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IMMC

Paul Fisette
Professor
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Recent publications

All our ongoing projects involve multibody dynamics:
- Optimization and control of road tilting vehicles
- Modeling and analysis of railway vehicles and infrastructure
- Study of the human spine kinematics and dynamics
- Historical study of ancient piano action
- Design of a virtual haptic piano keyboard based on real time models
- Coupling multibody dynamics with granular materials
- Efficient symbolic modeling of multibody models for real time applications
- Investigation of human muscle overactation via multibody approach
- etc.

IMMC main research direction(s):
Biomedical engineering
Computational science
Dynamical and electromechanical systems

Keywords:
biomechanics
multi-body systems
vehicle dynamics

Research group(s): MEED

PhD and Post-doc researchers under my supervision:

WholeTrack
Nicolas Docquier

The project aims at improving railway track lifecycle by improving its components such as the ballast, the sleeper, elastic pads, ... It consists in developing computer models coupling multi-body system dynamics (MBS) and granular modelling method (the discrete element method, DEM). Full scale experiments are conducted in parallel to validate the numerical models and assess the developed solutions.

Couplage entre dynamique multi-corps et méthode des éléments discrets
Olivier Lantsoght

A dynamic-based approach for road vehicle design optimization
Aubain Verle

Due to urban zone densification and energy rarefaction, some facets of life habits have to be revised. The mobility doesn’t derogate from this trend and is one of the major future challenges. Automotive industry is developing new solutions to cope with the increasing problem of mobility, the need for energy efficiency and customer requirements. Facing this multiplication of objectives, often conflicting, it is quite unlikely that one particular solution would satisfy all customers in all daily needs as it was with the car until now. Several new kinds of vehicles appear, each of them being able to answer a particular use. In the special case of urban and personal mobility, tilting three-wheelers seem to be a promising solution. Small and agile, they improve the traffic flow while the associated reduction of weight allows better energy efficiency.
Because of the increase – in number and quality – of the criteria imposed to tomorrow’s vehicles, the industry must propose new types of morphologies, incorporate new technologies and detect a maximum of synergies between the latter. Thus we observe a constant increasing design tasks complexity while the development times are shorter than ever. There is a real need for global design methodologies that include, from the earliest stage of the process, a multitude of components among which the dynamics takes place.
This work aims at developing a design methodology especially dedicated to road vehicles. The method has the particularity to enable to manage the trade-off between dynamic performances and mechanical feasibility. The method is being applied to a new three-wheeler under development in our laboratory. The main characteristics of this vehicle are a unipersonal seated position, a narrow track and a electric motorization.
We achieved the design of a first prototype on the basis of the optimization processes. In particular, we develop some very specific mechanical arrangements especially designed to maximize the dynamic performances of the tilting vehicle suspensions. Moreover, it is expected that a first implementation of the prototype will be built in the future to carry out some comparison between experiment and simulation.

Development of a haptic feedback device for digital keyboards based on real-time multibody models of piano actions
Sébastien Timmermans

The touch of a piano keyboard is an essential sensory information for pianists and results from the dynamics of the actions equipping traditional acoustic pianos. Present-day digital instruments offer the possibility of nuancing sound thanks to certain dynamics which imitates that of a traditional piano, but which is far from reproducing the finessed required by pianists.
His project aims at developing a haptic feedback device for digital keyboards, based on (i) multibody models of piano actions using Robotran software, (ii) the use of movement sensors and high dynamic actuators (iii) the study of the phenomenon of touch, with our partners in musicology (the Museum of Musical Instruments of Brussels and the Museum of Philharmonic Music of Paris).

Quantification of efforts of back and core muscles through multibody models and non-invasive experimental measurements
Simon Hinnekens

This project aims to determine the strength of human back and core muscles in movement. The tools used are a biomechanical model with non-invasive electromyography (EMG) measurements. Results will allow us to quantify intervertebral efforts, which represent objective, essential data for improving current treatments of spine diseases (lower back pain, spondylitis and scoliosis). That is why, in this project, we plan to couple direct and inverse human multibody models, to put EMG signals in them and use phenomena of muscular synergies in numerical approaches - none of which has been studied in this field. Models and simulations will be validated through an experimental campaign carried out at the Gait Analysis Laboratory of UCL.

Recent publications

See complete list of publications

Journal Articles

1. Abedrabbo Ode, Gabriel; Mahaudens, Philippe; Detrembleur, Christine; Mousny, Maryline; Fisette, Paul. Intervertebral force computation: a non invasive computation method. In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 22, no.sup1, p. S103-S105 (2019). doi:10.1080/10255842.2019.1668135. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/226774

2. Hinnekens, Simon; Mahaudens, Philippe; Detrembleur, Christine; Fisette, Paul. EMG Measurements as inputs for a musculoskeletal model: quantification of abdominal and back muscle forces in static postures. In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 22, no.sup1, p. s147-s149 (2019). doi:10.1080/10255842.2019.1668135. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/226778

3. Zobova, Alexandra; Habra, Timothée; Van der Noot, Nicolas; Dallali, Houman; Tsagarakis, Nikolaos G.; Fisette, Paul; Ronsse, Renaud. Multi-physics modelling of a compliant humanoid robot. In: Multibody System Dynamics, Vol. 39, no.1-2, p. 95-114 (2017). doi:10.1007/s11044-016-9545-4. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/179152

4. Abedrabbo Ode, Gabriel; Cartiaux, Olivier; Mahaudens, Philippe; Detrembleur, Christine; Mousny, Maryline; Fisette, Paul. Intervertebral efforts quantification using a multibody dynamics approach: application to scoliosis. In: Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 20, no. Suppl 1, p. 1-2 (2017). doi:10.1080/10255842.2017.1382831. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/188794

5. Bokiau,Baudouin; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle; Fisette, Paul. Historical and dynamical study of piano actions: A multibody modelling approach. In: Journal of Cultural Heritage, Vol. 27S, p. S120-S130 (2017). doi:10.1016/j.culher.2016.04.010. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213579

6. Bokiau, Baudouin; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle; Fisette, Paul. Multibody dynamics as a tool for historical research. Study of an 18th century piano action of Johann Andreas Stein. In: Multibody System Dynamics, Vol. 37, no.1, p. 15-28 (2016). doi:10.1007/s11044-015-9498-z. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213577

7. Docquier, Nicolas; Poncelet, Antoine; Fisette, Paul. ROBOTRAN: a powerful symbolic gnerator of multibody models. In: Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 4, no. 1, p. 199-219 (2013). doi:10.5194/ms-4-199-2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/130689

8. Raison, Maxime; Ballaz, Laurent; Detrembleur, Christine; Mahaudens, Philippe; Lebleu, Julien; Fisette, Paul; Mousny, Maryline. Lombo-sacral joint efforts during gait : comparison between healthy and scoliotic subjects.. In: Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Vol. 176, p. 113-116 (2012). doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-067-3-113. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/112453

9. Abedrabbo Ode, Gabriel; Fisette, Paul; Absil, Pierre-Antoine; Mahaudens, Philippe; Detrembleur, Christine; Raison, Maxime; Banse, Xavier; Aubin, Carl-Eric; Mousny, Maryline. A multibody-based approach to the computation of spine intervertebral motions in scoliotic patients.. In: Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, Vol. 176, p. 95-98 (2012). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/112454

10. Raison, Maxime; Detrembleur, Christine; Fisette, Paul; Samin, Jean-Claude. Assessment of antagonist muscle force during forearm flexion /extension. In: Computational Methods in Applied Sciences, Vol. 23, p. 215-238 (2011). doi:10.1007/978-90-481-9971-6_11. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/113165

Conference Papers

1. Timmermans, Sébastien; Leroy, François; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle; Fisette, Paul. Upright Piano Action: Experimental Characterization and Multibody Modeling. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/230011

2. Hinnekens, Simon; Fisette, Paul; Detrembleur, Christine; Mahaudens, Philippe. Multibody-based Quantification of Abdominal and Back Muscle Forces for Predefined Static Postures. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213461

3. Hinnekens, Simon; Fisette, Paul; Detrembleur, Christine; Mahaudens, Philippe. EMG Measurements as Inputs for a Musculoskeletal Model: Quantification of Abdominal and Back Muscle Forces in Static Postures. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/218314

4. Timmermans, Sébastien; Fisette, Paul; Dehez, Bruno; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle. Real-Time Validation of a Haptic Piano Key based on a Multibody Model. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/210399

5. Fisette, Paul; Moreau, Emile. Simulation of the Aerodynamic Effects on an Actuated Pendulum with the Actuator Volume Method. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213458

6. Timmermans, Sébastien; Fisette, Paul; Dehez, Bruno. Application and Validation of a Linear Electromagnetic Actuator within a Haptic Piano Keyboard. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/207813

7. Docquier, Quentin; Fisette, Paul. Modelling and analysis of two-wheelers equipped with crowned wheels via a constrained MBS approach. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213569

8. Fisette, Paul; Bokiau, Baudouin; Timmermans, Sébastien. The Grand Piano Action Functioning Demystified thanks to the Multibody Approach. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/215131

9. Timmermans, Sébastien; Fisette, Paul; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle. A Haptic Piano Keyboard Based on a Real-Time Multibody Model of the Action. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213090

10. Timmermans, Sébastien; Fisette, Paul; Ceulemans, Anne-Emmanuelle; Dehez, Bruno. Haptic Piano Key based on a Real-Time Multibody Model of the Double Escapement Grand Piano Action. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/201139

Book Chapters

1. Docquier, Quentin; Brüls, Olivier; Fisette, Paul. Comparison and Analysis of Multibody Dynamics Formalisms for Solving Optimal Control Problem. In: IUTAM Symposium on Intelligent Multibody Systems - Dynamics, Control, Simulation (IUTAM Bookseries; xxx), Evtim Zahariev, Javier Cuadrado, 2019, p. 55-77. 978-3-030-00526-9. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-00527-6. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213574

2. Verlé, Aubain; Fisette, Paul. Three-Wheeler Performance Optimization: Dynamics-Based Design Of A First Prototype. In: The Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks (Proceedings of the 25th Symposium of the International Association of Vehicle System Dynamics (IAVSD 2017),; xxx), Taylor & Francis: London, UK, 2018, p. 301-306. 978-1-138-48252-4. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/213595

3. Verlé, Aubain; Fisette, Paul. Design of an active tilting three-wheeler: optimization of the dynamic performances via multibody simulations. In: The Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks. Proceedings of the 24th Symposium of the International Association for Vehicle System Dynamics (IAVSD 2015), Graz, Austria, 17-21 August 2015 , Taylor & Francis Group: London, 2016, p. 219-228. 978-1-138-02885-2. doi:10.1201/b21185-25. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/182499

4. Habra, Timothée; Dallali, Houman; Cardellino, Alberto; Natale, Lorenzo; Tsagarakis, Nikolaos; Fisette, Paul; Ronsse, Renaud. Robotran-YARP interface: a framework for real-time controller developments based on multibody dynamics simulations. In: Multibody Dynamics Computational Methods and Applications , Springer International Publishing, 2016. 978-3-319-30612-4. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-30614-8. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/173786

5. Raison, Maxime; Laitenberger, Maria; Sarcher, Aurelie; Detrembleur, Christine; Samin, Jean-Claude; Fisette, Paul. Methodology for the Assessment of Joint Efforts During Sit to Stand Movement. In: Injury and Skeletal Biomechanics , xxx, 2012. 978-953-510-690-6; 978-953-51-0690-6. doi:10.5772/49996. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/113098

6. de Juan, A.; Collard, Jean-François; Fisette, Paul; Garcia, P.; Sancibrian, R.. Multi-Objective Optimization of Parallel Manipulators. In: New Trends in Mechanism Science: Analysis and Design , xxx, 2010. 978-90-481-9688-3. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/108309

7. Collard, Jean-François; Duysinx, Pierre; Fisette, Paul. Kinematical Optimization of Closed-Loop Multibody Systems. In: Multibody Dynamics: Computational Methods and Applications , xxx, 2009. 978-1-4020-8828-5. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/108307

Books

1. Samin, Jean-Claude; Fisette, Paul. Multibody Dynamics : Computational Methods and Applications. Springer: Dordrecht, The Netherland, 2013. 978-94-007-5403-4.pages. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/217363

2. Samin, Jean-Claude; Fisette, Paul. Symbolic Modeling of Multibody Systems. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, 2003. 1-4020-1629-8. 469 pages. http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/217362

Dissertations

1. Fisette, Paul. Génération symbolique des équations du mouvement de systèmes multicorps et application dans le domaine ferroviaire, prom. : Samin, Jean-Claude, 1994. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/205365