems through the Use of Surface Integrals. Full text in Research Archive
• Shahbazi, Zahra & Poursina, Mohammad (2021). Protein Kinematics. In Ang, M. H.; Khatib, O. & Siciliano, B. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Robotics. Springer. ISSN 9783642416101. doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-41610-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Sabet, Sahand; Sing, Mohit; Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2021). A Highly Maneuverable Hybrid Energy-Efficient Rolling/Flying System. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Spherical robots are typically comprised of an actuation unit enclosed by a spherical shell. Among nonholonomic systems, spherical robots offer the best maneuverability and lowest energy consumption (due to their omnidirectional movement and single contact point with the ground). This allows them to traverse rough and uneven terrains. Further, using their ability to roll on the ground, they can provide a significantly higher operating time compared to aerial-only robots. Unfortunately, these robots are under-emphasized by researchers compared to other robots (i.e., legged or wheeled robots). Additionally, despite their potential to be used in a multitude of real-world applications, spherical robots have not been successfully adopted by the industry. This is due to the lack of controllability and traversability of the developed designs. In this paper, we introduce a hybrid rolling/flying robot. This design benefits from a flywheel to reduce the effects of the terrain (shocks and vibrations) on the camera and sensors. Our design allows the application of existing control algorithms of drones (such as PX4) on a rolling system. In addition, we propose a dynamics model that can use the point cloud representation of the terrain to simulate the motion of the system with applications in real-time modeling and control.

• Sabet, Sahand; Poursina, Mohammad & Nikravesh, Parviz E (2021). Control of Spherical Robots on Uneven Terrains. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hybrid robots incorporate the advantages of both aerial-only and terrestrial-only vehicles to achieve enhanced mobility and better energy efficiency. Among hybrid vehicles, spherical robots offer the best maneuverability. While operating on uneven surfaces is one of the main benefits of spherical robots, the current literature only covers control of these robots on flat surfaces. This work presents two control algorithms to track a desired trajectory and angular velocity of spherical robots on uneven terrains. The proposed control algorithms can be used when the terrain is known analytically or empirically (i.e., point cloud). By allowing the controller to use empirical information about the terrain profile, this work broadens the implementation of spherical robots in real applications.

• Ho, Alex; Wold, Margrethe; Poursina, Mohammad & Conway, John Thomas (2023). Modeling asteroid binary systems with the full two-body problem using surface integrals. Universitetet i Agder. ISSN 9788284271491. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  An asteroid binary system, where two asteroids are in mutual orbit, is important to study as it can provide knowledge of the history of the asteroid population. The most important mechanism to form asteroid binaries in the near-Earth population, and for asteroids with diameters less than 10 km, is rotational fission. Rotational fission occurs when a rubble pile asteroid, which can be thought of as a collection of rocks held together by gravity, reaches a critical spin rate and the rubble pile starts to shed mass. Studying the dynamics of asteroid binaries allows one to better understand how they have evolved. However, due to their non-spherical shapes, one has to take into account both the translational and rotational motion of asteroids, which is known as the full two-body problem. The study of the full two-body problem is a challenge as the mutual gravitational potential between two non-spherical bodies cannot be expressed analytically. Previous studies have used approximations to model the mutual potential between two asteroids. However, these approximations often suffer from inaccuracies when the bodies are close to each other, and also from truncation errors. In this thesis, we make use of a new method to determine the mutual potential, between two asteroids, with the use of surface integrals. We apply this method to study the dynamics of the 1999 KW4 binary system, where both bodies are modeled as ellipsoids. With the use of an order nine Runge-Kutta method, the system energy and angular momentum are conserved to the 11th decimal digit. One of the advantages of the surface integration method is that the results are valid even if the bodies are close to each other. We make use of this advantage to study the dynamics of asteroid systems formed by rotational fission, as the two bodies are very close to each other in the initial formation stages. We consider ellipsoidal bodies for the simulations. Six models are considered, three where the secondary takes different densities and three where we change the shape of the secondary. The simulations show that more than 80\% of the simulations result in the two bodies colliding. The secondary is more likely to escape the gravitational pull of the primary, forming an asteroid pair, and experience secondary fission, if the secondary has a higher density than the primary, or has a more elongated shape. We also compare the rotation periods of the bodies from the simulations with the ones from observations of asteroid binaries and pairs. The rotation periods from the simulations match very well with the rotation periods of observed asteroid pairs. The surface integration scheme can yield exact values to the mutual gravitational potential between two ellipsoidal bodies. This method can therefore be used to determine the accuracy of methods that approximates the mutual potential between two ellipsoids. We compare the surface integration scheme with an approach that expands the mutual potential with the use of inertia integrals. The differences in the gravitational force and torque, between the two methods, are less than 1\% if the bodies are separated by $2-3$ times the radius of the primary. If the bodies are almost touching, however, the differences can exceed 100\% if the shape of the primary becomes elongated. The discrepancies in the torques are typically an order magnitude larger than the difference in the forces.

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