A novel multi-objective optimization method for the pressurized reservoir in hydraulic robotics

The pressurized reservoir is a closed hydraulic tank which plays a significant role in enhancing the capabilities of hydraulic driven robotics. The spring pressurized reservoir adopted in this paper requires comprehensive performance, such as weight, size, fluid volume, and pressure, which is hard to balance. A novel interactive multi-objective optimization approach, the feasible space tightening method, is proposed, which is efficient in solving complicated engineering design problems where multiple objectives are determined by multiple design variables. This method provides sufficient information to the designer by visualizing the performance trends within the feasible space as well as its relationship with the design variables. A step towards the final solution could be made by raising the threshold on performance indicators interactively, so that the feasible space is reduced and the remaining solutions are more preferred by the designer. With the help of this new method, the preferred solution of a spring pressurized reservoir is found. Practicability and efficiency are demonstrated in the optimal design process, where the solution is determined within four rounds of interaction between the designer and the optimization program. Tests on the designed prototype show good results.