Kinematics analysis of a robotic zipper prototype for miniaturisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baharom, M.Z.; Delbressine, F.L.M.; Feijs, L.M.G.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the mechanism and kinematics analysis of a robotic zipper prototype. This generic version of the robotic zipper is dedicated to automatically open and close the zipper which could be beneficial to elderly, people with physical disability, upper limb reduction deficiencies (ULRD),

Prototype Robot Pemadam Api Beroda Menggunakan Teknik Navigasi Wall Follower

OpenAIRE

Safrianti, Ery; Amri, Rahyul; Budiman, Septian

2012-01-01

Fire Robot serves to detect and extinguish the fire. The robot is controlled by the microcontroller ATMEGA8535 automatically. This robot contains of several sensors, such as 5 sets of ping parallax as a robot navigator, a set UVTron equipped with fire-detecting driver, DC motor driver L298 with two DC servo motors. The robot was developed from a prototype that has been studied previously with the addition on the hardware side of the sound activation and two sets of line detector. The robot wi...

Mobile robot prototype detector of gamma radiation; Prototipo de robot movil detector de radiacion gamma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vazquez C, R.M. [ININ, Carretera Mexico-Toluca s/n, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Duran V, M. D.; Jardon M, C. I., E-mail: raulmario.vazquez@inin.gob.mx [Tecnologico de Estudios Superiores de Villa Guerrero, Carretera Federal Toluca-Ixtapan de la Sal Km. 64.5, La Finca Villa Guerrero, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2014-10-15

In this paper the technological development of a mobile robot prototype detector of gamma radiation is shown. This prototype has been developed for the purpose of algorithms implementation for the applications of terrestrial radiation monitoring of exposed sources, search for missing radioactive sources, identification and delineation of radioactive contamination areas and distribution maps generating of radioactive exposure. Mobile robot detector of radiation is an experimental technology development platform to operate in laboratory environment or flat floor facilities. The prototype integrates a driving section of differential configuration robot on wheels, a support mechanism and rotation of shielded detector, actuator controller cards, acquisition and processing of sensor data, detection algorithms programming and control actuators, data recording (Data Logger) and data transmission in wireless way. The robot in this first phase is remotely operated in wireless way with a range of approximately 150 m line of sight and can extend that range to 300 m or more with the use of signal repeaters. The gamma radiation detection is performed using a Geiger detector shielded. Scan detection is performed at various time sampling periods and diverse positions of discrete or continuous angular orientation on the horizon. The captured data are geographical coordinates of robot GPS (latitude and longitude), orientation angle of shield, counting by sampling time, date, hours, minutes and seconds. The data is saved in a file in the Micro Sd memory on the robot. They are also sent in wireless way by an X Bee card to a remote station that receives for their online monitoring on a laptop through an acquisition program by serial port on Mat Lab. Additionally a voice synthesizing card with a horn, both in the robot, periodically pronounced in Spanish, data length, latitude, orientation angle of shield and detected accounts. (Author)

RCrawler: An R package for parallel web crawling and scraping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salim Khalil

2017-01-01

Full Text Available RCrawler is a contributed R package for domain-based web crawling and content scraping. As the first implementation of a parallel web crawler in the R environment, RCrawler can crawl, parse, store pages, extract contents, and produce data that can be directly employed for web content mining applications. However, it is also flexible, and could be adapted to other applications. The main features of RCrawler are multi-threaded crawling, content extraction, and duplicate content detection. In addition, it includes functionalities such as URL and content-type filtering, depth level controlling, and a robot.txt parser. Our crawler has a highly optimized system, and can download a large number of pages per second while being robust against certain crashes and spider traps. In this paper, we describe the design and functionality of RCrawler, and report on our experience of implementing it in an R environment, including different optimizations that handle the limitations of R. Finally, we discuss our experimental results.

Rapid prototyping framework for robot-assisted training of autistic children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kim, Mingyu; Barakova, E.I.; Lourens, T.

2014-01-01

Research in uptake and actual use of robots in socially assistive tasks is rapidly growing. However, practical applications lack behind due to the enormous effort to create meaningful behaviours. This paper describes a rapid prototyping framework for robot-assisted training of children with Autism

A prototype home robot with an ambient facial interface to improve drug compliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Takacs, Barnabas; Hanak, David

2008-01-01

We have developed a prototype home robot to improve drug compliance. The robot is a small mobile device, capable of autonomous behaviour, as well as remotely controlled operation via a wireless datalink. The robot is capable of face detection and also has a display screen to provide facial feedback to help motivate patients and thus increase their level of compliance. An RFID reader can identify tags attached to different objects, such as bottles, for fluid intake monitoring. A tablet dispenser allows drug compliance monitoring. Despite some limitations, experience with the prototype suggests that simple and low-cost robots may soon become feasible for care of people living alone or in isolation.

Rapid prototyping of robotic platforms

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Ronde, Willis

2016-11-01

Full Text Available of thickness up to 200mm can be cut to create prototype chassis/ bodies or even the final product. One of the few limitations is the cutting of certain laminated materials, as this tends to produce delaminated cutting edges or even fractures in the case... mine inspection robot (Shongololo). Shongololo’s frame is made from engineering plastics while the chassis of Dassie was made from aluminium and cut using abrasive waterjet machining. The advantage of using abrasive waterjet machining is the speed...

Robotic Transnasal Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery: Systematic Review of the Literature and Report of a Novel Prototype for a Hybrid System (Brescia Endoscope Assistant Robotic Holder).

Science.gov (United States)

Bolzoni Villaret, Andrea; Doglietto, Francesco; Carobbio, Andrea; Schreiber, Alberto; Panni, Camilla; Piantoni, Enrico; Guida, Giovanni; Fontanella, Marco Maria; Nicolai, Piero; Cassinis, Riccardo

2017-09-01

Although robotics has already been applied to several surgical fields, available systems are not designed for endoscopic skull base surgery (ESBS). New conception prototypes have been recently described for ESBS. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic literature review of robotics for ESBS and describe a novel prototype developed at the University of Brescia. PubMed and Scopus databases were searched using a combination of terms, including Robotics OR Robot and Surgery OR Otolaryngology OR Skull Base OR Holder. The retrieved papers were analyzed, recording the following features: interface, tools under robotic control, force feedback, safety systems, setup time, and operative time. A novel hybrid robotic system has been developed and tested in a preclinical setting at the University of Brescia, using an industrial manipulator and readily available off-the-shelf components. A total of 11 robotic prototypes for ESBS were identified. Almost all prototypes present a difficult emergency management as one of the main limits. The Brescia Endoscope Assistant Robotic holder has proven the feasibility of an intuitive robotic movement, using the surgeon's head position: a 6 degree of freedom sensor was used and 2 light sources were added to glasses that were therefore recognized by a commercially available sensor. Robotic system prototypes designed for ESBS and reported in the literature still present significant technical limitations. Hybrid robot assistance has a huge potential and might soon be feasible in ESBS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ninety-six hours to build a prototype robot showing human emotions

CERN Multimedia

Stefania Pandolfi

2016-01-01

Thirty-five Master's students in the fields of business, design and engineering participated in an intensive five-day project-based introduction to programming and advanced electronics. The goal of the initiative was to build a fully functional prototype robot able to communicate and show at least four basic human emotions.    A group of students is presenting a prototype robot showing human emotions at IdeaSquare. With no previous experience in electronics or coding, groups of students from Portugal, Italy, Norway and Estonia were introduced to the basics of sensors, integrated circuits and actuators, and after just 96 hours they presented their functioning robots at IdeaSquare on Friday, 15 January. These robots, mostly built around Arduino boards and recycled materials, were able to display different human emotions as a response to external environmental inputs. The five-day workshop, called öBot, was organised by the IdeaSquare te...

An octopus-bioinspired solution to movement and manipulation for soft robots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calisti, M; Giorelli, M; Laschi, C; Dario, P [BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Pisa (Italy); Levy, G; Hochner, B [Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem (Israel); Mazzolai, B, E-mail: marcello.calisti@sssup.it, E-mail: michele.giorelli@sssup.it, E-mail: guy.levy@mail.huji.ac.il, E-mail: barbara.mazzolai@iit.it, E-mail: Binyamin.Hochner@huji.ac.il, E-mail: cecilia.laschi@sssup.it, E-mail: paolo.dario@sssup.it [Centre for Micro-BioRobotics-SSSA, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Pontedera (Italy)

2011-09-15

Soft robotics is a challenging and promising branch of robotics. It can drive significant improvements across various fields of traditional robotics, and contribute solutions to basic problems such as locomotion and manipulation in unstructured environments. A challenging task for soft robotics is to build and control soft robots able to exert effective forces. In recent years, biology has inspired several solutions to such complex problems. This study aims at investigating the smart solution that the Octopus vulgaris adopts to perform a crawling movement, with the same limbs used for grasping and manipulation. An ad hoc robot was designed and built taking as a reference a biological hypothesis on crawling. A silicone arm with cables embedded to replicate the functionality of the arm muscles of the octopus was built. This novel arm is capable of pushing-based locomotion and object grasping, mimicking the movements that octopuses adopt when crawling. The results support the biological observations and clearly show a suitable way to build a more complex soft robot that, with minimum control, can perform diverse tasks.

An octopus-bioinspired solution to movement and manipulation for soft robots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calisti, M; Giorelli, M; Laschi, C; Dario, P; Levy, G; Hochner, B; Mazzolai, B

2011-01-01

Soft robotics is a challenging and promising branch of robotics. It can drive significant improvements across various fields of traditional robotics, and contribute solutions to basic problems such as locomotion and manipulation in unstructured environments. A challenging task for soft robotics is to build and control soft robots able to exert effective forces. In recent years, biology has inspired several solutions to such complex problems. This study aims at investigating the smart solution that the Octopus vulgaris adopts to perform a crawling movement, with the same limbs used for grasping and manipulation. An ad hoc robot was designed and built taking as a reference a biological hypothesis on crawling. A silicone arm with cables embedded to replicate the functionality of the arm muscles of the octopus was built. This novel arm is capable of pushing-based locomotion and object grasping, mimicking the movements that octopuses adopt when crawling. The results support the biological observations and clearly show a suitable way to build a more complex soft robot that, with minimum control, can perform diverse tasks.

An octopus-bioinspired solution to movement and manipulation for soft robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Calisti, M; Giorelli, M; Levy, G; Mazzolai, B; Hochner, B; Laschi, C; Dario, P

2011-09-01

Soft robotics is a challenging and promising branch of robotics. It can drive significant improvements across various fields of traditional robotics, and contribute solutions to basic problems such as locomotion and manipulation in unstructured environments. A challenging task for soft robotics is to build and control soft robots able to exert effective forces. In recent years, biology has inspired several solutions to such complex problems. This study aims at investigating the smart solution that the Octopus vulgaris adopts to perform a crawling movement, with the same limbs used for grasping and manipulation. An ad hoc robot was designed and built taking as a reference a biological hypothesis on crawling. A silicone arm with cables embedded to replicate the functionality of the arm muscles of the octopus was built. This novel arm is capable of pushing-based locomotion and object grasping, mimicking the movements that octopuses adopt when crawling. The results support the biological observations and clearly show a suitable way to build a more complex soft robot that, with minimum control, can perform diverse tasks.

Moisture in Crawl Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Anton TenWolde; Samuel V. Glass

2013-01-01

Crawl space foundations can be designed and built to avoid moisture problems. In this article we provide a brief overview of crawl spaces with emphasis on the physics of moisture. We review trends that have been observed in the research literature and summarize cur-rent recommendations for moisture control in crawl spaces.

Scaling Robotic Displays: Displays and Techniques for Dismounted Movement with Robots

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

you are performing the low crawl 4.25 5.00 Drive the robot while you are negotiating the hill 6.00 5.00 Drive the robot while you are climbing the... stairs 4.67 5.00 Drive the robot while you are walking 5.70 5.27 HMD It was fairly doable. 1 When you’re looking through the lens, it’s not...Scaling Robotic Displays: Displays and Techniques for Dismounted Movement with Robots by Elizabeth S. Redden, Rodger A. Pettitt

Anesthesia for robotic cardiac surgery: An amalgam of technology and skill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chauhan Sandeep

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The surgical procedures performed with robtic assitance and the scope for its future assistance is endless. To keep pace with the developing technologies in this field it is imperative for the cardiac anesthesiologists to have aworking knowledge of these systems, recognize potential complications and formulate an anesthetic plan to provide safe patient care. Challenges posed by the use of robotic systems include, long surgical times, problems with one lung anesthesia in presence of coronary artery disease, minimally invasive percutaneous cardiopulmonary bypass management and expertise in Trans-Esophageal Echocardiography. A long list of cardiac surgeries are performed with the use of robotic assistance, and the list is continuously growing as surgical innovation crosses new boundaries. Current research in robotic cardiac surgery like beating heart off pump intracardic repair, prototype epicardial crawling device, robotic fetal techniques etc. are in the stage of animal experimentation, but holds a lot of promise in future

Prototype Robot Pemadam Api Beroda Menggunakan Teknik Navigasi Wall Follower

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ery Safrianti

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Fire Robot serves to detect and extinguish the fire. The robot is controlled by the microcontroller ATMEGA8535 automatically. This robot contains of several sensors, such as 5 sets of ping parallax as a robot navigator, a set UVTron equipped with fire-detecting driver, DC motor driver L298 with two DC servo motors. The robot was developed from a prototype that has been studied previously with the addition on the hardware side of the sound activation and two sets of line detector. The robot will active if it receives input from the sound activation unit and will start to find the fire with “search the wall” navigation techniques. The line sensor was used as a door and home detector and circle the fire area.To extinguish the fire, this robot uses a fan driven by a BD139 transistor circuit. The overall test results show that the robot can detect the presence of the fire in each room. The robot also can find the fire and extinguish it within 1 minute.

Architecture and prototype of human-machine interface with mobile robotic device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dyumin, A.A.; Sorokoumov, P.S.; Chepin, E.V.; Urvanov, G.A.

2013-01-01

The possibility of controlling mobile robotic (MRD) device is analyzed and a prototype control system is described. It is established that, for controlling MRD, it is expedient to use a brain-computer interface. A system of interpretation of information obtained from the operator brain has been developed and used in the proposed prototype control system [ru

Prototyping and Simulation of Robot Group Intelligence using Kohonen Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhijun; Mirdamadi, Reza; Wang, Qing

2016-01-01

Intelligent agents such as robots can form ad hoc networks and replace human being in many dangerous scenarios such as a complicated disaster relief site. This project prototypes and builds a computer simulator to simulate robot kinetics, unsupervised learning using Kohonen networks, as well as group intelligence when an ad hoc network is formed. Each robot is modeled using an object with a simple set of attributes and methods that define its internal states and possible actions it may take under certain circumstances. As the result, simple, reliable, and affordable robots can be deployed to form the network. The simulator simulates a group of robots as an unsupervised learning unit and tests the learning results under scenarios with different complexities. The simulation results show that a group of robots could demonstrate highly collaborative behavior on a complex terrain. This study could potentially provide a software simulation platform for testing individual and group capability of robots before the design process and manufacturing of robots. Therefore, results of the project have the potential to reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of robot design and building.

Modeling of welded bead profile for rapid prototyping by robotic MAG welding

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

CAO Yong; ZHU Sheng; WANG Tao; WANG Wanglong

2009-01-01

As a deposition technology, robotic metal active gas(MAG) welding has shown new promise for rapid prototyping (RP) of metallic parts. During the process of metal forming using robotic MAG welding, sectional profile of single-pass welded bead is critical to formed accuracy and quality of metal pans. In this paper, the experiments of single-pass welded bead for rapid prototyping using robotic MAG welding were carried out. The effect of some edge detectors on the cross-sectional edge of welded bead was discussed and curve fitting was applied using leat square fitting. Consequently, the mathematical model of welded bead profile was developed. The experimental results show that good shape could be obtained under suitable welding parameters. Canny operawr is suitable to edge detection of welded bead profile, and the mathematical model of welded bead profile developed is approximately parabola.

Social-educational evolution of crawling

OpenAIRE

Gomez-Paloma, Filippo; D'anna, Cristiana; Agrillo, Filomena

2013-01-01

For an adult who observes, a crawling baby is a tender and fun image, even though it’s not possible to imagine what can be hidden behind this movement. There are lot of thoughts on it, for example the idea that crawling is easier than walking alone and so children prefer it as it is their first physical movement. In spite of this we considerer that crawling is a motor sequence which is neither simple or immediate, especially for a baby whose average crawling age is eight months. The interest ...

Microcontroller Based Robot Prototype Manual Control with Atmega8535 Joystick

OpenAIRE

Azella Maulidya; Luyung Dinaini, Skom, MMSi

2008-01-01

In writing that I make with the title "PROTOTYPE ROBOT WITH MANUAL CONTROLS microcontroller ATMega8535 joystick" is intended to be a control instrument to be developed further into a tool of control that can be more useful again .

Developing novel extensions to support prototyping for interactive social robots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bhömer, ten M.; Bartneck, C.; Hu, J.; Ahn, R.M.C.; Tuyls, K.P.; Delbressine, F.L.M.; Feijs, L.M.G.

2009-01-01

Lego Mindstorms NXT is a platform highly suitable for prototyping in the field of interactive social robotics. During a technology masterclass at Eindhoven University of Technology students from the department of Industrial Design have developed five novel extensions (sensors and actuators) for the

A Reconfigurable Omnidirectional Soft Robot Based on Caterpillar Locomotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Jun; Lin, Yangqiao; Ji, Chen; Yang, Huayong

2018-04-01

A pneumatically powered, reconfigurable omnidirectional soft robot based on caterpillar locomotion is described. The robot is composed of nine modules arranged as a three by three matrix and the length of this matrix is 154 mm. The robot propagates a traveling wave inspired by caterpillar locomotion, and it has all three degrees of freedom on a plane (X, Y, and rotation). The speed of the robot is about 18.5 m/h (two body lengths per minute) and it can rotate at a speed of 1.63°/s. The modules have neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets embedded and can be easily replaced or combined into other configurations. Two different configurations are presented to demonstrate the possibilities of the modular structure: (1) by removing some modules, the omnidirectional robot can be reassembled into a form that can crawl in a pipe and (2) two omnidirectional robots can crawl close to each other and be assembled automatically into a bigger omnidirectional robot. Omnidirectional motion is important for soft robots to explore unstructured environments. The modular structure gives the soft robot the ability to cope with the challenges of different environments and tasks.

Soft Dielectric Elastomer Oscillators Driving Bioinspired Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Henke, E-F Markus; Schlatter, Samuel; Anderson, Iain A

2017-12-01

Entirely soft robots with animal-like behavior and integrated artificial nervous systems will open up totally new perspectives and applications. To produce them, we must integrate control and actuation in the same soft structure. Soft actuators (e.g., pneumatic and hydraulic) exist but electronics are hard and stiff and remotely located. We present novel soft, electronics-free dielectric elastomer oscillators, which are able to drive bioinspired robots. As a demonstrator, we present a robot that mimics the crawling motion of the caterpillar, with an integrated artificial nervous system, soft actuators and without any conventional stiff electronic parts. Supplied with an external DC voltage, the robot autonomously generates all signals that are necessary to drive its dielectric elastomer actuators, and it translates an in-plane electromechanical oscillation into a crawling locomotion movement. Therefore, all functional and supporting parts are made of polymer materials and carbon. Besides the basic design of this first electronic-free, biomimetic robot, we present prospects to control the general behavior of such robots. The absence of conventional stiff electronics and the exclusive use of polymeric materials will provide a large step toward real animal-like robots, compliant human machine interfaces, and a new class of distributed, neuron-like internal control for robotic systems.

Radon reduction in crawl-space houses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osborne, M.C.; Moore, D.G.; Southerlan, R.E.; Brennan, T.; Pyle, B.E.

1989-01-01

This paper gives results of an EPA study of radon-mitigation alternatives for crawl space houses in several houses in Nashville, TN. Application of one of these alternative mitigation options, suction under a polyethylene membrane, has been successful in significantly reducing radon levels in both the crawl space and the house. The large radon concentrations measured under unvented plastic ground covers and the moisture barriers found in many crawl spaces can act as radon-rich reservoirs capable of contaminating a crawl space and house during periods of depressurization. With the exhaust components of the mitigation system in place, radon levels below the plastic decreased by more than 95% under both passive and active suction conditions. Based on the study, the design of a cost-effective subplastic suction passive radon mitigation system for crawl spaces seems promising

FCJ-209 Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Pattern Thinking: An Expanded Analysis of the First Indigenous Robotics Prototype Workshop

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angie Abdilla

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In November 2014, the lead researcher’s interest in the conceptual development of digital technology and her cultural connection to Indigenous Knowledge Systems created an opportunity to explore a culturally relevant use of technology with urban Indigenous youth: the Indigenous Robotics Prototype Workshop. The workshop achieved a sense of cultural pride and confidence in Indigenous traditional knowledge while inspiring the youth to continue with their engagement in coding and programming through building robots. Yet, the outcomes from the prototype workshop further revealed a need to investigate how Indigenous Knowledge Systems, and particularly Pattern Thinking, might hint toward a possible paradigm shift for the ethical and advanced design of new technologies. This article examines the implications of such a hypothetical shift in autonomous systems in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI, using the Indigenous Robotics Prototype Workshop as a case study and springboard.

Zigzag turning preference of freely crawling cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taeseok Daniel Yang

Full Text Available The coordinated motion of a cell is fundamental to many important biological processes such as development, wound healing, and phagocytosis. For eukaryotic cells, such as amoebae or animal cells, the cell motility is based on crawling and involves a complex set of internal biochemical events. A recent study reported very interesting crawling behavior of single cell amoeba: in the absence of an external cue, free amoebae move randomly with a noisy, yet, discernible sequence of 'run-and-turns' analogous to the 'run-and-tumbles' of swimming bacteria. Interestingly, amoeboid trajectories favor zigzag turns. In other words, the cells bias their crawling by making a turn in the opposite direction to a previous turn. This property enhances the long range directional persistence of the moving trajectories. This study proposes that such a zigzag crawling behavior can be a general property of any crawling cells by demonstrating that 1 microglia, which are the immune cells of the brain, and 2 a simple rule-based model cell, which incorporates the actual biochemistry and mechanics behind cell crawling, both exhibit similar type of crawling behavior. Almost all legged animals walk by alternating their feet. Similarly, all crawling cells appear to move forward by alternating the direction of their movement, even though the regularity and degree of zigzag preference vary from one type to the other.

Soft Ultrathin Electronics Innervated Adaptive Fully Soft Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chengjun; Sim, Kyoseung; Chen, Jin; Kim, Hojin; Rao, Zhoulyu; Li, Yuhang; Chen, Weiqiu; Song, Jizhou; Verduzco, Rafael; Yu, Cunjiang

2018-03-01

Soft robots outperform the conventional hard robots on significantly enhanced safety, adaptability, and complex motions. The development of fully soft robots, especially fully from smart soft materials to mimic soft animals, is still nascent. In addition, to date, existing soft robots cannot adapt themselves to the surrounding environment, i.e., sensing and adaptive motion or response, like animals. Here, compliant ultrathin sensing and actuating electronics innervated fully soft robots that can sense the environment and perform soft bodied crawling adaptively, mimicking an inchworm, are reported. The soft robots are constructed with actuators of open-mesh shaped ultrathin deformable heaters, sensors of single-crystal Si optoelectronic photodetectors, and thermally responsive artificial muscle of carbon-black-doped liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE-CB) nanocomposite. The results demonstrate that adaptive crawling locomotion can be realized through the conjugation of sensing and actuation, where the sensors sense the environment and actuators respond correspondingly to control the locomotion autonomously through regulating the deformation of LCE-CB bimorphs and the locomotion of the robots. The strategy of innervating soft sensing and actuating electronics with artificial muscles paves the way for the development of smart autonomous soft robots. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tracked Robot with Blade Arms to Enhance Crawling Capability

OpenAIRE

Jhu-Wei Ji; Fa-Shian Chang; Lih-Tyng Hwang; Chih-Feng Liu; Jeng-Nan Lee; Shun-Min Wang; Kai-Yi Cho

2016-01-01

This paper presents a tracked robot with blade arms powered to assist movement in difficult environments. As a result, the tracked robot is able to pass a ramp or climb stairs. The main feature is a pair of blade arms on both sides of the vehicle body working in collaboration with previously validated transformable track system. When the robot encounters an obstacle in a terrain, it enlists the blade arms with power to overcome the obstacle. In disaster areas, there usually will be terrains t...

Cockroaches traverse crevices, crawl rapidly in confined spaces, and inspire a soft, legged robot

Science.gov (United States)

Jayaram, Kaushik; Full, Robert J.

2016-01-01

Jointed exoskeletons permit rapid appendage-driven locomotion but retain the soft-bodied, shape-changing ability to explore confined environments. We challenged cockroaches with horizontal crevices smaller than a quarter of their standing body height. Cockroaches rapidly traversed crevices in 300–800 ms by compressing their body 40–60%. High-speed videography revealed crevice negotiation to be a complex, discontinuous maneuver. After traversing horizontal crevices to enter a vertically confined space, cockroaches crawled at velocities approaching 60 cm⋅s−1, despite body compression and postural changes. Running velocity, stride length, and stride period only decreased at the smallest crevice height (4 mm), whereas slipping and the probability of zigzag paths increased. To explain confined-space running performance limits, we altered ceiling and ground friction. Increased ceiling friction decreased velocity by decreasing stride length and increasing slipping. Increased ground friction resulted in velocity and stride length attaining a maximum at intermediate friction levels. These data support a model of an unexplored mode of locomotion—“body-friction legged crawling” with body drag, friction-dominated leg thrust, but no media flow as in air, water, or sand. To define the limits of body compression in confined spaces, we conducted dynamic compressive cycle tests on living animals. Exoskeletal strength allowed cockroaches to withstand forces 300 times body weight when traversing the smallest crevices and up to nearly 900 times body weight without injury. Cockroach exoskeletons provided biological inspiration for the manufacture of an origami-style, soft, legged robot that can locomote rapidly in both open and confined spaces. PMID:26858443

ON TRAVERSABILITY COST EVALUATION FROM PROPRIOCEPTIVE SENSING FOR A CRAWLING ROBOT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jakub Mrva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Traversability characteristics of the robot working environment are crucial in planning an efficient path for a robot operating in rough unstructured areas. In the literature, approaches to wheeled or tracked robots can be found, but a relatively little attention is given to walking multi-legged robots. Moreover, the existing approaches for terrain traversability assessment seem to be focused on gathering key features from a terrain model acquired from range data or camera image and only occasionally supplemented with proprioceptive sensing that expresses the interaction of the robot with the terrain. This paper addresses the problem of traversability cost evaluation based on proprioceptive sensing for a hexapod walking robot while optimizing different criteria. We present several methods of evaluating the robot-terrain interaction that can be used as a cost function for an assessment of the robot motion that can be utilized in high-level path-planning algorithms.

Robot Beroda Perambat Dinding Berbasis Mikrokontroler ATmega 2560 Dilengkapi Kendali Nirkabel dan Penghindar Rintangan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eko Didik Widianto

2017-05-01

Full Text Available This research developed a mobile wall climbing robot prototype using 4 DC motors as its driver and a suction tube. It can avoid obstacles. This robot uses Arduino Mega 2560 as its controller board. The robot's weight is 747 grams. The suction tube produces a suction force of 7.815N capable of holding the robot load in a stall vertical position using 12V of voltage. The robot able to crawl down and horizontal, but still can not climb vertically. The robot is able to receive a command of motion manually from a 2.4GHz wireless joystick. In automatic mode, the robot can avoid obstacles using the HC-SR04 proximity sensor. This research also shows the relationship between suction force and the given voltage of DC brushless motor and its throtle value. Penelitian ini mengembangkan sebuah purwarupa robot perambat dinding beroda dengan 4 buah motor DC sebagai penggerak dan sebuah tabung hisap serta dapat menghindari rintangan. Robot ini menggunakan Arduino Mega 2560 sebagai papan kontrolernya. Bobot robot adalah 747 gram. Gaya hisap dari tabung hisap sebesar 7,815N mampu menahan beban robot dalam posisi diam vertikal di tegangan 12V. Robot mampu merambat turun dan mendatar, namun masih tidak bisa naik vertikal. Robot mampu diberikan perintah gerak secara manual dari tombol joystick playstation nirkabel 2,4 GHz. Di mode otomatis, robot dapat bergerak menghindari rintangan menggunakan sensor jarak HC-SR04. Dalam penelitian ini ditunjukkan hubungan antara gaya hisap dengan nilai tegangan motor DC brushless dan nilai throtle-nya.

A novel low-cost mobile robot for rapid prototyping of precision farming applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kjeld; Neerup, Mathias Mikkel; Larsen, Leon Bonde

Experimental research in precision farming is a significant challenge due to the considerable resources required to perform field experiments. Simulating the field environment is a frequently used technique which is useful for functional software tests, but beyond that it is necessary to perform...... experiments. In this work we present a novel FrobitPro robot platform designed for rapid prototyping of FroboMind field robot applications. FrobitPro has a fundamental design similar to many current wheeled and tracked robots such as the Kongskilde Robotti, and the workflow of migrating from simulation...... as outdoor driving in semi-rugged terrain such as grass fields and bare soil. This paper presents the FrobitPro robot and describes two use cases in current research projects, namely the Grassbots project which focuses on harvesting of grass on lowland areas for biofuel production and the SAFE project...

Prototype of Remote Controlled Robot Vehicle to Scan Radioactive Contaminated Areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ratongasoandrazana, J.B.; Raoelina Andriambololona; Rambolamanana, G.; Andrianiaina, H.; Rajaobelison, J.

2016-01-01

The ionizing radiations are not directly audible by the organs of sense of the human being. Maintenance and handling of sources of such ionizing radiations present some risks of very serious and often irreversible accident for human organism. The works of experimentation and maintenance in such zone also present the risks requiring some minimum of precaution. Thus, the main objective of this work is to design and develop (hard- and software) a prototype of educational semi-autonomous Radio Frequency controlled robot-vehicle based on 8-bit AVR-RISC Flash microcontroller system (ATmega128L) able to detect, identify and map the radioactive contaminated area. An integrated video camera coupled with a UHF video transmitter module, placed in front of the robot, will be used as visual feedback control to well direct it toward a precise place to reach. The navigation information and the data collected are transmitted from the robot toward the Computer via 02 Radio Frequency Transceivers for peer-to-peer serial data transfer in half-duplex mode. A Joystick module which is connected to the Computer parallel port allows full motion control of the platform. Robot-vehicle user interface program for the PC has been designed to allow full control of all functions of the robot vehicles.

Development of a Prototype Robotic System for Radiosurgery with Upper Hemispherical Workspace

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sun Young Noh

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces a specialized robotic system under development for radiosurgery using a small-sized linear accelerator. The robotic system is a 5-DOF manipulator that can be installed above a patient to make an upper hemispherical workspace centered in a target point. In order to determine the optimal lengths of the link, we consider the requirements for the workspace of a linear accelerator for radiosurgery. A more suitable kinematic structure than conventional industrial manipulators is proposed, and the kinematic analysis is also provided. A graphic simulator is implemented and used for dynamic analysis. Based on those results, a prototype manipulator and its control system are under development.

Development of an integrated closed loop control system with virtual reality monitoring for Prototype Robotic Articulated System (PRAS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rastogi, Naveen; Dutta, Pramit; Gotewal, K.K.

2015-01-01

The Prototype Robotic Articulated System (PRAS) is a servo driven 4 degrees of freedom robotic arm capable of handling of upto 5 kg payload. A virtual reality based monitoring application has been developed in blender and was intergrated with the control system to read the joint values of the robotic arm at 10Hz and update the CAD model to visualize the robotic operations remotely. This paper presents the design details and implementation results of the integrated control system for PRAS

Staged Event-Driven Architecture As A Micro-Architecture Of Distributed And Pluginable Crawling Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leszek Siwik

2013-01-01

Full Text Available There are many crawling systems available on the market but they are rather close systems dedicated for performing particular kind and class of tasks with predefined set of scope, strategy etc. In real life however there are meaningful groups of users (e.g. marketing, criminal or governmental analysts requiring not just a yet another crawling system dedicated for performing predefined tasks. They need rather easy-to-use, user friendly all-in-one studio for not only executing and running internet robots and crawlers, but also for (graphical (redefining and (recomposing crawlers according to dynamically changing requirements and use-cases. To realize the above-mentioned idea, Cassiopeia framework has been designed and developed. One has to remember, however, that enormous size and unimaginable structural complexity of WWW network are the reasons that, from a technical and architectural point of view, developing effective internet robots – and the more so developing a framework supporting graphical robots’ composition – becomes a really challenging task. The crucial aspect in the context of crawling efficiency and scalability is concurrency model applied. There are two the most typical concurrency management models i.e. classical concurrency based on the pool of threads and processes and event-driven concurrency. None of them are ideal approaches. That is why, research on alternative models is still conducted to propose efficient and convenient architecture for concurrent and distributed applications. One of promising models is staged event-driven architecture mixing to some extent both of above mentioned classical approaches and providing some additional benefits such as splitting application into separate stages connected by events queues – what is interesting taking requirements about crawler (recomposition into account. The goal of this paper is to present the idea and the PoC  implementation of Cassiopeia framework, with the special

The application of virtual prototyping methods to determine the dynamic parameters of mobile robot

Science.gov (United States)

Kurc, Krzysztof; Szybicki, Dariusz; Burghardt, Andrzej; Muszyńska, Magdalena

2016-04-01

The paper presents methods used to determine the parameters necessary to build a mathematical model of an underwater robot with a crawler drive. The parameters present in the dynamics equation will be determined by means of advanced mechatronic design tools, including: CAD/CAE software andMES modules. The virtual prototyping process is described as well as the various possible uses (design adaptability) depending on the optional accessories added to the vehicle. A mathematical model is presented to show the kinematics and dynamics of the underwater crawler robot, essential for the design stage.

Architectures of soft robotic locomotion enabled by simple mechanical principles.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Liangliang; Cao, Yunteng; Liu, Yilun; Yang, Zhe; Chen, Xi

2017-06-28

In nature, a variety of limbless locomotion patterns flourish, from the small or basic life forms (Escherichia coli, amoebae, etc.) to the large or intelligent creatures (e.g., slugs, starfishes, earthworms, octopuses, jellyfishes, and snakes). Many bioinspired soft robots based on locomotion have been developed in the past few decades. In this work, based on the kinematics and dynamics of two representative locomotion modes (i.e., worm-like crawling and snake-like slithering), we propose a broad set of innovative designs for soft mobile robots through simple mechanical principles. Inspired by and going beyond the existing biological systems, these designs include 1-D (dimensional), 2-D, and 3-D robotic locomotion patterns enabled by the simple actuation of continuous beams. We report herein over 20 locomotion modes achieving various locomotion functions, including crawling, rising, running, creeping, squirming, slithering, swimming, jumping, turning, turning over, helix rolling, wheeling, etc. Some are able to reach high speed, high efficiency, and overcome obstacles. All these locomotion strategies and functions can be integrated into a simple beam model. The proposed simple and robust models are adaptive for severe and complex environments. These elegant designs for diverse robotic locomotion patterns are expected to underpin future deployments of soft robots and to inspire a series of advanced designs.

Teleautonomous Control on Rescue Robot Prototype

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Son Kuswadi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Robot application in disaster area can help responder team to save victims. In order to finish task, robot must have flexible movement mechanism so it can pass through uncluttered area. Passive linkage can be used on robot chassis so it can give robot flexibility. On physical experiments, robot is succeeded to move through gravels and 5 cm obstacle. Rescue robot also has specialized control needs. Robot must able to be controlled remotely. It also must have ability to move autonomously. Teleautonomous control method is combination between those methods. It can be concluded from experiments that on teleoperation mode, operator must get used to see environment through robot’s camera. While on autonomous mode, robot is succeeded to avoid obstacle and search target based on sensor reading and controller program. On teleautonomous mode, robot can change control mode by using bluetooth communication for data transfer, so robot control will be more flexible.

Unikabeton Prototype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Asbjørn; Dombernowsky, Per

2011-01-01

The Unikabeton prototype structure was developed as the finalization of the cross-disciplinary research project Unikabeton, exploring the architectural potential in linking the computational process of topology optimisation with robot fabrication of concrete casting moulds. The project was elabor......The Unikabeton prototype structure was developed as the finalization of the cross-disciplinary research project Unikabeton, exploring the architectural potential in linking the computational process of topology optimisation with robot fabrication of concrete casting moulds. The project...... of Architecture was to develop a series of optimisation experiments, concluding in the design and optimisation of a full scale prototype concrete structure....

Radon mitigation experience in houses with basements and adjoining crawl spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Messing, M.; Henschel, D.B.

1990-01-01

Active soil depressurization systems were installed in four basement houses with adjoining crawl spaces in Maryland. In addition, existing soil depressurization systems were modified in two additional basement-plus-crawl-space houses. These six houses were selected to include both good and poor communication beneath the basement slab, and different degrees of importance of the crawl space as a source of the indoor radon. The radon reduction effectiveness was compared for: depressurization only under the basement slab; depressurization only under a polyethylene liner over the unpaved crawl-space floor; and simultaneous depressurization under both the basement slab and the crawl-space liner. The objective of this paper is to identify under what conditions treatment of the basement alone might provide sufficient radon reductions in houses of this substructure, and what incremental benefits might be achieved by also treating the crawl space

Fault Diagnosis of a Reconfigurable Crawling–Rolling Robot Based on Support Vector Machines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karthikeyan Elangovan

2017-10-01

Full Text Available As robots begin to perform jobs autonomously, with minimal or no human intervention, a new challenge arises: robots also need to autonomously detect errors and recover from faults. In this paper, we present a Support Vector Machine (SVM-based fault diagnosis system for a bio-inspired reconfigurable robot named Scorpio. The diagnosis system needs to detect and classify faults while Scorpio uses its crawling and rolling locomotion modes. Specifically, we classify between faulty and non-faulty conditions by analyzing onboard Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU sensor data. The data capture nine different locomotion gaits, which include rolling and crawling modes, at three different speeds. Statistical methods are applied to extract features and to reduce the dimensionality of original IMU sensor data features. These statistical features were given as inputs for training and testing. Additionally, the c-Support Vector Classification (c-SVC and nu-SVC models of SVM, and their fault classification accuracies, were compared. The results show that the proposed SVM approach can be used to autonomously diagnose locomotion gait faults while the reconfigurable robot is in operation.

Robotic environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bier, H.H.

2011-01-01

Technological and conceptual advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and material science have enabled robotic architectural environments to be implemented and tested in the last decade in virtual and physical prototypes. These prototypes are incorporating sensing-actuating

Low-Cost Rescue Robot for Disaster Management in a Developing Country: Development of a Prototype Using Locally Available Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmud, Faisal; Hossain, S. G. M.; Bin, Jobair

2010-01-01

The use of robots in different fields is common and effective in developed countries. In case of incident management or emergency rescue after a disaster, robots are often used to lessen the human effort where it is either impossible or life-threatening for rescuers. Though developed countries can afford robotic-effort for pro-disaster management, the scenario is totally opposite for developing and under-developed countries to engage such a machine-help due to high cost of the machines and high maintenance cost as well. In this research paper, the authors proposed a low-cost "Rescue-Robot" for pro-disaster management which can overcome the budget-constraints as well as fully capable of rescue purposes for incident management. Here, all the research works were performed in Bangladesh - a developing country in South Asia. A disaster struck structure was chosen and a thorough survey was performed to understand the real-life environment for the prototype. The prototype was developed considering the results of this survey and it was manufactured using all locally available components and facilities.

Gender bias in mothers' expectations about infant crawling.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondschein, E R; Adolph, K E; Tamis-LeMonda, C S

2000-12-01

Although boys outshine girls in a range of motor skills, there are no reported gender differences in motor performance during infancy. This study examined gender bias in mothers' expectations about their infants' motor development. Mothers of 11-month-old infants estimated their babies' crawling ability, crawling attempts, and motor decisions in a novel locomotor task-crawling down steep and shallow slopes. Mothers of girls underestimated their performance and mothers of boys overestimated their performance. Mothers' gender bias had no basis in fact. When we tested the infants in the same slope task moments after mothers' provided their ratings, girls and boys showed identical levels of motor performance. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Comparing topic coverage in breadth-first and depth-first crawls using anchor texts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Samar, Thaer; Traub, Myriam C.; van Ossenbruggen, Jacco; de Vries, Arjen P.

2016-01-01

Web archives preserve the fast changing Web by repeatedly crawling its content. The crawling strategy has an influence on the data that is archived. We use link anchor text of two Web crawls created with different crawling strategies in order to compare their coverage of past popular topics. One of

An Embedded Systems Laboratory to Support Rapid Prototyping of Robotics and the Internet of Things

Science.gov (United States)

Hamblen, J. O.; van Bekkum, G. M. E.

2013-01-01

This paper describes a new approach for a course and laboratory designed to allow students to develop low-cost prototypes of robotic and other embedded devices that feature Internet connectivity, I/O, networking, a real-time operating system (RTOS), and object-oriented C/C++. The application programming interface (API) libraries provided permit…

On a poroviscoelastic model for cell crawling

KAUST Repository

Kimpton, L. S.

2014-02-08

In this paper a minimal, one-dimensional, two-phase, viscoelastic, reactive, flow model for a crawling cell is presented. Two-phase models are used with a variety of constitutive assumptions in the literature to model cell motility. We use an upper-convected Maxwell model and demonstrate that even the simplest of two-phase, viscoelastic models displays features relevant to cell motility. We also show care must be exercised in choosing parameters for such models as a poor choice can lead to an ill-posed problem. A stability analysis reveals that the initially stationary, spatially uniform strip of cytoplasm starts to crawl in response to a perturbation which breaks the symmetry of the network volume fraction or network stress. We also demonstrate numerically that there is a steady travelling-wave solution in which the crawling velocity has a bell-shaped dependence on adhesion strength, in agreement with biological observation.

A minimal physical model for crawling cells

Science.gov (United States)

Tiribocchi, Adriano; Tjhung, Elsen; Marenduzzo, Davide; Cates, Michael E.

Cell motility in higher organisms (eukaryotes) is fundamental to biological functions such as wound healing or immune response, and is also implicated in diseases such as cancer. For cells crawling on solid surfaces, considerable insights into motility have been gained from experiments replicating such motion in vitro. Such experiments show that crawling uses a combination of actin treadmilling (polymerization), which pushes the front of a cell forward, and myosin-induced stress (contractility), which retracts the rear. We present a simplified physical model of a crawling cell, consisting of a droplet of active polar fluid with contractility throughout, but treadmilling connected to a thin layer near the supporting wall. The model shows a variety of shapes and/or motility regimes, some closely resembling cases seen experimentally. Our work supports the view that cellular motility exploits autonomous physical mechanisms whose operation does not need continuous regulatory effort.

Robotic buildings(s)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bier, H.H.

2014-01-01

Technological and conceptual advances in fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and material science have enabled robotic building to be in the last decade prototypically implemented. In this context, robotic building implies both physically built robotic environments and robotically

Closed Crawl Space Performance: Proof of Concept in the Production Builder Marketplace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malkin-Weber, Melissa; Dastur, Cyrus; Mauceri, Maria; Hannas, Benjamin

2008-10-30

This overview is intended to be a very concise, limited summary of the key project activities discussed in the detailed report that follows. Due to the large scope of this project, the detailed report is broken into three individually titled sections. Each section repeats key background information, with the goal that the sections will eventually stand alone as complete reports on the major activities of the project. The information presented herein comes from ongoing research, so please note that all observations, findings and recommendations presented are preliminary and subject to change in the future. We invite and welcome your comments and suggestions for improving the project. Advanced Energy completed its first jointly-funded crawl space research project with the Department of Energy in 2005. That project, funded under award number DE-FC26-00NT40995 and titled 'A Field Study Comparison of the Energy and Moisture Performance Characteristics of Ventilated Versus Sealed Crawl Spaces in the South' demonstrated the substantial energy efficiency and moisture management benefits that result from using properly closed crawl space foundations for residential construction instead of traditional wall vented crawl space foundations. Two activities of this first project included (1) an assessment of ten existing homes to document commonly observed energy and moisture failures associated with wall-vented crawl space foundations and (2) a detailed literature review that documented both the history of closed crawl space research and the historical lack of scientific justification for building code requirements for crawl space ventilation. The most valuable activity of the 2005 project proved to be the field demonstration of various closed crawl space techniques, which were implemented in a set of twelve small (1040 square feet), simply designed homes in eastern North Carolina. These homes had matched envelope, mechanical and architectural designs, and comparable

A Kinect-based real-time compressive tracking prototype system for amphibious spherical robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Shaowu; Shi, Liwei; Guo, Shuxiang

2015-04-08

A visual tracking system is essential as a basis for visual servoing, autonomous navigation, path planning, robot-human interaction and other robotic functions. To execute various tasks in diverse and ever-changing environments, a mobile robot requires high levels of robustness, precision, environmental adaptability and real-time performance of the visual tracking system. In keeping with the application characteristics of our amphibious spherical robot, which was proposed for flexible and economical underwater exploration in 2012, an improved RGB-D visual tracking algorithm is proposed and implemented. Given the limited power source and computational capabilities of mobile robots, compressive tracking (CT), which is the effective and efficient algorithm that was proposed in 2012, was selected as the basis of the proposed algorithm to process colour images. A Kalman filter with a second-order motion model was implemented to predict the state of the target and select candidate patches or samples for the CT tracker. In addition, a variance ratio features shift (VR-V) tracker with a Kalman estimation mechanism was used to process depth images. Using a feedback strategy, the depth tracking results were used to assist the CT tracker in updating classifier parameters at an adaptive rate. In this way, most of the deficiencies of CT, including drift and poor robustness to occlusion and high-speed target motion, were partly solved. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a Microsoft Kinect sensor, which combines colour and infrared depth cameras, was adopted for use in a prototype of the robotic tracking system. The experimental results with various image sequences demonstrated the effectiveness, robustness and real-time performance of the tracking system.

A Kinect-Based Real-Time Compressive Tracking Prototype System for Amphibious Spherical Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shaowu Pan

2015-04-01

Full Text Available A visual tracking system is essential as a basis for visual servoing, autonomous navigation, path planning, robot-human interaction and other robotic functions. To execute various tasks in diverse and ever-changing environments, a mobile robot requires high levels of robustness, precision, environmental adaptability and real-time performance of the visual tracking system. In keeping with the application characteristics of our amphibious spherical robot, which was proposed for flexible and economical underwater exploration in 2012, an improved RGB-D visual tracking algorithm is proposed and implemented. Given the limited power source and computational capabilities of mobile robots, compressive tracking (CT, which is the effective and efficient algorithm that was proposed in 2012, was selected as the basis of the proposed algorithm to process colour images. A Kalman filter with a second-order motion model was implemented to predict the state of the target and select candidate patches or samples for the CT tracker. In addition, a variance ratio features shift (VR-V tracker with a Kalman estimation mechanism was used to process depth images. Using a feedback strategy, the depth tracking results were used to assist the CT tracker in updating classifier parameters at an adaptive rate. In this way, most of the deficiencies of CT, including drift and poor robustness to occlusion and high-speed target motion, were partly solved. To evaluate the proposed algorithm, a Microsoft Kinect sensor, which combines colour and infrared depth cameras, was adopted for use in a prototype of the robotic tracking system. The experimental results with various image sequences demonstrated the effectiveness, robustness and real-time performance of the tracking system.

Virtual Simulator for Autonomous Mobile Robots Navigation System Using Concepts of Control Rapid Prototyping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonimer Flavio de Melo

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This work presents the proposal of virtual environment implementation for project simulation and conception of supervision and control systems for mobile robots, that are capable to operate and adapting in different environments and conditions. This virtual system has as purpose to facilitate the development of embedded architecture systems, emphasizing the implementation of tools that allow the simulation of the kinematic conditions, dynamic and control, with real time monitoring of all important system points. For this, open control architecture is proposal, integrating the two main techniques of robotic control implementation in the hardware level: systems microprocessors and reconfigurable hardware devices. The implemented simulator system is composed of a trajectory generating module, a kinematic and dynamic simulator module and of a analysis module of results and errors. The kinematic and dynamic simulator module makes all simulation of the mobile robot following the pre-determined trajectory of the trajectory generator. All the kinematic and dynamic results shown during the simulation can be evaluated and visualized in graphs and tables formats, in the results analysis module, allowing an improvement in the system, minimizing the errors with the necessary adjustments optimization. For controller implementation in the embedded system, it uses the rapid prototyping, which is the technology that allows, in set with the virtual simulation environment, the development of a controller project for mobile robots. The validation and tests had been accomplishing with nonholonomics mobile robots models with differential transmission.

Using an Integrated Naive Bayes Calssifier for Crawling Relevent Data on the Web

Science.gov (United States)

Mihsra, A.

2015-12-01

In our experiments (at JPL, NASA) for DARPA Memex project, we wanted to crawl a large amount of data for various domains. A big challenge was data relevancy in the crawled data. More than 50% of the data was irrelevant to the domain at hand. One immediate solution was to use good seeds (seeds are the initial urls from where the program starts to crawl) and make sure that the crawl remains into the original host urls. This although a very efficient technique, fails under two conditions. One when you aim to reach deeper into the web; into new hosts (not in the seed list) and two when the website hosts myriad content types eg. a News website.The relevancy calculation used to be a post processing step i.e. once we had finished crawling, we trained a NaiveBayes Classifier and used it to find a rough relevancy of the web pages that we had. Integrating the relevancy into the crawling rather than after it was very important because crawling takes resources and time. To save both we needed to get an idea of relevancy of the whole crawl during run time and be able to steer its course accordingly. We use Apache Nutch as the crawler, which uses a plugin system to incorporate any new implementations and hence we built a plugin for Nutch.The Naive Bayes Parse Plugin works in the following way. It parses every page and decides, using a trained model (which is built in situ only once using the positive and negative examples given by the user in a very simple format), if it is relevant; If true, then it allows all the outlinks from that page to go to the next round of crawling; If not, then it gives the urls a second chance to prove themselves by checking some commonly expected words in the url relevant to that domain. This two tier system is very intuitive and efficient in focusing the crawl. In our initial test experiments over 100 seed urls, the results were astonishingly good with a recall of 98%.The same technique can be applied to geo-informatics. This will help scientists

Advanced mechanics in robotic systems

CERN Document Server

Nava Rodríguez, Nestor Eduardo

2011-01-01

Illustrates original and ambitious mechanical designs and techniques for the development of new robot prototypes Includes numerous figures, tables and flow charts Discusses relevant applications in robotics fields such as humanoid robots, robotic hands, mobile robots, parallel manipulators and human-centred robots

Arm coordination in octopus crawling involves unique motor control strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Guy; Flash, Tamar; Hochner, Binyamin

2015-05-04

To cope with the exceptional computational complexity that is involved in the control of its hyper-redundant arms [1], the octopus has adopted unique motor control strategies in which the central brain activates rather autonomous motor programs in the elaborated peripheral nervous system of the arms [2, 3]. How octopuses coordinate their eight long and flexible arms in locomotion is still unknown. Here, we present the first detailed kinematic analysis of octopus arm coordination in crawling. The results are surprising in several respects: (1) despite its bilaterally symmetrical body, the octopus can crawl in any direction relative to its body orientation; (2) body and crawling orientation are monotonically and independently controlled; and (3) contrasting known animal locomotion, octopus crawling lacks any apparent rhythmical patterns in limb coordination, suggesting a unique non-rhythmical output of the octopus central controller. We show that this uncommon maneuverability is derived from the radial symmetry of the arms around the body and the simple pushing-by-elongation mechanism by which the arms create the crawling thrust. These two together enable a mechanism whereby the central controller chooses in a moment-to-moment fashion which arms to recruit for pushing the body in an instantaneous direction. Our findings suggest that the soft molluscan body has affected in an embodied way [4, 5] the emergence of the adaptive motor behavior of the octopus. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlling Tensegrity Robots Through Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Iscen, Atil; Agogino, Adrian; SunSpiral, Vytas; Tumer, Kagan

2013-01-01

Tensegrity structures (built from interconnected rods and cables) have the potential to offer a revolutionary new robotic design that is light-weight, energy-efficient, robust to failures, capable of unique modes of locomotion, impact tolerant, and compliant (reducing damage between the robot and its environment). Unfortunately robots built from tensegrity structures are difficult to control with traditional methods due to their oscillatory nature, nonlinear coupling between components and overall complexity. Fortunately this formidable control challenge can be overcome through the use of evolutionary algorithms. In this paper we show that evolutionary algorithms can be used to efficiently control a ball-shaped tensegrity robot. Experimental results performed with a variety of evolutionary algorithms in a detailed soft-body physics simulator show that a centralized evolutionary algorithm performs 400 percent better than a hand-coded solution, while the multi-agent evolution performs 800 percent better. In addition, evolution is able to discover diverse control solutions (both crawling and rolling) that are robust against structural failures and can be adapted to a wide range of energy and actuation constraints. These successful controls will form the basis for building high-performance tensegrity robots in the near future.

An Efficient Approach for Web Indexing of Big Data through Hyperlinks in Web Crawling

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, R. Suganya; Manjula, D.; Siddharth, R. K.

2015-01-01

Web Crawling has acquired tremendous significance in recent times and it is aptly associated with the substantial development of the World Wide Web. Web Search Engines face new challenges due to the availability of vast amounts of web documents, thus making the retrieved results less applicable to the analysers. However, recently, Web Crawling solely focuses on obtaining the links of the corresponding documents. Today, there exist various algorithms and software which are used to crawl links from the web which has to be further processed for future use, thereby increasing the overload of the analyser. This paper concentrates on crawling the links and retrieving all information associated with them to facilitate easy processing for other uses. In this paper, firstly the links are crawled from the specified uniform resource locator (URL) using a modified version of Depth First Search Algorithm which allows for complete hierarchical scanning of corresponding web links. The links are then accessed via the source code and its metadata such as title, keywords, and description are extracted. This content is very essential for any type of analyser work to be carried on the Big Data obtained as a result of Web Crawling. PMID:26137592

The Costs and Benefits of Development: The Transition From Crawling to Walking.

Science.gov (United States)

Adolph, Karen E; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S

2014-12-02

The transition from crawling to walking requires infants to relinquish their status as experienced, highly skilled crawlers in favor of being inexperienced, lowskilled walkers. Yet infants willingly undergo this developmental transition, despite incurring costs of shaky steps, frequent falls, and inability to gauge affordances for action in their new upright posture. Why do infants persist with walking when crawling serves the purpose of independent mobility? In this article, we present an integrative analysis of the costs and benefits associated with crawling and walking that challenges prior assumptions, and reveals deficits of crawling and benefits of upright locomotion that were previously overlooked. Inquiry into multiple domains of development reveals that the benefits of persisting with walking outweigh the costs: Compared to crawlers, walking infants cover more space more quickly, experience richer visual input, access and play more with distant objects, and interact in qualitatively new ways with caregivers.

Softworms: the design and control of non-pneumatic, 3D-printed, deformable robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Umedachi, T; Vikas, V; Trimmer, B A

2016-03-10

Robots that can easily interact with humans and move through natural environments are becoming increasingly essential as assistive devices in the home, office and hospital. These machines need to be safe, effective, and easy to control. One strategy towards accomplishing these goals is to build the robots using soft and flexible materials to make them much more approachable and less likely to damage their environment. A major challenge is that comparatively little is known about how best to design, fabricate and control deformable machines. Here we describe the design, fabrication and control of a novel soft robotic platform (Softworms) as a modular device for research, education and public outreach. These robots are inspired by recent neuromechanical studies of crawling and climbing by larval moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera, caterpillars). Unlike most soft robots currently under development, the Softworms do not rely on pneumatic or fluidic actuators but are electrically powered and actuated using either shape-memory alloy microcoils or motor tendons, and they can be modified to accept other muscle-like actuators such as electroactive polymers. The technology is extremely versatile, and different designs can be quickly and cheaply fabricated by casting elastomeric polymers or by direct 3D printing. Softworms can crawl, inch or roll, and they are steerable and even climb steep inclines. Softworms can be made in any shape but here we describe modular and monolithic designs requiring little assembly. These modules can be combined to make multi-limbed devices. We also describe two approaches for controlling such highly deformable structures using either model-free state transition-reward matrices or distributed, mechanically coupled oscillators. In addition to their value as a research platform, these robots can be developed for use in environmental, medical and space applications where cheap, lightweight and shape-changing deformable robots will provide new

Robots in the USA nuclear industry: An overview to the end of the 20th century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meleran, H.B.

1993-01-01

Stationary robotic arms, mobile robotic vehicles, ROV's and other underwater crawling robots, and pipecrawlers are beginning to play a growing role in nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities. This paper presents an overview of the current status and availability of robots, and in particular mobile robots, in the nuclear industry in the US. Typical missions for the robots conducted upon terrestrial surfaces, underwater, inside pipelines, and above ground location will also be described. An additional focus will also be directed towards the examination of issues concerning evolving insights and new development projects which are currently underway. Successfully exploited technologies that have been developed for other non-nuclear activities the aerospace, underwater, and industrial environments are being incorporated into the new generation of robots used in the nuclear industry

Resultaat van 6 jaar Field Robot Event : studenten, netwerk en een prototype robot

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Henten, van E.J.; Bakker, T.; Evert, van F.K.; Hofstee, J.W.

2009-01-01

In 2003 beleefde het Field Robot Event (FRE) in Wageningen zijn primeur. De FRE is een internationale wedstrijd, waarin field robots met elkaar de competitie aangaan om zo goed mogelijk autonoom door een perceel te navigeren en een landbouwkundige taak uit te voeren. Dit jaar wordt het Field Robot

Robotic gaming prototype for upper limb exercise: Effects of age and embodiment on user preferences and movement.

Science.gov (United States)

Eizicovits, Danny; Edan, Yael; Tabak, Iris; Levy-Tzedek, Shelly

2018-01-01

Effective human-robot interactions in rehabilitation necessitates an understanding of how these should be tailored to the needs of the human. We report on a robotic system developed as a partner on a 3-D everyday task, using a gamified approach. To: (1) design and test a prototype system, to be ultimately used for upper-limb rehabilitation; (2) evaluate how age affects the response to such a robotic system; and (3) identify whether the robot's physical embodiment is an important aspect in motivating users to complete a set of repetitive tasks. 62 healthy participants, young (60 yo), played a 3D tic-tac-toe game against an embodied (a robotic arm) and a non-embodied (a computer-controlled lighting system) partner. To win, participants had to place three cups in sequence on a physical 3D grid. Cup picking-and-placing was chosen as a functional task that is often practiced in post-stroke rehabilitation. Movement of the participants was recorded using a Kinect camera. The timing of the participants' movement was primed by the response time of the system: participants moved slower when playing with the slower embodied system (p = 0.006). The majority of participants preferred the robot over the computer-controlled system. Slower response time of the robot compared to the computer-controlled one only affected the young group's motivation to continue playing. We demonstrated the feasibility of the system to encourage the performance of repetitive 3D functional movements, and track these movements. Young and old participants preferred to interact with the robot, compared with the non-embodied system. We contribute to the growing knowledge concerning personalized human-robot interactions by (1) demonstrating the priming of the human movement by the robotic movement - an important design feature, and (2) identifying response-speed as a design variable, the importance of which depends on the age of the user.

Rapid, Reliable Shape Setting of Superelastic Nitinol for Prototyping Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, Hunter B; Webster, Robert J

Shape setting Nitinol tubes and wires in a typical laboratory setting for use in superelastic robots is challenging. Obtaining samples that remain superelastic and exhibit desired precurvatures currently requires many iterations, which is time consuming and consumes a substantial amount of Nitinol. To provide a more accurate and reliable method of shape setting, in this paper we propose an electrical technique that uses Joule heating to attain the necessary shape setting temperatures. The resulting high power heating prevents unintended aging of the material and yields consistent and accurate results for the rapid creation of prototypes. We present a complete algorithm and system together with an experimental analysis of temperature regulation. We experimentally validate the approach on Nitinol tubes that are shape set into planar curves. We also demonstrate the feasibility of creating general space curves by shape setting a helical tube. The system demonstrates a mean absolute temperature error of 10°C.

Small-scale soft-bodied robot with multimodal locomotion

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Wenqi; Lum, Guo Zhan; Mastrangeli, Massimo; Sitti, Metin

2018-02-01

Untethered small-scale (from several millimetres down to a few micrometres in all dimensions) robots that can non-invasively access confined, enclosed spaces may enable applications in microfactories such as the construction of tissue scaffolds by robotic assembly, in bioengineering such as single-cell manipulation and biosensing, and in healthcare such as targeted drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery. Existing small-scale robots, however, have very limited mobility because they are unable to negotiate obstacles and changes in texture or material in unstructured environments. Of these small-scale robots, soft robots have greater potential to realize high mobility via multimodal locomotion, because such machines have higher degrees of freedom than their rigid counterparts. Here we demonstrate magneto-elastic soft millimetre-scale robots that can swim inside and on the surface of liquids, climb liquid menisci, roll and walk on solid surfaces, jump over obstacles, and crawl within narrow tunnels. These robots can transit reversibly between different liquid and solid terrains, as well as switch between locomotive modes. They can additionally execute pick-and-place and cargo-release tasks. We also present theoretical models to explain how the robots move. Like the large-scale robots that can be used to study locomotion, these soft small-scale robots could be used to study soft-bodied locomotion produced by small organisms.

Kinematic and Gait Similarities between Crawling Human Infants and Other Quadruped Mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Righetti, Ludovic; Nylén, Anna; Rosander, Kerstin; Ijspeert, Auke Jan

2015-01-01

Crawling on hands and knees is an early pattern of human infant locomotion, which offers an interesting way of studying quadrupedalism in one of its simplest form. We investigate how crawling human infants compare to other quadruped mammals, especially primates. We present quantitative data on both the gait and kinematics of seven 10-month-old crawling infants. Body movements were measured with an optoelectronic system giving precise data on 3-dimensional limb movements. Crawling on hands and knees is very similar to the locomotion of non-human primates in terms of the quite protracted arm at touch-down, the coordination between the spine movements in the lateral plane and the limbs, the relatively extended limbs during locomotion and the strong correlation between stance duration and speed of locomotion. However, there are important differences compared to primates, such as the choice of a lateral-sequence walking gait, which is similar to most non-primate mammals and the relatively stiff elbows during stance as opposed to the quite compliant gaits of primates. These finding raise the question of the role of both the mechanical structure of the body and neural control on the determination of these characteristics. PMID:25709597

Remote controlled data collector robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jozsef Suto

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Today a general need for robots assisting different human activities rises. The goal of the present project is to develop a prototyping robot, which provides facilities for attaching and fitting different kinds of sensors and actuators. This robot provides an easy way to turn a general purpose robot into a special function one.

A human-oriented framework for developing assistive service robots.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinn, Conor; Cullinan, Michael F; Culleton, Mark; Kelly, Kevin

2018-04-01

Multipurpose robots that can perform a range of useful tasks have the potential to increase the quality of life for many people living with disabilities. Owing to factors such as high system complexity, as-yet unresolved research questions and current technology limitations, there is a need for effective strategies to coordinate the development process. Integrating established methodologies based on human-centred design and universal design, a framework was formulated to coordinate the robot design process over successive iterations of prototype development. An account is given of how the framework was practically applied to the problem of developing a personal service robot. Application of the framework led to the formation of several design goals which addressed a wide range of identified user needs. The resultant prototype solution, which consisted of several component elements, succeeded in demonstrating the performance stipulated by all of the proposed metrics. Application of the framework resulted in the development of a complex prototype that addressed many aspects of the functional and usability requirements of a personal service robot. Following the process led to several important insights which directly benefit the development of subsequent prototypes. Implications for Rehabilitation This research shows how universal design might be used to formulate usability requirements for assistive service robots. A framework is presented that guides the process of designing service robots in a human-centred way. Through practical application of the framework, a prototype robot system that addressed a range of identified user needs was developed.

Can crawl space temperature and moisture conditions be calculated with a whole-building hygrothermal simulation tool?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vanhoutteghem, Lies; Morelli, Martin; Sørensen, Lars Schiøtt

2017-01-01

of measurements was compared with simulations of temperature and moisture condition in the floor structure and crawl space. The measurements showed that the extra 50 mm insulation placed below the beams reduced moisture content in the beams below 20 weight% all year. A reasonable agreement between......The hygrothermal behaviour of an outdoor ventilated crawl space with two different designs of the floor structure was investigated. The first design had 250 mm insulation and visible wooden beams towards the crawl space. The second design had 300 mm insulation and no visible wooden beams. One year...... the measurements and simulations was found; however, the evaporation from the soil was a dominant parameter affecting the hygrothermal response in the crawl space and floor structure....

Identification of advective entry of soil-gas radon into a crawl space covered with sheets of polyethylene foil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersen, C.; Koopmanns, M.; Meijer, R.J. de

1996-04-01

To assess the effectiveness of mitigative measures against radon ( 222 Rn) entry into houses, experiments were conducted in a crawl-space house where the dirt floor of the crawl space was covered with sheets of 0.23 mm polyethylene foil fixed to the walls. The radon concentration was measured below the foil and in the crawl space together with environmental variables such as indoor-outdoor pressure differences. The experimental data was analyzed using various types of models including a simplistic mass-balance model, a regression model, and a two-dimensional numerical model based on Darcy flow or soil gas and combined diffusive and advective transport of radon. The main outcome of the work was that: (i) The soil-gas entry rate per pascal depressurization was at the order of 1 m 3 h -1 , (ii) the stack-related part of the depressurization of the crawl space (approx. 0.1 Pa deg. C -1 ) was controlled by the temperature difference between the living room of the house and the outdoors (not by the difference between the crawl space and the outdoors), (iii) that part of the wind-related depressurization that was measured by the pressure transducers seemed to force radon into the crawl space in the same proportion as the stack-related part of the depressurization, (iv) the ratio of advective and diffusive entry was approx. 0.7, when the crawl space was depressurized 1.5 Pa, (v) the effective diffusivity of the foil was found to be three orders of magnitude larger than that measured in the laboratory (the enhanced diffusivity was most likely caused by leaks in the foil and by mixing fans located in the crawl space), and (vi) there was no measurable mitigative impact of having the sheets of foil on the crawl-space floor even if the crawl space was artificially pressurized or depressurized. (au) 28 tabs., 36 ills., 61 refs

Identification of advective entry of soil-gas radon into a crawl space covered with sheets of polyethylene foil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersen, C. [Risoe National Lab., Dept. of Nucl. Safety Res. and Nucl. Facilities, Roskilde (Denmark); Koopmanns, M.; Meijer, R.J. de [Kernfysische Versneller Inst., Environmental Radioactivity Res., Groningen (Netherlands)

1996-04-01

To assess the effectiveness of mitigative measures against radon ({sup 222}Rn) entry into houses, experiments were conducted in a crawl-space house where the dirt floor of the crawl space was covered with sheets of 0.23 mm polyethylene foil fixed to the walls. The radon concentration was measured below the foil and in the crawl space together with environmental variables such as indoor-outdoor pressure differences. The experimental data was analyzed using various types of models including a simplistic mass-balance model, a regression model, and a two-dimensional numerical model based on Darcy flow or soil gas and combined diffusive and advective transport of radon. The main outcome of the work was that: (i) The soil-gas entry rate per pascal depressurization was at the order of 1 m{sup 3} h{sup -1}, (ii) the stack-related part of the depressurization of the crawl space (approx. 0.1 Pa deg. C{sup -1}) was controlled by the temperature difference between the living room of the house and the outdoors (not by the difference between the crawl space and the outdoors), (iii) that part of the wind-related depressurization that was measured by the pressure transducers seemed to force radon into the crawl space in the same proportion as the stack-related part of the depressurization, (iv) the ratio of advective and diffusive entry was approx. 0.7, when the crawl space was depressurized 1.5 Pa, (v) the effective diffusivity of the foil was found to be three orders of magnitude larger than that measured in the laboratory (the enhanced diffusivity was most likely caused by leaks in the foil and by mixing fans located in the crawl space), and (vi) there was no measurable mitigative impact of having the sheets of foil on the crawl-space floor even if the crawl space was artificially pressurized or depressurized. (au) 28 tabs., 36 ills., 61 refs.

INVESTIGATING PECTORAL SHAPES AND LOCOMOTIVE STRATEGIES FOR CONCEPTUAL DESIGNING BIO-INSPIRED ROBOTIC FISH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. I. MAINONG

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the performance analysis of a conceptual bio-inspired robotic fish design, which is based on the morphology similar to the boxfish (Ostracion melagris. The robotic fish prototype is driven by three micro servos; two on the pectoral fins, and one on the caudal fin. Two electronic rapid prototyping boards were employed; one for the movement of robotic fish, and one for the force sensors measurements. The robotic fish were built using fused deposition modeling (FDM, more popularly known as the 3D printing method. Several designs of pectoral fins (rectangular, triangular and quarter-ellipse with unchanging the value of aspect ratio (AR employed to measure the performance of the prototype robotic fish in terms of hydrodynamics, thrust and maneuvering characteristics. The analysis of the unmanned robotic system performance is made experimentally and the results show that the proposed bioinspired robotic prototype opens up the possibility of design optimization research for future work.

Robotics Algorithms Provide Nutritional Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

On July 5, 1997, a small robot emerged from its lander like an insect from an egg, crawling out onto the rocky surface of Mars. About the size of a child s wagon, NASA s Sojourner robot was the first successful rover mission to the Red Planet. For 83 sols (Martian days, typically about 40 minutes longer than Earth days), Sojourner - largely remote controlled by NASA operators on Earth - transmitted photos and data unlike any previously collected. Sojourner was perhaps the crowning achievement of the NASA Space Telerobotics Program, an Agency initiative designed to push the limits of robotics in space. Telerobotics - devices that merge the autonomy of robotics with the direct human control of teleoperators - was already a part of NASA s efforts; probes like the Viking landers that preceded Sojourner on Mars, for example, were telerobotic applications. The Space Telerobotics Program, a collaboration between Ames Research Center, Johnson Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and multiple universities, focused on developing remote-controlled robotics for three main purposes: on-orbit assembly and servicing, science payload tending, and planetary surface robotics. The overarching goal was to create robots that could be guided to build structures in space, monitor scientific experiments, and, like Sojourner, scout distant planets in advance of human explorers. While telerobotics remains a significant aspect of NASA s efforts, as evidenced by the currently operating Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, the Hubble Space Telescope, and many others - the Space Telerobotics Program was dissolved and redistributed within the Agency the same year as Sojourner s success. The program produced a host of remarkable technologies and surprising inspirations, including one that is changing the way people eat

Medical Robotic and Tele surgical Simulation Education Research

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-01

Prototypes have been carried to product completion through additional investment by Adventist Health System/Sunbelt, Inc. dba Florida Hospital and are...robotic surgery. Prototypes have been carried to product completion through additional investment by Adventist Health System/Sunbelt, Inc. dba Florida...develop a nationally accepted curriculum in the Fundamentals of Robotic Surgery (FRS). Period 1 Telesurgery: Communications Latency Experiments

DSLs in robotics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schultz, Ulrik Pagh; Bordignon, Mirko; Stoy, Kasper

2017-01-01

Robotic systems blend hardware and software in a holistic way that intrinsically raises many crosscutting concerns such as concurrency, uncertainty, and time constraints. These concerns make programming robotic systems challenging as expertise from multiple domains needs to be integrated...... conceptually and technically. Programming languages play a central role in providing a higher level of abstraction. This briefing presents a case study on the evolution of domain-specific languages based on modular robotics. The case study on the evolution of domain-specific languages is based on a series...... of DSL prototypes developed over five years for the domain of modular, self-reconfigurable robots....

The effect of waist twisting on walking speed of an amphibious salamander like robot

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xin-Yan; Jia, Li-Chao; Wang, Chen; Xie, Guang-Ming

2016-06-01

Amphibious salamanders often swing their waist to coordinate quadruped walking in order to improve their crawling speed. A robot with a swing waist joint, like an amphibious salamander, is used to mimic this locomotion. A control method is designed to allow the robot to maintain the rotational speed of its legs continuous and avoid impact between its legs and the ground. An analytical expression is established between the amplitude of the waist joint and the step length. Further, an optimization amplitude is obtained corresponding to the maximum stride. The simulation results based on automatic dynamic analysis of mechanical systems (ADAMS) and physical experiments verify the rationality and validity of this expression.

Concept design of robotic modules for needlescopic surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sen, Shin; Harada, Kanako; Hewitt, Zackary; Susilo, Ekawahyu; Kobayashi, Etsuko; Sakuma, Ichiro

2017-08-01

Many minimally invasive surgical procedures and assisting robotic systems have been developed to further minimize the number and size of incisions in the body surface. This paper presents a new idea combining the advantages of modular robotic surgery, single incision laparoscopic surgery and needlescopic surgery. In the proposed concept, modules carrying therapeutic or diagnostic tools are inserted in the abdominal cavity from the navel as in single incision laparoscopic surgery and assembled to 3-mm needle shafts penetrating the abdominal wall. A three degree-of-freedom robotic module measuring 16 mm in diameter and 51 mm in length was designed and prototyped. The performance of the three connected robotic modules was evaluated. A new idea of modular robotic surgery was proposed, and demonstrated by prototyping a 3-DOF robotic module. The performance of the connected robotic modules was evaluated, and the challenges and future work were summarized.

Design and Rolling Analysis of a Novel Deformable Polyhedron Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaobin Tian

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a new rolling robot is proposed. The mechanism of the robot consists of eight links with three degrees of freedom (DOFs. The shape of each link of the robot is an equilateral triangle. The robot realizes its direction switching function by deforming into different modes of planar parallelogram mechanisms (PPM. In any deterministic mode, the robot can roll on the ground. The motion of the robot is studied based on the kinematic and zero moment point (ZMP analyses. Though the robot has three DOFs, we show that it can realize flexible mobility via direction switching and rolling functions with two DOFs and one DOF, respectively. A prototype robot was manufactured. A series of simulations and experiments done using this prototype is reported, verifying the feasibility of the design.

3D Printed Robotic Hand

Science.gov (United States)

Pizarro, Yaritzmar Rosario; Schuler, Jason M.; Lippitt, Thomas C.

2013-01-01

Dexterous robotic hands are changing the way robots and humans interact and use common tools. Unfortunately, the complexity of the joints and actuations drive up the manufacturing cost. Some cutting edge and commercially available rapid prototyping machines now have the ability to print multiple materials and even combine these materials in the same job. A 3D model of a robotic hand was designed using Creo Parametric 2.0. Combining "hard" and "soft" materials, the model was printed on the Object Connex350 3D printer with the purpose of resembling as much as possible the human appearance and mobility of a real hand while needing no assembly. After printing the prototype, strings where installed as actuators to test mobility. Based on printing materials, the manufacturing cost of the hand was $167, significantly lower than other robotic hands without the actuators since they have more complex assembly processes.

Drum inspection robots: Application development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazen, F.B.; Warner, R.D.

1996-01-01

Throughout the Department of Energy (DOE), drums containing mixed and low level stored waste are inspected, as mandated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and other regulations. The inspections are intended to prevent leaks by finding corrosion long before the drums are breached. The DOE Office of Science and Technology (OST) has sponsored efforts towards the development of robotic drum inspectors. This emerging application for mobile and remote sensing has broad applicability for DOE and commercial waste storage areas. Three full scale robot prototypes have been under development, and another project has prototyped a novel technique to analyze robotically collected drum images. In general, the robots consist of a mobile, self-navigating base vehicle, outfitted with sensor packages so that rust and other corrosion cues can be automatically identified. They promise the potential to lower radiation dose and operator effort required, while improving diligence, consistency, and documentation

National project : advanced robot for nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsunemi, T.; Takehara, K.; Hayashi, T.; Okano, H.; Sugiyama, S.

1993-01-01

The national project 'Advanced Robot' has been promoted by the Agency of Industrial science and Technology, MITI for eight years since 1983. The robot for a nuclear plant is one of the projects, and is a prototype intelligent one that also has a three dimensional vision system to generate an environmental model, a quadrupedal walking mechanism to work on stairs and four fingered manipulators to disassemble a valve with a hand tool. Many basic technologies such as an actuator, a tactile sensor, autonomous control and so on progress to high level. The prototype robot succeeded functionally in official demonstration in 1990. More refining such as downsizing and higher intelligence is necessary to realize a commercial robot, while basic technologies are useful to improve conventional robots and systems. This paper presents application studies on the advanced robot technologies. (author)

Student drinking patterns and blood alcohol concentration on commercially organised pub crawls in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Quigg, Zara; Hughes, Karen; Bellis, Mark A

2013-12-01

Commercial student pub crawls are associated with high levels of alcohol consumption, and are of growing concern amongst public health and student bodies. However, little is currently known about drinking behaviours whilst participating in these events. A questionnaire was implemented amongst 227 students attending commercial pub crawls across three UK events. Questions established alcohol consumption patterns up to the point of interview and throughout the remaining night out, and pub crawl experience. Breathalyser tests were used to measure breath alcohol concentration (converted to blood alcohol concentration [BAC]) at interview. Analyses used chi squared, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and logistic regression. 94.3% of participants had consumed alcohol, 90.9% of whom reported preloading. Drinkers reported consuming a median of 10.0 alcohol units (80g of pure alcohol) up to the point of interview (range one-40.6), with estimated total consumption over the evening exceeding 16units (range three-70.6). Median BAC of drinkers at the time of interview was 0.10%BAC (range 0.00-0.27). High BAC (>0.08%; at interview) was associated with having not eaten food in the four hours prior (AOR 4.8, palcohol consumption before and during commercial pub crawls should aim to alter drinking behaviours such as preloading and rapid and excessive drinking. Organisers, local authorities, universities and students should all be involved in ensuring the effective management of pub crawls, including implementation of harm prevention measures. © 2013.

From an Idea to a Working Robot Prototype: Distributing Knowledge of Robotics through Science Museum Workshops

Science.gov (United States)

Polishuk, Alexander; Verner, Igor; Mir, Ronen

This paper presents our experience of teaching robotics to primary and middle school students at the Gelfand Center for Model Building, Robotics & Communication which is part of the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology and Space (MadaTech). The educational study examines the value and characteristics of students’ teamwork in the museum robotics workshops.

Robotic assisted minimally invasive surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palep Jaydeep

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The term "robot" was coined by the Czech playright Karel Capek in 1921 in his play Rossom′s Universal Robots. The word "robot" is from the check word robota which means forced labor.The era of robots in surgery commenced in 1994 when the first AESOP (voice controlled camera holder prototype robot was used clinically in 1993 and then marketed as the first surgical robot ever in 1994 by the US FDA. Since then many robot prototypes like the Endoassist (Armstrong Healthcare Ltd., High Wycombe, Buck, UK, FIPS endoarm (Karlsruhe Research Center, Karlsruhe, Germany have been developed to add to the functions of the robot and try and increase its utility. Integrated Surgical Systems (now Intuitive Surgery, Inc. redesigned the SRI Green Telepresence Surgery system and created the daVinci Surgical System ® classified as a master-slave surgical system. It uses true 3-D visualization and EndoWrist ® . It was approved by FDA in July 2000 for general laparoscopic surgery, in November 2002 for mitral valve repair surgery. The da Vinci robot is currently being used in various fields such as urology, general surgery, gynecology, cardio-thoracic, pediatric and ENT surgery. It provides several advantages to conventional laparoscopy such as 3D vision, motion scaling, intuitive movements, visual immersion and tremor filtration. The advent of robotics has increased the use of minimally invasive surgery among laparoscopically naοve surgeons and expanded the repertoire of experienced surgeons to include more advanced and complex reconstructions.

Rapid Prototyping High-Performance MR Safe Pneumatic Stepper Motors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenhuis, Vincent; Stramigioli, Stefano

2018-01-01

In this paper we show that pneumatic stepper motors for MR safe robots can be constructed using rapid prototyping techniques such as 3-D printing and laser-cutting. The designs are lightweight, completely metal-free and fully customizable. Besides MR safe robotic systems, other potential

Design and Implementation of Fire Extinguisher Robot with Robotic Arm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Memon Abdul Waris

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Robot is a device, which performs human task or behave like a human-being. It needs expertise skills and complex programming to design. For designing a fire fighter robot, many sensors and motors were used. User firstly send robot to an affected area, to get live image of the field with the help of mobile camera via Wi-Fi using IP camera application to laptop. If any signs of fire shown in image, user direct robot in that particular direction for confirmation. Fire sensor and temperature sensor detects and measures the reading, after confirmation robot sprinkle water on affected field. During extinguish process if any obstacle comes in between the prototype and the affected area the ultrasonic sensor detects the obstacle, in response the robotic arm moves to pick and place that obstacle to another location for clearing the path. Meanwhile if any poisonous gas is present, the gas sensor detects and indicates by making alarm.

Fast crawling methods of exploring content distributed over large graphs

KAUST Repository

Wang, Pinghui; Zhao, Junzhou; Lui, John C. S.; Towsley, Don; Guan, Xiaohong

2018-01-01

Despite recent effort to estimate topology characteristics of large graphs (e.g., online social networks and peer-to-peer networks), little attention has been given to develop a formal crawling methodology to characterize the vast amount of content

Crawl-Based Analysis of Web Applications : Prospects and Challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Deursen, A.; Mesbah, A.; Nederlof, A.

2014-01-01

In this paper we review five years of research in the field of automated crawling and testing of web applications. We describe the open source Crawljax tool, and the various extensions that have been proposed in order to address such issues as cross-browser compatibility testing, web application

User-Centric Feedback for the Development and Review of a Unique Robotic Glove Prototype to Be Used in Therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stuart James Biggar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Disability can be a great impediment to daily living in later life and is often the result of illness or trauma. Modern thoughts on treatment are orientated towards the use of robotics; however, these are often designed without consultation with the user. This paper used a 5-point questionnaire to ask former therapy patients what they felt needed further improvements from potential robotics and what features of such a system were the most important. Significant emphasis was placed on helping them to grasp (M = 4.63 as well as having a functional use. They also desired a system with clearly distinguished (M = 4.22 and easy to operate controls (M = 4.44 whilst allowing them some freedom to move around independently (M = 4.44. This provided the rationale for a prototype dual-layered vacuum glove that was sampled by healthcare staff to provide feedback that forms the basis for future improvements.

Online Gait Learning for Modular Robots with Arbitrary Shapes and Sizes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weel, Berend; D'Angelo, M.; Haasdijk, Evert; Eiben, A. E.

2017-01-01

Evolutionary robotics using real hardware is currently restricted to evolving robot controllers, but the technology for evolvable morphologies is advancing quickly. Rapid prototyping (3D printing) and automated assembly are the main enablers of robotic systems where robot offspring can be produced

A Project-based Learning approach for teaching Robotics to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

In this research we used a project-based learning approach to teach robotics basics to undergraduate business computing students. The course coverage includes basic electronics, robot construction and programming using arduino. Students developed and tested a robot prototype. The project was evaluated using a ...

Robotic Fish to Aid Animal Behavior Studies and Informal Science Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Phamduy, Paul

The application of robotic fish in the fields of animal behavior and informal science learning are new and relatively untapped. In the context of animal behavior studies, robotic fish offers a consistent and customizable stimulus that could contribute to dissect the determinants of social behavior. In the realm of informal science learning, robotic fish are gaining momentum for the possibility of educating the general public simultaneously on fish physiology and underwater robotics. In this dissertation, the design and development of a number of robotic fish platforms and prototypes and their application in animal behavioral studies and informal science learning settings are presented. Robotic platforms for animal behavioral studies focused on the utilization replica or same scale prototypes. A novel robotic fish platform, featuring a three-dimensional swimming multi-linked robotic fish, was developed with three control modes varying in the level of robot autonomy offered. This platform was deployed at numerous science festivals and science centers, to obtain data on visitor engagement and experience.

Assistive and Rehabilitation Robotic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Abrudean

2015-06-01

Full Text Available A short introduction concerning the content of Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation Engineering is followed by a study of robotic systems which combine two or more assistive functions. Based on biomechanical aspects, a complex robotic system is presented, starting with the study of functionality and ending with the practical aspects of the prototype development.

Do We Really Need to Catch Them All? A New User-Guided Social Media Crawling Method

Science.gov (United States)

Erlandsson, Fredrik; Bródka, Piotr; Boldt, Martin; Johnson, Henric

2017-12-01

With the growing use of popular social media services like Facebook and Twitter it is challenging to collect all content from the networks without access to the core infrastructure or paying for it. Thus, if all content cannot be collected one must consider which data are of most importance. In this work we present a novel User-guided Social Media Crawling method (USMC) that is able to collect data from social media, utilizing the wisdom of the crowd to decide the order in which user generated content should be collected to cover as many user interactions as possible. USMC is validated by crawling 160 public Facebook pages, containing content from 368 million users including 1.3 billion interactions, and it is compared with two other crawling methods. The results show that it is possible to cover approximately 75% of the interactions on a Facebook page by sampling just 20% of its posts, and at the same time reduce the crawling time by 53%. In addition, the social network constructed from the 20% sample contains more than 75% of the users and edges compared to the social network created from all posts, and it has similar degree distribution.

Service Oriented Robotic Architecture for Space Robotics: Design, Testing, and Lessons Learned

Science.gov (United States)

Fluckiger, Lorenzo Jean Marc E; Utz, Hans Heinrich

2013-01-01

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at the NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software engineering methods and technologies applied to space robotics. Based on a Service Oriented Architecture and robust middleware, SORA encompasses on-board robot control and a full suite of software tools necessary for remotely operated exploration missions. SORA has been eld tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The experiments conducted by IRG with SORA exercise a large set of the constraints encountered in space applications: remote robotic assets, ight relevant science instruments, distributed operations, high network latencies and unreliable or intermittent communication links. In this paper, we present the results of these eld tests in regard to the developed architecture, and discuss its bene ts and limitations.

Fast crawling methods of exploring content distributed over large graphs

KAUST Repository

Wang, Pinghui

2018-03-15

Despite recent effort to estimate topology characteristics of large graphs (e.g., online social networks and peer-to-peer networks), little attention has been given to develop a formal crawling methodology to characterize the vast amount of content distributed over these networks. Due to the large-scale nature of these networks and a limited query rate imposed by network service providers, exhaustively crawling and enumerating content maintained by each vertex is computationally prohibitive. In this paper, we show how one can obtain content properties by crawling only a small fraction of vertices and collecting their content. We first show that when sampling is naively applied, this can produce a huge bias in content statistics (i.e., average number of content replicas). To remove this bias, one may use maximum likelihood estimation to estimate content characteristics. However, our experimental results show that this straightforward method requires to sample most vertices to obtain accurate estimates. To address this challenge, we propose two efficient estimators: special copy estimator (SCE) and weighted copy estimator (WCE) to estimate content characteristics using available information in sampled content. SCE uses the special content copy indicator to compute the estimate, while WCE derives the estimate based on meta-information in sampled vertices. We conduct experiments on a variety of real-word and synthetic datasets, and the results show that WCE and SCE are cost effective and also “asymptotically unbiased”. Our methodology provides a new tool for researchers to efficiently query content distributed in large-scale networks.

Analytical and numerical models for estimating the effect of exhaust ventilation on radon entry in houses with basements or crawl spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mowris, R.J.

1986-08-01

Mechanical exhaust ventilation systems are being installed in newer, energy-efficient houses and their operation can increase the indoor-outdoor pressure differences that drive soil gas and thus radon entry. This thesis presents simplified models for estimating the pressure driven flow of radon into houses with basements or crawl spaces, due to underpressures induced by indoor-outdoor temperature differences, wind, or exhaust ventilation. A two-dimensional finite difference model is presented and used to calculate the pressure field and soil gas flow rate into a basement situated in soil of uniform permeability. A simplified analytical model is compared to the finite difference model with generally very good agreement. Another simplified model is presented for houses with a crawl space. Literature on radon research is also reviewed to show why pressure driven flow of soil gas is considered to be the major source of radon entry in houses with higher-than-average indoor radon concentrations. Comparisons of measured vs. calculated indoor radon concentrations for a house with a basement showed the simplified basement model underpredicting on average by 25%. For a house with a crawl space the simplified crawl space model overpredicted by 23% when the crawl space vents are open and 48% when the crawl space vents are sealed

Do We Really Need to Catch Them All? A New User-Guided Social Media Crawling Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fredrik Erlandsson

2017-12-01

Full Text Available [-15]With the growing use of popular social media services like Facebook and Twitter it is challenging to collect all content from the networks without access to the core infrastructure or paying for it. Thus, if all content cannot be collected one must consider which data are of most importance. In this work we present a novel User-guided Social Media Crawling method (USMC that is able to collect data from social media, utilizing the wisdom of the crowd to decide the order in which user generated content should be collected to cover as many user interactions as possible. USMC is validated by crawling 160 public Facebook pages, containing content from 368 million users including 1.3 billion interactions, and it is compared with two other crawling methods. The results show that it is possible to cover approximately 75% of the interactions on a Facebook page by sampling just 20% of its posts, and at the same time reduce the crawling time by 53%. In addition, the social network constructed from the 20% sample contains more than 75% of the users and edges compared to the social network created from all posts, and it has similar degree distribution.

Advanced robot locomotion.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neely, Jason C.; Sturgis, Beverly Rainwater; Byrne, Raymond Harry; Feddema, John Todd; Spletzer, Barry Louis; Rose, Scott E.; Novick, David Keith; Wilson, David Gerald; Buerger, Stephen P.

2007-01-01

This report contains the results of a research effort on advanced robot locomotion. The majority of this work focuses on walking robots. Walking robot applications include delivery of special payloads to unique locations that require human locomotion to exo-skeleton human assistance applications. A walking robot could step over obstacles and move through narrow openings that a wheeled or tracked vehicle could not overcome. It could pick up and manipulate objects in ways that a standard robot gripper could not. Most importantly, a walking robot would be able to rapidly perform these tasks through an intuitive user interface that mimics natural human motion. The largest obstacle arises in emulating stability and balance control naturally present in humans but needed for bipedal locomotion in a robot. A tracked robot is bulky and limited, but a wide wheel base assures passive stability. Human bipedal motion is so common that it is taken for granted, but bipedal motion requires active balance and stability control for which the analysis is non-trivial. This report contains an extensive literature study on the state-of-the-art of legged robotics, and it additionally provides the analysis, simulation, and hardware verification of two variants of a proto-type leg design.

Compact Tactile Sensors for Robot Fingers

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Toby B.; Lussy, David; Gaudiano, Frank; Hulse, Aaron; Diftler, Myron A.; Rodriguez, Dagoberto; Bielski, Paul; Butzer, Melisa

2004-01-01

Compact transducer arrays that measure spatial distributions of force or pressure have been demonstrated as prototypes of tactile sensors to be mounted on fingers and palms of dexterous robot hands. The pressure- or force-distribution feedback provided by these sensors is essential for the further development and implementation of robot-control capabilities for humanlike grasping and manipulation.

Analyses of the dynamics of changes between individual men's events in front crawl during the XIX Olympic Games in Beijing 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

Kucia-Czyszczoń, Katarzyna; Dybińska, Ewa; Bieniek, Paweł; Ambroży, Tadeusz

2014-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to analyze tactical solutions used by swimmers, the finalists of the 19th Beijing Olympics in 2008, in individual front crawl events at distances of 50, 100 and 200 m. Observations were carried out on 7 swimmers, the Beijing Olympics medalists competing in front crawl individual events. Detailed analyses were run on: 1) Sports results obtained by the finalists at distances of 50, 100 and 200 m front crawl; 2) block time; 3) results of each 50 m lap time (100 and 200) called split times except 50 m front crawl (there is no split time in 50 m); and 4) the mean swimming speed (V) on individual laps of the analyzed races. To determine the correlation between the response time, the time of individual laps, and the final time of the analyzed front crawl races, Pearson's linear correlation coefficient r was obtained. As a result of detailed analyses of the test material it is believed that not only tactics for an individual race is important, but equally significant is to elaborate the strategy for the whole event and to prepare the swimmer to compete in the system of heats, semifinals and finals. However, some of the following tactical objectives can be formulated: sprinters (a distance of 50 and 100 m front crawl) should start at maximum speed, according to their abilities, and try to maintain that speed until the end of the race; middle-distance swimmers (200 m front crawl) should adopt the most optimal tactical solutions characterized by increasing speed in the second half of the distance.

Soft and smart modular structures actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) wires as tentacles of soft robots

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hu; Dong, Erbao; Xu, Min; Liu, Chunshan; Alici, Gursel; Jie, Yang

2016-08-01

This paper introduces the design and fabrication of a multi-layered smart modular structure (SMS) that has been inspired by the muscular organs and modularity in soft animals. The SMS is capable of planar reciprocal motion of bending in heating process and recovering in cooling process when SMA wires carry out phase transformation. An adaptive regulation heating strategy is applied to avoid overheating and achieve bending range control of the SMS based on the resistance feedback of the SMA wires which as actuator of the SMS. The SMS can modular assemble soft robots with multiple morphologies such as lateral robots, bilateral robots and actinomorphic robots. A five-armed actinomorphic soft robot is conducted to crawling in terrestrial ground (max speed: 140 mm s-1, 0.7 body s-1), swimming in underwater environment (max speed: 67 mm s-1, 2.5 height s-1) and griping fragile objects (max object weight: 0.91 kg, 15 times the weight of itself). Those demonstrate that the performance of the SMS is good enough to be modular units to establish soft robots which possess a high speed of response, good adaptability and a safe interaction with their environments.

An Industrial Perspective of CAM/ROB Fuzzy Integrated Postprocessing Implementation for Redundant Robotic Workcells Applicability for Big Volume Prototyping

Science.gov (United States)

Andrés, J.; Gracia, L.; Tornero, J.; García, J. A.; González, F.

2009-11-01

The implementation of a postprocessor for the NX™ platform (Siemens Corp.) is described in this paper. It is focused on a milling redundant robotic milling workcell consisting of one KUKA KR 15/2 manipulator (6 rotary joints, KRC2 controller) mounted on a linear axis and synchronized with a rotary table (i.e., two additional joints). For carrying out a milling task, a choice among a set of possible configurations is required, taking into account the ability to avoid singular configurations by using both additional joints. Usually, experience and knowledge of the workman allow an efficient control in these cases, but being it a tedious job. Similarly to this expert knowledge, a stand-alone fuzzy controller has been programmed with Matlab's Fuzzy Logic Toolbox (The MathWorks, Inc.). Two C++ programs complement the translation of the toolpath tracking (expressed in the Cartesian space) from the NX™-CAM module into KRL (KUKA Robot Language). In order to avoid singularities or joint limits, the location of the robot and the workpiece during the execution of the task is fit after an inverse kinematics position analysis and a fuzzy inference (i.e., fuzzy criterion in the Joint Space). Additionally, the applicability of robot arms for the manufacture of big volume prototypes with this technique is proven by means of one case studied. It consists of a big orographic model to simulate floodways, return flows and retention storage of a reservoir in the Mijares river (Puebla de Arenoso, Spain). This article deals with the problem for a constant tool orientation milling process and sets the technological basis for future research at five axis milling operations.

Instruction understanding for intelligent robots in nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kambayashi, Shaw; Abe, Yasuaki

1993-01-01

As a first step to realize an autonomous mobile robot for plant maintenance, where the robot is capable to understand instructions written in natural languages, we have developed a prototype of instruction understanding system which makes the robot construct its motion sequences to approach instrumentations and inspect them from input sentences written in Japanese. In the prototype system, the instruction understanding and planning capabilities are integrated by an inference engine which consists of a cyclic operation of three processings, i.e., sensing, decision, and execution. Based on environmental data and current states of the robot, a proper process such as natural language processing is triggered by the decision part of the inference engine to accomplish the input instructions. The multiple- and dynamic-planning capabilities, which are necessary to cope with dynamic changes of environments surrounding the robot, are achieved by utilizing the cyclic inference engine together with a set of the inference packets which keep intermediate results of natural language processing and planning for respective input instructions. (orig.)

Microsurgical robotic system for the deep surgical field: development of a prototype and feasibility studies in animal and cadaveric models.

Science.gov (United States)

Morita, Akio; Sora, Shigeo; Mitsuishi, Mamoru; Warisawa, Shinichi; Suruman, Katopo; Asai, Daisuke; Arata, Junpei; Baba, Shoichi; Takahashi, Hidechika; Mochizuki, Ryo; Kirino, Takaaki

2005-08-01

To enhance the surgeon's dexterity and maneuverability in the deep surgical field, the authors developed a master-slave microsurgical robotic system. This concept and the results of preliminary experiments are reported in this paper. The system has a master control unit, which conveys motion commands in six degrees of freedom (X, Y, and Z directions; rotation; tip flexion; and grasping) to two arms. The slave manipulator has a hanging base with an additional six degrees of freedom; it holds a motorized operating unit with two manipulators (5 mm in diameter, 18 cm in length). The accuracy of the prototype in both shallow and deep surgical fields was compared with routine freehand microsurgery. Closure of a partial arteriotomy and complete end-to-end anastomosis of the carotid artery (CA) in the deep operative field were performed in 20 Wistar rats. Three routine surgical procedures were also performed in cadavers. The accuracy of pointing with the nondominant hand in the deep surgical field was significantly improved through the use of robotics. The authors successfully closed the partial arteriotomy and completely anastomosed the rat CAs in the deep surgical field. The time needed for stitching was significantly shortened over the course of the first 10 rat experiments. The robotic instruments also moved satisfactorily in cadavers, but the manipulators still need to be smaller to fit into the narrow intracranial space. Computer-controlled surgical manipulation will be an important tool for neurosurgery, and preliminary experiments involving this robotic system demonstrate its promising maneuverability.

Prototyping a robotic dental testing simulator.

Science.gov (United States)

Alemzadeh, K; Hyde, R A; Gao, J

2007-05-01

A parallel robot based on the Stewart platform is being developed to simulate jaw motion and investigate its effect on jaw function to test the wearing away of dental components such as individual teeth, crowns, bridges, full set of dentures, and implant-supported overdentures by controlling chewing motion. The current paper only describes the comparison between an alternative configuration proposed by Xu and the Stewart platform configuration. The Stewart platform was chosen as an ideal structure for simulating human mastication as it is easily assembled, has high rigidity, high load-carrying capacity, and accurate positioning capability. The kinematics and singularities of the Stewart platform have been analysed and software developed to (a) test the control algorithms/strategy of muscle movement for the six degree of freedom of mastication cycle and (b) simulate and observe various design options to be able to make the best judgement in product development. The human replica skull has been analysed and reverse engineered with further simplification before integration with the Stewart platform computer-aided design (CAD) to develop the robotic dental testing simulator. Assembly modelling of the reproduced skull was critically analysed for good occlusion in CAD environment. A pulse-width modulation (PWM) circuit plus interface was built to control position and speed of the chosen actuators. A computer numerical control (CNC) machine and wire-electro-discharge machining (wire EDM) were used to manufacture the critical parts such as lower mandible, upper maxilla, and universal joints.

A Modular Approach for a Family of Ground Mobile Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Quaglia

2013-07-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with Epi.q, a family of mobile robots whose main characteristic is a wheel-legged hybrid locomotion. These multi-purpose robots can be successfully exploited for security and surveillance tasks. The document presents state of the art security robotics, the Epi.q mechanical architecture, the concept behind the robot driving unit, three prototypes and the design of a new one.

UNDERWATER STROKE KINEMATICS DURING BREATHING AND BREATH-HOLDING FRONT CRAWL SWIMMING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nickos Vezos

2007-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of breathing on the three - dimensional underwater stroke kinematics of front crawl swimming. Ten female competitive freestyle swimmers participated in the study. Each subject swam a number of front crawl trials of 25 m at a constant speed under breathing and breath-holding conditions. The underwater motion of each subject's right arm was filmed using two S-VHS cameras, operating at 60 Hz, which were positioned behind two underwater viewing windows. The spatial coordinates of selected points were calculated using the DLT procedure with 30 control points and after the digital filtering of the raw data with a cut-off frequency of 6 Hz, the hand's linear displacements and velocities were calculated. The results revealed that breathing caused significantly increases in the stroke duration (t9 = 2.764; p < 0.05, the backward hand displacement relative to the water (t9 = 2.471; p<0.05 and the lateral displacement of the hand in the X - axis during the downsweep (t9 = 2.638; p < 0.05. On the contrary, the peak backward hand velocity during the insweep (t9 = 2.368; p < 0.05 and the displacement of the hand during the push phase (t9 = -2.297; p < 0.05 were greatly reduced when breathing was involved. From the above, it was concluded that breathing action in front crawl swimming caused significant modifications in both the basic stroke parameters and the overall motor pattern were, possibly due to body roll during breathing

WebotsTM: Professional Mobile Robot Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Michel

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Cyberbotics Ltd. develops WebotsTM, a mobile robotics simulation software that provides you with a rapid prototyping environment for modelling, programming and simulating mobile robots. The provided robot libraries enable you to transfer your control programs to several commercially available real mobile robots. WebotsTM lets you define and modify a complete mobile robotics setup, even several different robots sharing the same environment. For each object, you can define a number of properties, such as shape, color, texture, mass, friction, etc. You can equip each robot with a large number of available sensors and actuators. You can program these robots using your favorite development environment, simulate them and optionally transfer the resulting programs onto your real robots. WebotsTM has been developed in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, thoroughly tested, well documented and continuously maintained for over 7 years. It is now the main commercial product available from Cyberbotics Ltd.

A Field Study Comparison of the Energy and Moisture Performance Characteristics of Ventilated Versus Sealed Crawl Spaces in the South

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruce Davis; Cyrus Dastur; William E. Warren; Shawn Fitzpatrick; Christine Maurer; Rob Stevens; Terry Brennan; William Rose

2005-06-22

This study compared the performance of closed crawl spaces, which had sealed foundation wall vents, a sealed polyethylene film liner and various insulation and drying strategies, to traditional wall-vented crawl spaces with perimeter wall vents and polyethylene film covering 100% of the ground surface. The study was conducted at 12 owner-occupied, all electric, single-family detached houses with the same floor plan located on one cul-de-sac in the southeastern United States. Using the matched pairs approach, the houses were divided into three study groups of four houses each. Comparative data was recorded for each house to evaluate sub-metered heat pump energy consumption, relative humidity, wood moisture content, duct infiltration, house infiltration, temperature, radon, and bioaerosol levels. Findings indicated that in the humid conditions of the southeastern United States, a properly closed crawl space is a robust construction measure that produces a substantially drier crawl space and significantly reduces occupied space conditioning energy use on an annual basis.

Views from Within a Narrative: Evaluating Long-Term Human-Robot Interaction in a Naturalistic Environment Using Open-Ended Scenarios.

Science.gov (United States)

Syrdal, Dag Sverre; Dautenhahn, Kerstin; Koay, Kheng Lee; Ho, Wan Ching

2014-01-01

This article describes the prototyping of human-robot interactions in the University of Hertfordshire (UH) Robot House. Twelve participants took part in a long-term study in which they interacted with robots in the UH Robot House once a week for a period of 10 weeks. A prototyping method using the narrative framing technique allowed participants to engage with the robots in episodic interactions that were framed using narrative to convey the impression of a continuous long-term interaction. The goal was to examine how participants responded to the scenarios and the robots as well as specific robot behaviours, such as agent migration and expressive behaviours. Evaluation of the robots and the scenarios were elicited using several measures, including the standardised System Usability Scale, an ad hoc Scenario Acceptance Scale, as well as single-item Likert scales, open-ended questionnaire items and a debriefing interview. Results suggest that participants felt that the use of this prototyping technique allowed them insight into the use of the robot, and that they accepted the use of the robot within the scenario.

TECHNIQUE AND METHODOLOGY OF TRAINING IN SWIMMING CRAWL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selim Alili

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The paper shows the technique and methodology training crawl swimming. Developed: the position of the head and body, footwork, hand movements, exercises for training footwork training drills and exercises for improving coordination technique on dry land and in water. Stated that accomplishes this swimmer swimming technique allows fast and is the fastest discipline. Therefore we can say that it is a favorite way of swimming and a pleasure to watch on the big stage.

Emission of volatiles from spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulated crawl spaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havermans, J.B.G.A.

2014-01-01

The emission of (di)isocyantes, polyols and blowing agents from curing Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) was studied in a house having its crawl space recently insulated. Before insulation a blank measurement was made and he emission was followed up to 144 hours after the insolation application. The

Fundamentals of ergonomic exoskeleton robots

OpenAIRE

Schiele, A.

2008-01-01

This thesis is the first to provide the fundamentals of ergonomic exoskeleton design. The fundamental theory as well as technology necessary to analyze and develop ergonomic wearable robots interacting with humans is established and validated by experiments and prototypes. The fundamentals are (1) a new theoretical framework for analyzing physical human robot interaction (pHRI) with exoskeletons, and (2) a clear set of design rules of how to build wearable, portable exoskeletons to easily and...

Modular Robotics in an African Context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Henrik Hautop

2011-01-01

In this paper, we review the concept, development and use of modular robotic devices for education, health improvements, and business in Africa. The modular robotics inspired technology has the advantage of allowing any user easy access to a physical construction of new and advanced technology. We...... conceptualized several educational tools inspired by modular robotics for contextualized IT education in Tanzania, leading to a novel IT degree program and the development of East Africa’s first science and business park in Iringa, Tanzania. The prototypes inspired by modular robotics were developed in the local......, rural context and tested by local users in hospitals and rehabilitation centres. In this paper, we review the development of both modular building blocks for education and modular robotic tiles for rehabilitation in Tanzania....

Development and test of prototype components for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biel, Wolfgang; Behr, Wilfried; Castano-Bardawil, David

2015-08-01

The scientific program of the project is divided into the following partial projects: (1.) ITER Diagnostic Port Plug for the charge-exchange spectroscopy (CXRS) with the subthemes: (a) Development of prototypes for critical mechanical components, (b) development of a roboter for the laser welding of vacuum seals and pipings at the Port Plug, (c) mirror studies, (d) CXRS prototype spectrometer, (2.) ITER tritium retention diagnostics (TR), (3.) ITER disruption mitigation ventile (DMV).

Autocatalytic polymerization generates persistent random walk of crawling cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sambeth, R; Baumgaertner, A

2001-05-28

The autocatalytic polymerization kinetics of the cytoskeletal actin network provides the basic mechanism for a persistent random walk of a crawling cell. It is shown that network remodeling by branching processes near the cell membrane is essential for the bimodal spatial stability of the network which induces a spontaneous breaking of isotropic cell motion. Details of the phenomena are analyzed using a simple polymerization model studied by analytical and simulation methods.

Crawl and crowd to bring machine translation to under-resourced languages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Toral Ruiz, Antonio

2017-01-01

We present a widely applicable methodology to bring machine translation (MT) to under-resourced languages in a cost-effective and rapid manner. Our proposal relies on web crawling to automatically acquire parallel data to train statistical MT systems if any such data can be found for the language

Water Dancer II-a: a Non-tethered Telecontrollable Water Strider Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Licheng Wu

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Water Strider Robot (WSR is a kind of bio‐ inspired micro robot that can stand and move on water surface via surface tension. In this paper, a design method is presented with algorithms for designing driving leg. Structure, control system and software of the robot are also discussed in details. A prototype Water Dancer II‐a that is driven with two electric motors is presented as successfully tested in lab. The proposed WSR is tele‐controlled with infrared signals and has the capability of turning and speed regulation with features of light tiny volume and low power consumption. Experimental results are reported and discussed to show practical feasibility of the presented WSR prototype. The new results in the paper are related also to the WSR prototype design with a robot body of less than 30 x 30 mm size and with ten leg rods of 90 mm length and 0.2 diameter that are able to provide lifting force for a water walk of the 6.0 grams robot at a forward speed of 20 cm/s or angular velocity of 9 degree/s with two micro DC motors (RoomFlight 4 x 8 mm, 28 Ohm.

Water Dancer II-A: A Non-Tethered Telecontrollable Water Strider Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Licheng Wu

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Water Strider Robot (WSR is a kind of bio-inspired micro robot that can stand and move on water surface via surface tension. In this paper, a design method is presented with algorithms for designing driving leg. Structure, control system and software of the robot are also discussed in details. A prototype Water Dancer II-a that is driven with two electric motors is presented as successfully tested in lab. The proposed WSR is tele-controlled with infrared signals and has the capability of turning and speed regulation with features of light tiny volume and low power consumption. Experimental results are reported and discussed to show practical feasibility of the presented WSR prototype. The new results in the paper are related also to the WSR prototype design with a robot body of less than 30 × 30 mm size and with ten leg rods of 90 mm length and 0.2 diameter that are able to provide lifting force for a water walk of the 6.0 grams robot at a forward speed of 20 cm/s or angular velocity of 9 degree/s with two micro DC motors(RoomFlight 4 × 8 mm, 28 Ohm.

Dynamical analysis and development of a biologically inspired SMA caterpillar robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Daily-Diamond, Christopher A; Novelia, Alyssa; O'Reilly, Oliver M

2017-09-26

With the goal of robustly designing and fabricating a soft robot based on a caterpillar featuring shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, analytical and numerical models for a soft robot were created based on the forward crawling motion of the Manduca sexta caterpillar. The analytical model features a rod theory and the mechanics of undulation were analyzed using a motion pattern based on the 'Witch of Agnesi' curve. Complementing these models, experiments on a SMA actuator sample were performed in order to determine its flexural rigidity and curvature as a function of the actuation voltage. A series of these actuators can be modeled as a system of rigid bodies connected by torsional springs. As these bodies are actuated according to the motion pattern based on the individual caterpillar segments, ground contact forces are calculated and analyzed to determine the requirements of successful forward locomotion. The energetics of the analytical and numerical models are then compared and discussed.

Classification of robotic battery service systems for unmanned aerial vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ngo Tien

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Existing examples of prototypes of ground-based robotic platforms used as a landing site for unmanned aerial vehicles are considered. In some cases, they are equipped with a maintenance mechanism for the power supply module. The main requirements for robotic multi-copter battery maintenance systems depending on operating conditions, required processing speed, operator experience and other parameters are analyzed. The key issues remain questions of the autonomous landing of the unmanned aerial vehicles on the platform and approach to servicing battery. The existing prototypes of service robotic platforms are differed in the complexity of internal mechanisms, speed of service, algorithms of joint work of the platform and unmanned aerial vehicles during the landing and maintenance of the battery. The classification of robotic systems for servicing the power supply of multi-copter batteries criteria is presented using the following: the type of basing, the method of navigation during landing, the shape of the landing pad, the method of restoring the power supply module. The proposed algorithmic model of the operation of battery power maintenance system of the multi-copter on ground-based robotic platform during solving the target agrarian problem is described. Wireless methods of battery recovery are most promising, so further development and prototyping of a wireless charging station for multi-copter batteries will be developed.

State Estimation for Tensegrity Robots

Science.gov (United States)

Caluwaerts, Ken; Bruce, Jonathan; Friesen, Jeffrey M.; Sunspiral, Vytas

2016-01-01

Tensegrity robots are a class of compliant robots that have many desirable traits when designing mass efficient systems that must interact with uncertain environments. Various promising control approaches have been proposed for tensegrity systems in simulation. Unfortunately, state estimation methods for tensegrity robots have not yet been thoroughly studied. In this paper, we present the design and evaluation of a state estimator for tensegrity robots. This state estimator will enable existing and future control algorithms to transfer from simulation to hardware. Our approach is based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and combines inertial measurements, ultra wideband time-of-flight ranging measurements, and actuator state information. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method on the SUPERball, a tensegrity based planetary exploration robotic prototype. In particular, we conduct tests for evaluating both the robot's success in estimating global position in relation to fixed ranging base stations during rolling maneuvers as well as local behavior due to small-amplitude deformations induced by cable actuation.

Adaptation of the IBM ECR [electric cantilever robot] robot to plutonium processing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armantrout, G.A.; Pedrotti, L.R.; Halter, E.A.; Crossfield, M.

1990-12-01

The changing regulatory climate in the US is adding increasing incentive to reduce operator dose and TRU waste for DOE plutonium processing operations. To help achieve that goal the authors have begun adapting a small commercial overhead gantry robot, the IBM electric cantilever robot (ECR), to plutonium processing applications. Steps are being taken to harden this robot to withstand the dry, often abrasive, environment within a plutonium glove box and to protect the electronic components against alpha radiation. A mock-up processing system for the reduction of the oxide to a metal was prepared and successfully demonstrated. Design of a working prototype is now underway using the results of this mock-up study. 7 figs., 4 tabs

Experiments with a First Prototype of a Spatial Model of Cultural Meaning through Natural-Language Human-Robot Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliver Schürer

2018-01-01

Full Text Available When using assistive systems, the consideration of individual and cultural meaning is crucial for the utility and acceptance of technology. Orientation, communication and interaction are rooted in perception and therefore always happen in material space. We understand that a major problem lies in the difference between human and technical perception of space. Cultural policies are based on meanings including their spatial situation and their rich relationships. Therefore, we have developed an approach where the different perception systems share a hybrid spatial model that is generated by artificial intelligence—a joint effort by humans and assistive systems. The aim of our project is to create a spatial model of cultural meaning based on interaction between humans and robots. We define the role of humanoid robots as becoming our companions. This calls for technical systems to include still inconceivable human and cultural agendas for the perception of space. In two experiments, we tested a first prototype of the communication module that allows a humanoid to learn cultural meanings through a machine learning system. Interaction is achieved by non-verbal and natural-language communication between humanoids and test persons. This helps us to better understand how a spatial model of cultural meaning can be developed.

BiLBIQ A Biologically Inspired Robot with Walking and Rolling Locomotion

CERN Document Server

King, Ralf Simon

2013-01-01

The book ‘BiLBIQ: A biologically inspired Robot with walking and rolling locomotion’ deals with implementing a locomotion behavior observed in the biological archetype Cebrennus villosus to a robot prototype whose structural design needs to be developed.   The biological sample is investigated as far as possible and compared to other evolutional solutions within the framework of nature’s inventions. Current achievements in robotics are examined and evaluated for their relation and relevance to the robot prototype in question. An overview of what is state of the art in actuation ensures the choice of the hardware available and most suitable for this project. Through a constant consideration of the achievement of two fundamentally different ways of locomotion with one and the same structure, a robot design is developed and constructed taking hardware constraints into account. The development of a special leg structure that needs to resemble and replace body elements of the biological archetype is a speci...

Robotic Software Integration Using MARIE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carle Côté

2006-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents MARIE, a middleware framework oriented towards developing and integrating new and existing software for robotic systems. By using a generic communication framework, MARIE aims to create a flexible distributed component system that allows robotics developers to share software programs and algorithms, and design prototypes rapidly based on their own integration needs. The use of MARIE is illustrated with the design of a socially interactive autonomous mobile robot platform capable of map building, localization, navigation, tasks scheduling, sound source localization, tracking and separation, speech recognition and generation, visual tracking, message reading and graphical interaction using a touch screen interface.

Cyberbotics Ltd. Webots™: Professional Mobile Robot Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olivier Michel

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Cyberbotics Ltd. develops Webots™, a mobile robotics simulation software that provides you with a rapid prototyping environment for modelling, programming and simulating mobile robots. The provided robot libraries enable you to transfer your control programs to several commercially available real mobile robots. Webots™ lets you define and modify a complete mobile robotics setup, even several different robots sharing the same environment. For each object, you can define a number of properties, such as shape, color, texture, mass, friction, etc. You can equip each robot with a large number of available sensors and actuators. You can program these robots using your favorite development environment, simulate them and optionally transfer the resulting programs onto your real robots. Webots™ has been developed in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, thoroughly tested, well documented and continuously maintained for over 7 years. It is now the main commercial product available from Cyberbotics Ltd.

Flight Telerobotic Servicer prototype simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Schein, Rob; Krauze, Linda; Hartley, Craig; Dickenson, Alan; Lavecchia, Tom; Working, Bob

A prototype simulator for the Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) system is described for use in the design development of the FTS, emphasizing the hand controller and user interface. The simulator utilizes a graphics workstation based on rapid prototyping tools for systems analyses of the use of the user interface and the hand controller. Kinematic modeling, manipulator-control algorithms, and communications programs are contained in the software for the simulator. The hardwired FTS panels and operator interface for use on the STS Orbiter are represented graphically, and the simulated controls function as the final FTS system configuration does. The robotic arm moves based on the user hand-controller interface, and the joint angles and other data are given on the prototype of the user interface. This graphics simulation tool provides the means for familiarizing crewmembers with the FTS system operation, displays, and controls.

A Recipe for Soft Fluidic Elastomer Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchese, Andrew D; Katzschmann, Robert K; Rus, Daniela

2015-03-01

This work provides approaches to designing and fabricating soft fluidic elastomer robots. That is, three viable actuator morphologies composed entirely from soft silicone rubber are explored, and these morphologies are differentiated by their internal channel structure, namely, ribbed, cylindrical, and pleated. Additionally, three distinct casting-based fabrication processes are explored: lamination-based casting, retractable-pin-based casting, and lost-wax-based casting. Furthermore, two ways of fabricating a multiple DOF robot are explored: casting the complete robot as a whole and casting single degree of freedom (DOF) segments with subsequent concatenation. We experimentally validate each soft actuator morphology and fabrication process by creating multiple physical soft robot prototypes.

Shoulder and hip roll changes during 200-m front crawl swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Psycharakis, Stelios G; Sanders, Ross H

2008-12-01

To determine accurately the magnitude and changes in shoulder roll (SR) and hip roll (HR) throughout a 200-m maximum front crawl swim and whether SR and HR were associated with swimming velocity (V). Bilateral roll asymmetries and timing differences between SR and HR were also investigated. Ten male swimmers of national/international level performed a maximum 200-m front crawl swim. Performance was recorded with four below- and two above-water synchronized cameras and four nonbreathing stroke cycles (SC) were analyzed (one for each 50 m). SR and HR were calculated separately. Swimmers rolled their shoulders significantly more than their hips (P < 0.001). V generally decreased during the test, and HR was significantly higher in SC4 than in SC1 (P = 0.001). SR had a negative and significant correlation with V in each SC (-0.663 crawl swimming. Faster swimmers tended to roll their shoulders less than slower swimmers. The increase in HR as the test progressed is possibly associated with a decrease in stroke frequency and increase in SC duration. Given that all swimmers were right-handed and that SR was significantly greater to the left than to the right side, it seems that factors related to handedness might affect SR symmetry in swimming.

Field Tested Service Oriented Robotic Architecture: Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Utz, Hanz

2012-01-01

This paper presents the lessons learned from six years of experiments with planetary rover prototypes running the Service Oriented Robotic Architecture (SORA) developed by the Intelligent Robotics Group (IRG) at NASA Ames Research Center. SORA relies on proven software methods and technologies applied to the robotic world. Based on a Service Oriented Architecture and robust middleware, SORA extends its reach beyond the on-board robot controller and supports the full suite of software tools used during mission scenarios from ground control to remote robotic sites. SORA has been field tested in numerous scenarios of robotic lunar and planetary exploration. The results of these high fidelity experiments are illustrated through concrete examples that have shown the benefits of using SORA as well as its limitations.

2nd International Conference on Cable-Driven Parallel Robots

CERN Document Server

Bruckmann, Tobias

2015-01-01

This volume presents the outcome of the second forum to cable-driven parallel robots, bringing the cable robot community together. It shows the new ideas of the active researchers developing cable-driven robots. The book presents the state of the art, including both summarizing contributions as well as latest research and future options. The book cover all topics which are essential for cable-driven robots: Classification Kinematics, Workspace and Singularity Analysis Statics and Dynamics Cable Modeling Control and Calibration Design Methodology Hardware Development Experimental Evaluation Prototypes, Application Reports and new Application concepts

Robotics and tele-operation technology for applications in nuclear fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kosuge, Kazuhiro; Hirata, Yasuhisa; Takeo, Koji

2002-01-01

In this article, we introduce available robotics and tele-operation technology for applications in Nuclear Fields. First, robotics technology for manipulation of a large object is introduced which has been experimentally applied to ITER Maintenance Robot. Then, transportation technology of a large object by multiple mobile robots is reviewed. At last, recent tele-operation technologies and a prototype tele-operation system, referred to as VISIT (Visual Interface System for Interactive Task-execution), is introduced. Several experimental results are also introduced. (author)

Polymer based flapping-wing robotic insect: Progress in design, fabrication, and characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Bontemps, A.; Vanneste, T.; Soyer, C.; Paquet, J. B.; Grondel, S.; Cattan, E.

2014-03-01

In the last decade, many researchers pursued the development of tiny flying robots inspired by natural flyers destined for the exploration of confined spaces, for example. Within this context, our main objective is to devise a flying robot bioinspired from insect in terms of size and wing kinematics using MEMS technologies. For this purpose, an original design has been developed around resonant thorax and wings by the way of an indirect actuation and a concise transmission whereas the all-polymer prototypes are obtained using a micromachining SU-8 photoresist process. This paper reports our recent progress on the design of a flapping-wing robotic insect as well as on the characterization of its performance. Prototypes with a wingspan of 3 cm and a mass of 22 mg are achieved. Due to the introduction of an innovative compliant link, large and symmetrical bending angles of 70° are obtained at a flapping frequency of 30 Hz along with passive wing torsion while minimizing its energy expenditure. Furthermore, it leads to a mean lift force representing up to 75 % of the prototype weight as measured by an in-house force sensor. Different improvements are currently underway to increase the power-to-weight ratio of the prototype and to obtain an airborne prototype.

Acropolis: A Fast Protoyping Robotic Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincent Zalzal

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Acropolis is an open source middleware robotic framework for fast software prototyping and reuse of program codes. It is made up of a core software and a collection of several extension modules called plugins. Each plugin encapsulates a specific functionality needed for robotic applications. To design a robot behavior, a circuit of the involved plugins is built with a graphical user interface. A high degree of decoupling between components and a graph-based representation allow the user to build complex robot behaviors with minimal need for code writing. In addition, the Acropolis core is hardware platform independent. Well-known design patterns and layered software architecture are its key features. Through the description of three applications, we illustrate some of its usability.

Multilayer controller for field robots - High portability and modularity to ease implementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Griepentrog, H. W.; Jæger-Hansen, Claes Lund; Ravn, Ole

Various autonomous machines and robots exist in agriculture today as research prototypes. In many prototypes software and hardware are designed and developed from scratch. The MobotWare software framework has been used to create an overall system called multilayer controller. MobotWare is a softw......Various autonomous machines and robots exist in agriculture today as research prototypes. In many prototypes software and hardware are designed and developed from scratch. The MobotWare software framework has been used to create an overall system called multilayer controller. Mobot...... to advanced sensors and handles tasks like mapping and localization. Along with the MobotWare, machine dedicated firmware controlling specific platforms without internal CAN system has been updated. On the hardware side there has been added various new sensors and a safety circuit. The Multilayer controller...

Multiprocessor development for robot control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, John Min; Kim, Seung Ho; Kim, Chang Hoi; Kim, Byung Soo; Hwang, Suk Yeong; Lee, Young Bum; Sohn, Suk Won; Kim, Woon Gi

1990-01-01

The project of this study is to develop a real time controller applying autonomous robotic systems operated in hostile environment. Developed control system is designed with a multiprocessor to get independency and reliability as well as to extend the system easily. The control system is designed in three distinct subsystems (supervisory control part, functional control part, and remote control part). To review the functional performance of developed controller, a prototype mobile robot, which was installed 4 DOF mainpulator, was designed and manufactured. Initial tests showed that the robot could turn with a radius of 38 cm and a maximum speed of 1.26 km/hr and go over obstacle of 18 cm in height. (author)

Amooty, a stair climbing intelligent maintenance robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-04-01

Toshiba Corporation and a team from Tokyo University have jointly developed a prototype of a mobile, stair climbing intelligent robot, named Amooty, for inspection and maintenance tasks in nuclear power plants.

Brain Computer Interface for Micro-controller Driven Robot Based on Emotiv Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parth Gargava

2017-08-01

Full Text Available A Brain Computer Interface (BCI is developed to navigate a micro-controller based robot using Emotiv sensors. The BCI system has a pipeline of 5 stages- signal acquisition, pre-processing, feature extraction, classification and CUDA inter- facing. It shall aid in serving a prototype for physical movement of neurological patients who are unable to control or operate on their muscular movements. All stages of the pipeline are designed to process bodily actions like eye blinks to command navigation of the robot. This prototype works on features learning and classification centric techniques using support vector machine. The suggested pipeline, ensures successful navigation of a robot in four directions in real time with accuracy of 93 percent.

Amooty, a stair climbing intelligent maintenance robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1985-01-01

Toshiba Corporation and a team from Tokyo University have jointly developed a prototype of a mobile, stair climbing intelligent robot, named Amooty, for inspection and maintenance tasks in nuclear power plants. (author)

Design of a Robotic Ankle Joint for a Microspine-Based Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Thatte, Nitish

2011-01-01

Successful robotic exploration of near-Earth asteroids necessitates a method of securely anchoring to the surface of these bodies without gravitational assistance. Microspine grip- per arrays that can grasp rock faces are a potential solution to this problem. A key component of a future microspine-based rover will be the ankle used to attach each microspine gripper to the robot. The ankle's purpose is twofold: 1) to allow the gripper to conform to the rock so a higher percentage of microspines attach to the surface, and 2) to neutralize torques that may dislodge the grippers from the wall. Parts were developed using computer aided design and manufactured using a variety of methods including selective laser sintering, CNC milling, and traditional manual machining techniques. Upon completion of the final prototype, the gripper and ankle system was tested to demonstrate robotic engagement and disengagement of the gripper and to determine load bearing ability. The immediate application of this project is to out t the Lemur IIb robot so it can climb and hang from rock walls.

Fundamentals of ergonomic exoskeleton robots

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schiele, A.

2008-01-01

This thesis is the first to provide the fundamentals of ergonomic exoskeleton design. The fundamental theory as well as technology necessary to analyze and develop ergonomic wearable robots interacting with humans is established and validated by experiments and prototypes. The fundamentals are (1) a

Phase-dependence of elbow muscle coactivation in front crawl swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauer, Jessy; Figueiredo, Pedro; Vilas-Boas, João Paulo; Fernandes, Ricardo J; Rouard, Annie Hélène

2013-08-01

Propulsion in swimming is achieved by complex sculling movements with elbow quasi-fixed on the antero-posterior axis to transmit forces from the hand and the forearm to the body. The purpose of this study was to investigate how elbow muscle coactivation was influenced by the front crawl stroke phases. Ten international level male swimmers performed a 200-m front crawl race-pace bout. Sagittal views were digitized frame by frame to determine the stroke phases (aquatic elbow flexion and extension, aerial elbow flexion and extension). Surface electromyograms (EMG) of the right biceps brachii and triceps brachii were recorded and processed using the integrated EMG to calculate a coactivation index (CI) for each phase. A significant effect of the phases on the CI was revealed with highest levels of coactivation during the aquatic elbow flexion and the aerial elbow extension. Swimmers stabilize the elbow joint to overcome drag during the aquatic phase, and act as a brake at the end of the recovery to replace the arm for the next stroke. The CI can provide insight into the magnitude of mechanical constraints supported by a given joint, in particular during a complex movement. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building technology platform aimed to develop service robot with embedded personality and enhanced communication with social environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Rodić

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The paper is addressed to prototyping of technology platform aimed to develop of ambient-aware human-centric indoor service robot with attributes of emotional intelligence to enhance interaction with social environment. The robot consists of a wheel-based mobile platform with spinal (segmented torso, bi-manual manipulation system with multi-finger robot hands and robot head. Robot prototype was designed to see, hear, speak and use its multimodal interface for enhanced communication with humans. Robot is capable of demonstrating its affective and social behavior by using audio and video interface as well as body gestures. Robot is equipped with advanced perceptive system based on heterogeneous sensorial system, including laser range finder, ultrasonic distance sensors and proximity detectors, 3-axis inertial sensor (accelerometer and gyroscope, stereo vision system, 2 wide-range microphones, and 2 loudspeakers. The device is foreseen to operate autonomously but it may be also operated remotely from a host computer through wireless communication link as well as by use of a smart-phone based on advanced client-server architecture. Robot prototype has embedded attributes of artificial intelligence and utilizes advanced cognitive capabilities such as spatial reasoning, obstacle and collision avoidance, simultaneous localization and mapping, etc. Robot is designed in a manner to enable uploading of new or changing existing algorithms of emotional intelligence that should provide to robot human-like affective and social behavior. The key objective of the project presented in the paper regards to building advanced technology platform for research and development of personal robots aimed to use for different purpose, e.g. robot-entertainer, battler, robot for medical care, security robot, etc. In a word, the designed technology platform is expected to help in development human-centered service robots to be used at home, in the office, public institutions

Co-Simulation Control of Robot Arm Dynamics in ADAMS and MATLAB

OpenAIRE

Luo Haitao; Liu Yuwang; Chen Zhengcang; Leng Yuquan

2013-01-01

The main objective of this study is how to quickly establish the virtual prototyping model of robot arm system and effectively solve trajectory tracking control for a given signal. Taking the 2-DOF robot arm as an example, a co-simulation control method is introduced to research multi-body dynamics. Using Newton-Euler and Lagrange method, respectively establish the dynamics model of robot arm and verify the correctness of equations. Firstly, the physical model of robot arm was built by PROE a...

Performance of the Improvements of the CAESAR Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riaan Stopforth

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Robots are able to enter concealed and unstable environments inaccessible to rescuers. Previous Urban Search And Rescue (USAR robots have experienced problems with malfunction of communication systems, traction systems, control and telemetry. These problems were accessed and improved in developing a prototype robot called CAESAR, which is an acronym for Contractible Arms Elevating Search And Rescue. Problems encountered with previous USAR robots are discussed. The mechanical, sensory and communication systems that were used on CAESAR are briefly explained. Each system was separately tested by performed experiments. Results of field tests and the robot performance experienced during a disaster scenario that was created are discussed. The capabilities of CAESAR are explained in these tests to determine if some of the problems experienced previously are solved.

Mina: A Sensorimotor Robotic Orthosis for Mobility Assistance

OpenAIRE

Raj, Anil K.; Neuhaus, Peter D.; Moucheboeuf, Adrien M.; Noorden, Jerryll H.; Lecoutre, David V.

2011-01-01

While most mobility options for persons with paraplegia or paraparesis employ wheeled solutions, significant adverse health, psychological, and social consequences result from wheelchair confinement. Modern robotic exoskeleton devices for gait assistance and rehabilitation, however, can support legged locomotion systems for those with lower extremity weakness or paralysis. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) has developed the Mina, a prototype sensorimotor robotic ort...

Neuropsychological relationship between maturity and presence-absence of crawling behavior

OpenAIRE

Suárez, Alejandra; Lozada, Carlos

2017-01-01

Neuropsychological maturity is the level of organization and maturational development that allows the development of behavioral and cognitive age-appropriate individual functions, crawling behavior is the first harmonic motion in which the baby uses his head and his both lower extremities as superior, to support and move, it allows the establishment of connections between brain hemispheres, leading to the intercom that simplifies the work of the brain and promotes the maturation of the cognit...

Design on a Composite Mobile System for Exploration Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weiyan Shang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In order to accomplish exploration missions in complex environments, a new type of robot has been designed. By analyzing the characteristics of typical moving systems, a new mobile system which is named wheel-tracked moving system (WTMS has been presented. Then by virtual prototype simulation, the new system’s ability to adapt complex environments has been verified. As the curve of centroid acceleration changes in large amplitude in this simulation, ride performance of this robot has been studied. Firstly, a simplified dynamic model has been established, and then by affecting factors analysis on ride performance, an optimization model for suspension parameters has been presented. Using NSGA-II method, a set of nondominated solutions for suspension parameters has been gotten, and by weighing the importance of the objective function, an optimal solution has been selected to be applied on suspension design. As the wheel-tracked exploration robot has been designed and manufactured, the property test has been conducted. By testing on physical prototype, the robot’s ability to surmount complex terrain has been verified. Design of the wheel-tracked robot will provide a stable platform for field exploration tasks, and in addition, the certain configuration and suspension parameters optimization method will provide reference to other robot designs.

4th IFToMM International Symposium on Robotics and Mechatronics

CERN Document Server

Laribi, Med; Gazeau, Jean-Pierre

2016-01-01

This volume contains papers that have been selected after review for oral presentation at ISRM 2015, the Fourth IFToMM International Symposium on Robotics and Mechatronics held in Poitiers, France 23-24 June 2015. These papers  provide a vision of the evolution of the disciplines of robotics and mechatronics, including but not limited to: mechanism design; modeling and simulation; kinematics and dynamics of multibody systems; control methods; navigation and motion planning; sensors and actuators; bio-robotics; micro/nano-robotics; complex robotic systems; walking machines, humanoids-parallel kinematic structures: analysis and synthesis; smart devices; new design; application and prototypes. The book can be used by researchers and engineers in the relevant areas of robotics and mechatronics.

A parallel robot to assist vitreoretinal surgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakano, Taiga; Sugita, Naohiko; Mitsuishi, Mamoru [University of Tokyo, School of Engineering, Tokyo (Japan); Ueta, Takashi; Tamaki, Yasuhiro [University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo (Japan)

2009-11-15

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a parallel prototype robot for vitreoretinal surgery where physiological hand tremor limits performance. The manipulator was specifically designed to meet requirements such as size, precision, and sterilization; this has six-degree-of-freedom parallel architecture and provides positioning accuracy with micrometer resolution within the eye. The manipulator is controlled by an operator with a ''master manipulator'' consisting of multiple joints. Results of the in vitro experiments revealed that when compared to the manual procedure, a higher stability and accuracy of tool positioning could be achieved using the prototype robot. This microsurgical system that we have developed has superior operability as compared to traditional manual procedure and has sufficient potential to be used clinically for vitreoretinal surgery. (orig.)

Crawling the Control System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larrieu, Theodore

2009-01-01

Information about accelerator operations and the control system resides in various formats in a variety of places on the lab network. There are operating procedures, technical notes, engineering drawings, and other formal controlled documents. There are programmer references and API documentation generated by tools such as doxygen and javadoc. There are the thousands of electronic records generated by and stored in databases and applications such as electronic logbooks, training materials, wikis, and bulletin boards and the contents of text-based configuration files and log files that can also be valuable sources of information. The obvious way to aggregate all these sources is to index them with a search engine that users can then query from a web browser. Toward this end, the Google 'mini' search appliance was selected and implemented because of its low cost and its simple web-based configuration and management. In addition to crawling and indexing electronic documents, the appliance provides an API that has been used to supplement search results with live control system data such as current values of EPICS process variables and graphs of recent data from the archiver.

Kinematics modeling and experimentation of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot for full denture manufacturing.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yong-de; Jiang, Jin-gang; Liang, Ting; Hu, Wei-ping

2011-12-01

Artificial teeth are very complicated in shape, and not easy to be grasped and manipulated accurately by a single robot. The method of tooth-arrangement by multi-manipulator for complete denture manufacturing proposed in this paper. A novel complete denture manufacturing mechanism is designed based on multi-manipulator and dental arch generator. Kinematics model of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot is built by analytical method based on tooth-arrangement principle for full denture. Preliminary experiments on tooth-arrangement are performed using the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot prototype system. The multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot prototype system can automatically design and manufacture a set of complete denture that is suitable for a patient according to the jaw arch parameters. The experimental results verified the validity of kinematics model of the multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot and the feasibility of the manufacture strategy of complete denture fulfilled by multi-manipulator tooth-arrangement robot.

The use of hand paddles and fins in front crawl: biomechanical and physiological responses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiano Cardoso de Matos

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Paddles and fins are used during swim training and practice as tools for improving performance. The use of these equipment can alter physiological and kinematic parameters of swimming. The purpose of this literature review was to present and discussthe effects of paddles and fins on kinematic and physiological variables in front crawl,and provide update on the topic for teachers, researchers, coaches and swimmers. Thirty articles were reviewed. To crawl, paddles can change the averages of stroke length and stroke rate, the average swimming speed, the absolute duration of the stroke phases and the index of coordination. Fins can modify the average stroke rate, the average swimming speed, the kick frequency and deep, and the energy cost. We found no studies that verified the longitudinal effects of the use of paddles and fins on these parameters.

Towards playful learning and computational thinking — Developing the educational robot BRICKO

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, B. K. M. K.; Andersen, K. E.; J⊘rgensen, A.

2018-01-01

Educational Robotics has proven a feasible way of supporting and exemplifying Computational Thinking. With this paper, we describe the user-centered iterative and incremental development of a new educational robotic system, BRICKO, to support tangible, social and playful interaction while educating...... children in 1st–3rd grade in Computational Thinking. We develop the system through seven main iterations including a total of 108 participant pupils and their teachers. The methodology is a mixture of observation and interviews using Wizard of OZ testing with the early pilot prototypes as well as usability...... categories of command-bricks. We discuss the methodologies used for assuring a playful and social educational robotic system and conclude that we achieved a useful prototype for supporting education in Computational Thinking....

Mechatronics Education: From Paper Design to Product Prototype Using LEGO NXT Parts

Science.gov (United States)

Lofaro, Daniel M.; Le, Tony Truong Giang; Oh, Paul

The industrial design cycle starts with design then simulation, prototyping, and testing. When the tests do not match the design requirements the design process is started over again. It is important for students to experience this process before they leave their academic institution. The high cost of the prototype phase, due to CNC/Rapid Prototype machine costs, makes hands on study of this process expensive for students and the academic institutions. This document shows that the commercially available LEGO NXT Robot kit is a viable low cost surrogate to the expensive industrial CNC/Rapid Prototype portion of the industrial design cycle.

The SONG prototype: Efficiency of a robotic telescope

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, M. F.; Grundahl, F.; Beck, A. H.

2016-01-01

The Stellar Observations Network Group prototype telescope at the Teide Observatory has been operating in scientific mode since March 2014. The first year of observations has entirely been carried out using the high resolution echelle spectrograph. Several asteroseismic targets were selected for ...

A Multidisciplinary Industrial Robot Approach for Teaching Mechatronics-Related Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Garduño-Aparicio, Mariano; Rodríguez-Reséndiz, Juvenal; Macias-Bobadilla, Gonzalo; Thenozhi, Suresh

2018-01-01

This paper presents a robot prototype for an undergraduate laboratory program designed to fulfill the criteria laid out by ABET. The main objective of the program is for students to learn some basic concepts of embedded systems and robotics, and apply them in practice. For that purpose, various practical laboratory exercises were prepared to teach…

Stochastic receding horizon control: application to an octopedal robot

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Shridhar K.; Tanner, Herbert G.

2013-06-01

Miniature autonomous systems are being developed under ARL's Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST). These systems can only be fitted with a small-size processor, and their motion behavior is inherently uncertain due to manufacturing and platform-ground interactions. One way to capture this uncertainty is through a stochastic model. This paper deals with stochastic motion control design and implementation for MAST- specific eight-legged miniature crawling robots, which have been kinematically modeled as systems exhibiting the behavior of a Dubin's car with stochastic noise. The control design takes the form of stochastic receding horizon control, and is implemented on a Gumstix Overo Fire COM with 720 MHz processor and 512 MB RAM, weighing 5.5 g. The experimental results show the effectiveness of this control law for miniature autonomous systems perturbed by stochastic noise.

The Mechanical Properties of a Wall-Climbing Caterpillar Robot: Analysis and Experiment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kun Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper builds the kinematic model of a wall-climbing caterpillar robot to reveal the validity and the benefits of the closed-chain kinematics of the four-linkage mechanism to a crawling gait. The caterpillar robot can climb on a vertical wall by coordinating the rotations of one active joint and three passive joints. The mechanical property of the closed-chain kinematics of the four-linkage model is analysed. Furthermore, the relation between the driving joint torque and joint angle in the wall-climbing process is deduced based on the coplanar arbitrary force system. Afterwards, the joint control method is discussed in order to coordinate the rotation of the four joints so as to realize a reasonable wall climbing gait. To testify to the availability of the closed-chain four-linkage model, a wall-climbing caterpillar robot is developed with three different adhesion modules based on the vibrating suction method. A successful wall-climbing test confirms both the practicality of the four-linkage model and the validity of the adhesion modules based on the vibrating suction method. The results also show the reasonableness of the driving joint selection rule for ensuring a safe and reliable wall-climbing procedure.

Ceramic Prototypes – Design, Computation, and Digital Fabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Bechthold

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Research in ceramic material systems at Harvard University has introduced a range of novel applications which combine digital manufacturing technologies and robotics with imaginative design and engineering methods. Prototypes showcase the new performative qualities of ceramics and the integration of this material in today’s construction culture. Work ranges from daylight control systems to structural applications and a robotic tile placement system. Emphasis is on integrating novel technologies with tried and true manufacturing methods. The paper describes two distinct studies – one on 3D print-ing of ceramics, the other on structural use of large format thin tiles.

Evaluation of a completely robotized neurosurgical operating microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Kantelhardt, Sven R; Finke, Markus; Schweikard, Achim; Giese, Alf

2013-01-01

Operating microscopes are essential for most neurosurgical procedures. Modern robot-assisted controls offer new possibilities, combining the advantages of conventional and automated systems. We evaluated the prototype of a completely robotized operating microscope with an integrated optical coherence tomography module. A standard operating microscope was fitted with motors and control instruments, with the manual control mode and balance preserved. In the robot mode, the microscope was steered by a remote control that could be fixed to a surgical instrument. External encoders and accelerometers tracked microscope movements. The microscope was additionally fitted with an optical coherence tomography-scanning module. The robotized microscope was tested on model systems. It could be freely positioned, without forcing the surgeon to take the hands from the instruments or avert the eyes from the oculars. Positioning error was about 1 mm, and vibration faded in 1 second. Tracking of microscope movements, combined with an autofocus function, allowed determination of the focus position within the 3-dimensional space. This constituted a second loop of navigation independent from conventional infrared reflector-based techniques. In the robot mode, automated optical coherence tomography scanning of large surface areas was feasible. The prototype of a robotized optical coherence tomography-integrated operating microscope combines the advantages of a conventional manually controlled operating microscope with a remote-controlled positioning aid and a self-navigating microscope system that performs automated positioning tasks such as surface scans. This demonstrates that, in the future, operating microscopes may be used to acquire intraoperative spatial data, volume changes, and structural data of brain or brain tumor tissue.

The Middlesex University rehabilitation robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, B; White, A; Prior, S; Warner, P

2005-01-01

This paper describes the development of an electrically powered wheelchair-mounted manipulator for use by severely disabled persons. A detailed review is given explaining the specification. It describes the construction of the device and its control architecture. The prototype robot used several gesture recognition and other input systems. The system has been tested on disabled and non-disabled users. They observed that it was easy to use but about 50% slower than comparable systems before design modifications were incorporated. The robot has a payload of greater than 1 kg with a maximum reach of 0.7-0.9 m.

Bio-inspired ciliary force sensor for robotic platforms

KAUST Repository

Ribeiro, Pedro; Khan, Mohammed Asadullah; Alfadhel, Ahmed; Kosel, Jü rgen; Franco, Fernando; Cardoso, Susana; Bernardino, Alexandre; Schmitz, Alexander; Santos-Victor, Jose; Jamone, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

The detection of small forces is of great interest in any robotic application that involves interaction with the environment (e.g., objects manipulation, physical human-robot interaction, minimally invasive surgery), since it allows the robot to detect the contacts early on and to act accordingly. In this letter, we present a sensor design inspired by the ciliary structure frequently found in nature, consisting of an array of permanently magnetized cylinders (cilia) patterned over a giant magnetoresistance sensor (GMR). When these cylinders are deformed in shape due to applied forces, the stray magnetic field variation will change the GMR sensor resistivity, thus enabling the electrical measurement of the applied force. In this letter, we present two 3 mm × 3 mm prototypes composed of an array of five cilia with 1 mm of height and 120 and 200 μm of diameter for each prototype. A minimum force of 333 μN was measured. A simulation model for determining the magnetized cylinders average stray magnetic field is also presented.

Bio-inspired ciliary force sensor for robotic platforms

KAUST Repository

Ribeiro, Pedro

2017-01-20

The detection of small forces is of great interest in any robotic application that involves interaction with the environment (e.g., objects manipulation, physical human-robot interaction, minimally invasive surgery), since it allows the robot to detect the contacts early on and to act accordingly. In this letter, we present a sensor design inspired by the ciliary structure frequently found in nature, consisting of an array of permanently magnetized cylinders (cilia) patterned over a giant magnetoresistance sensor (GMR). When these cylinders are deformed in shape due to applied forces, the stray magnetic field variation will change the GMR sensor resistivity, thus enabling the electrical measurement of the applied force. In this letter, we present two 3 mm × 3 mm prototypes composed of an array of five cilia with 1 mm of height and 120 and 200 μm of diameter for each prototype. A minimum force of 333 μN was measured. A simulation model for determining the magnetized cylinders average stray magnetic field is also presented.

Development of a mobile robot for remote radiation measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, Ushnish; Saini, Surendra Singh; Swaroop, Tumapala Teja; Sreejith, P.; Kumar, Ravinder; Ray, Debasish Datta

2016-01-01

Remote measurement of radiation using mobile robots is recommended in nuclear installations. For this purpose various robots have been developed that carry a radiation sensor. However since the robot has to go very near to the source of radiation, the life of the robot's components is compromised due to high level of absorbed dose. It was earlier managed to increase the life expectancy of remote radiation measurement robots by allowing the sensor to be placed on an extendable telescopic assembly; analogous to a health physicist taking measurements using a Teletector. The first prototype developed had stair climbing capabilities but it was found to be over dimensioned for various potential applications. A significant use of such robots is in taking measurements at nuclear reprocessing facilities having narrow cluttered pathways. This required development of a new version of the robot capable of negotiating the narrow pathways of such facilities. This paper describes the different aspects of the development of the mobile robot system with flexible radiation sensing capabilities

Deep iCrawl: An Intelligent Vision-Based Deep Web Crawler

OpenAIRE

R.Anita; V.Ganga Bharani; N.Nityanandam; Pradeep Kumar Sahoo

2011-01-01

The explosive growth of World Wide Web has posed a challenging problem in extracting relevant data. Traditional web crawlers focus only on the surface web while the deep web keeps expanding behind the scene. Deep web pages are created dynamically as a result of queries posed to specific web databases. The structure of the deep web pages makes it impossible for traditional web crawlers to access deep web contents. This paper, Deep iCrawl, gives a novel and vision-based app...

A deformable magnetizable worm in a magnetic field-A prototype of a mobile crawling robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zimmermann, Klaus [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany)]. E-mail: klaus.zimmermann@tu-ilmenau.de; Naletova, Vera A. [Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992 (Russian Federation); Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Zeidis, Igor [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany); Turkov, Vladimir A. [Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Kolev, Emil [Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Ilmenau, PF 10 05 65, 98684 (Germany); Lukashevich, Mikhail V. [Institute of Mechanics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, Michurinsky Pr., Moscow 119192 (Russian Federation); Stepanov, Gennadij V. [State Research Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Organoelement Compounds, 38, Shosse Entuziastov, Moscow 111123 (Russian Federation)

2007-04-15

The paper deals with the deformation and worm-like motion of a magnetizable elastic body in an alternate magnetic field from an experimental and a theoretically point of view. Theoretically (analytically and numerically) calculated results of the body velocity are compared with the experimental data.

Towards the development of a spring-based continuum robot for neurosurgery

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Yeongjin; Cheng, Shing Shin; Desai, Jaydev P.

2015-03-01

Brain tumor is usually life threatening due to the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells native to the brain or the spread of tumor cells from outside the central nervous system to the brain. The risks involved in carrying out surgery within such a complex organ can cause severe anxiety in cancer patients. However, neurosurgery, which remains one of the more effective ways of treating brain tumors focused in a confined volume, can have a tremendously increased success rate if the appropriate imaging modality is used for complete tumor removal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides excellent soft-tissue contrast and is the imaging modality of choice for brain tumor imaging. MRI combined with continuum soft robotics has immense potential to be the revolutionary treatment technique in the field of brain cancer. It eliminates the concern of hand tremor and guarantees a more precise procedure. One of the prototypes of Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot (MINIR-II), which can be classified as a continuum soft robot, consists of a snake-like body made of three segments of rapid prototyped plastic springs. It provides improved dexterity with higher degrees of freedom and independent joint control. It is MRI-compatible, allowing surgeons to track and determine the real-time location of the robot relative to the brain tumor target. The robot was manufactured in a single piece using rapid prototyping technology at a low cost, allowing it to disposable after each use. MINIR-II has two DOFs at each segment with both joints controlled by two pairs of MRI-compatible SMA spring actuators. Preliminary motion tests have been carried out using vision-tracking method and the robot was able to move to different positions based on user commands.

Front-Crawl Instantaneous Velocity Estimation Using a Wearable Inertial Measurement Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamiar Aminian

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Monitoring the performance is a crucial task for elite sports during both training and competition. Velocity is the key parameter of performance in swimming, but swimming performance evaluation remains immature due to the complexities of measurements in water. The purpose of this study is to use a single inertial measurement unit (IMU to estimate front crawl velocity. Thirty swimmers, equipped with an IMU on the sacrum, each performed four different velocity trials of 25 m in ascending order. A tethered speedometer was used as the velocity measurement reference. Deployment of biomechanical constraints of front crawl locomotion and change detection framework on acceleration signal paved the way for a drift-free integration of forward acceleration using IMU to estimate the swimmers velocity. A difference of 0.6 ± 5.4 cm·s−1 on mean cycle velocity and an RMS difference of 11.3 cm·s−1 in instantaneous velocity estimation were observed between IMU and the reference. The most important contribution of the study is a new practical tool for objective evaluation of swimming performance. A single body-worn IMU provides timely feedback for coaches and sport scientists without any complicated setup or restraining the swimmer’s natural technique.

Relationship between shoulder roll and hand propulsion in the front crawl stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Kudo, Shigetada; Sakurai, Yoshihisa; Miwa, Takahiro; Matsuda, Yuji

2017-05-01

This study re-evaluated the magnitude of hand propulsion (HP) in the pull and push phases of the front crawl stroke and investigated the association between the angular velocity of shoulder roll (ω SR ) and hand propulsive lift (HP L ). ω SR was computed in the plane normal to a forward direction for 16 skilled swimmers performing the front crawl stroke at a maximal sprinting pace. HP, hand propulsive drag (HP D ) and HP L were determined by a dynamic pressure approach. HP and HP D in the pull phase were greater than in the push phase (P push phase. Eleven swimmers out of the 16 swimmers had a significant within-swimmers correlation between ω SR and HP L in the push phase (P push phase as the ω SR of rolling back to the neutral position became faster. A swimmer should use more drag for hand propulsion in the pull phase and propulsion from drag and lift equally in the push phase. Based on the relationship between ω SR and HP L in the push phase, a possible stroke technique to enhance HP L using ω SR is discussed.

Robot performing heavy gymnastics. Kikai taiso wo suru robot

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takashima, S. (Hosei Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Engineering)

1991-11-01

Methods of simulation of the motion of human bodies and the control of the motion of bobots are sdudied in order to realize robots to perform gymnastics on a horizontal bar. A model of the human body structure is presented by dividing the human body into 8 parts: right and left arms, the head, the trunk, the right and left thighs, and the right and left foot, and a system is constructed by combination of the links of the rigid partswith an assumption on each link for simplification. A method to enhance the swing motion is devised in order to produce a suspension motionaas a basic movement of horizontal bar gymnastics. The basic condition to control the horizontal bar gynnastics and the control system of an articulation angle are considered. Two algorithms are presented in order to enhance the swing motion and to maintain suspension swing: excitation of the swing by a vertical motion of the center of gravity and excitation by the use of natural frequency. Computer simulation of suspension swing is executed and the results are shown in a figure. A prototype robot to perform horizontal bar gymnastics is manufactured and performs suspension swing, starting of swing, kip motion and giant swing. The concept of optimization is not included concretely in the prototype. 22 refs., 8 figs.

Research on a Micro Flip Robot That Can Climb Stairs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianzhong Wang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Micro mobile robots (MMRs can operate in rugged, narrow or dangerous regions; thus, they are widely used in numerous areas including surveillance, rescue and exploration. In urban environments, stairs are common obstacles, ones that such robots find difficult to manoeuvre over. The authors analysed the research status of MMRs, particularly in terms of difficulties when performing stair climbing and present a novel type of MMR called the micro flip robot (MFRobot. A support arm subassembly was added to the centre of a wheeled chassis; using this structure, the MFRobot can climb stairs when a flipping mode is utilized. Based on this structure, the authors established a kinematic model of the stair-climbing process and analysed the force conditions for the key status, contributing to the existing knowledge of robot design. An MFRobot prototype was produced and the stair-climbing experiments, as well as experiments on manoeuvring through rubble regions and slope surfaces, were conducted. The results show that the MFRobot can rapidly climb common stairs and can easily manoeuvre through a rubble region. The maximum slope angle the robot can climb was shown to be about 35° for concrete and wooden slope surfaces. In the case where the robot needed to be equipped with sensors, particularly a camera, the camera was equipped on the support arm of robot. The MFRobot prototype weighs 2.5 kg and is easily transportable. This structure can resolve contradictions between portability and performance in terms of overcoming obstacles; in addition, operational effectiveness can be improved using this structure.

DARC: Next generation decentralized control framework for robot applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Morten; Andersen, Nils Axel; Ravn, Ole

2013-01-01

This paper presents DARC, a next generation control framework for robot applications. It is designed to be equally powerful in prototyping research projects and for building serious commercial robots running on low powered embedded hardware, thus closing the gab between research and industry....... It incorporates several new techniques such as a decentralized peer-to-peer architecture, transparent network distribution of the control system, and automatic run-time supervision to guarantee robustness....

Smart Material-Actuated Flexible Tendon-Based Snake Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohiuddin Ahmed

2016-05-01

Full Text Available A flexible snake robot has better navigation ability compare with the existing electrical motor-based rigid snake robot, due to its excellent bending capability during navigation inside a narrow maze. This paper discusses the modelling, simulation and experiment of a flexible snake robot. The modelling consists of the kinematic analysis and the dynamic analysis of the snake robot. A platform based on the Incompletely Restrained Positioning Mechanism (IRPM is proposed, which uses the external force provided by a compliant flexible beam in each of the actuators. The compliant central column allows the configuration to achieve three degrees of freedom (3DOFs with three tendons. The proposed flexible snake robot has been built using smart material, such as electroactive polymers (EAPs, which can be activated by applying power to it. Finally, the physical prototype of the snake robot has been built. An experiment has been performed in order to justify the proposed model.

Parallel Robot for Lower Limb Rehabilitation Exercises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alireza Rastegarpanah

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to investigate the capability of a 6-DoF parallel robot to perform various rehabilitation exercises. The foot trajectories of twenty healthy participants have been measured by a Vicon system during the performing of four different exercises. Based on the kinematics and dynamics of a parallel robot, a MATLAB program was developed in order to calculate the length of the actuators, the actuators’ forces, workspace, and singularity locus of the robot during the performing of the exercises. The calculated length of the actuators and the actuators’ forces were used by motion analysis in SolidWorks in order to simulate different foot trajectories by the CAD model of the robot. A physical parallel robot prototype was built in order to simulate and execute the foot trajectories of the participants. Kinect camera was used to track the motion of the leg’s model placed on the robot. The results demonstrate the robot’s capability to perform a full range of various rehabilitation exercises.

Design of a Robust Stair Climbing Compliant Modular Robot to Tackle Overhang on Stairs

OpenAIRE

Bhole, Ajinkya; Turlapati, Sri Harsha; S, Rajashekhar V.; Dixit, Jay; Shah, Suril V.; Krishna, K Madhava

2016-01-01

This paper discusses the concept and parameter design of a Robust Stair Climbing Compliant Modular Robot, capable of tackling stairs with overhangs. Modifying the geometry of the periphery of the wheels of our robot helps in tackling overhangs. Along with establishing a concept design, robust design parameters are set to minimize performance variation. The Grey-based Taguchi Method is adopted for providing an optimal setting for the design parameters of the robot. The robot prototype is shown...

Kinematics Analysis and Simulation on Transfer Robot with Six Degrees of Freedom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Lu

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Study focuses on transfer robot with Six Degrees of Freedom, establishing kinematic equation by D-H method, analyzing forward kinematics and obtaining inverse kinematics by using method of inverse transform. Based on vector product, it develops velocity Jacobian matrix of robot. The geometric model of robot virtual prototype is established by SolidWorks software and generates parameters such as mass and moment. Kinematic simulation for robot is performed by Mathematica software and develops curve graph of displacement, velocity and accelerated speed in x, y and z direction in end executor center of robot with measurement, analysis and assessment, which provides foundation for further kinematics analysis and structure optimization as well as motion control of robot.

Control and robotics remote laboratory for engineering education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregor Pačnik

2005-06-01

Full Text Available The new tools for education of engineering emerged and one of the most promising is a remote rapid control prototyping (RRCP, which is very useful also for control and robotics development in industry and in education. Examples of introductory remote control and simple robotics courses with integrated hands on experiments are presented in the paper. The aim of integration of remote hands on experiments into control and/or robotics course is to minimize the gap between the theory and practice to teach students the use of RRCP and to decrease the education costs. Developed RRCP experiments are based on MATLAB/Simulink, xPC target, custom developed embedded target

Autonomy and manual operation in a small robotic system for under-vehicle inspections at security checkpoints

Science.gov (United States)

Smuda, William; Muench, Paul L.; Gerhart, Grant R.; Moore, Kevin L.

2002-07-01

Unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology can be used in a number of ways to assist in counter-terrorism activities. In addition to the conventional uses of tele-operated robots for unexploded ordinance handling and disposal, water cannons and other crowd control devices, robots can also be employed for a host of terrorism deterrence and detection applications. In previous research USU developed a completely autonomous prototype robot for performing under- vehicle inspections in parking areas (ODIS). Testing of this prototype and discussions with the user community indicated that neither the technology nor the users are ready for complete autonomy. In this paper we present a robotic system based on ODIS that balances the users' desire/need for tele- operation with a limited level of autonomy that enhances the performance of the robot. The system can be used by both civilian law enforcement and military police to replace the traditional mirror on a stick system of looking under cars for bombs and contraband.

Service design in social robotics: Involving elderly care professionals into co-creation

OpenAIRE

Tarasova, Kseniya

2015-01-01

The global trend of the population ageing triggers the development of social robotics for the needs of elderly people in most European countries. After decades of being a subject of scientific research and a prototype in the lab, social robotics is finally becoming a consumer product. At the moment the logic of the consumer market points towards customer experience. Therefore, social robotics companies should follow this trend. This study considers service design as one of the best approache...

Sketching CuddleBits : Coupled Prototyping of Body and Behaviour for an Affective Robot Pet

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bucci, Paul; Cang, Xi Laura; Valair, Anasazi; Marino, David; Tseng, Lucia; Jung, Merel Madeleine; Rantala, Jussi; Schneider, Oliver S.; MacLean, Karon E.

2017-01-01

Social robots that physically display emotion invite natural communication with their human interlocutors, enabling ap- plications like robot-assisted therapy where a complex robot’s breathing influences human emotional and physiological state. Using DIY fabrication and assembly, we explore how sim-

Design Principles for Rapid Prototyping Forces Sensors using 3D Printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kesner, Samuel B; Howe, Robert D

2011-07-21

Force sensors provide critical information for robot manipulators, manufacturing processes, and haptic interfaces. Commercial force sensors, however, are generally not adapted to specific system requirements, resulting in sensors with excess size, cost, and fragility. To overcome these issues, 3D printers can be used to create components for the quick and inexpensive development of force sensors. Limitations of this rapid prototyping technology, however, require specialized design principles. In this paper, we discuss techniques for rapidly developing simple force sensors, including selecting and attaching metal flexures, using inexpensive and simple displacement transducers, and 3D printing features to aid in assembly. These design methods are illustrated through the design and fabrication of a miniature force sensor for the tip of a robotic catheter system. The resulting force sensor prototype can measure forces with an accuracy of as low as 2% of the 10 N measurement range.

ROBOSIM, a simulator for robotic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hinman, Elaine M.; Fernandez, Ken; Cook, George E.

1991-01-01

ROBOSIM, a simulator for robotic systems, was developed by NASA to aid in the rapid prototyping of automation. ROBOSIM has allowed the development of improved robotic systems concepts for both earth-based and proposed on-orbit applications while significantly reducing development costs. In a cooperative effort with an area university, ROBOSIM was further developed for use in the classroom as a safe and cost-effective way of allowing students to study robotic systems. Students have used ROBOSIM to study existing robotic systems and systems which they have designed in the classroom. Since an advanced simulator/trainer of this type is beneficial not only to NASA projects and programs but industry and academia as well, NASA is in the process of developing this technology for wider public use. An update on the simulators's new application areas, the improvements made to the simulator's design, and current efforts to ensure the timely transfer of this technology are presented.

Robotized Surface Mounting of Permanent Magnets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Hultman

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Using permanent magnets on a rotor can both simplify the design and increase the efficiency of electric machines compared to using electromagnets. A drawback, however, is the lack of existing automated assembly methods for large machines. This paper presents and motivates a method for robotized surface mounting of permanent magnets on electric machine rotors. The translator of the Uppsala University Wave Energy Converter generator is used as an example of a rotor. The robot cell layout, equipment design and assembly process are presented and validated through computer simulations and experiments with prototype equipment. A comparison with manual assembly indicates substantial cost savings and an improved work environment. By using the flexibility of industrial robots and a scalable equipment design, it is possible for this assembly method to be adjusted for other rotor geometries and sizes. Finally, there is a discussion on the work that remains to be done on improving and integrating the robot cell into a production line.

Knowledge assistant for robotic environmental characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feddema, J.; Rivera, J.; Tucker, S.; Matek, J.

1996-08-01

A prototype sensor fusion framework called the open-quotes Knowledge Assistantclose quotes has been developed and tested on a gantry robot at Sandia National Laboratories. This Knowledge Assistant guides the robot operator during the planning, execution, and post analysis stages of the characterization process. During the planning stage, the Knowledge Assistant suggests robot paths and speeds based on knowledge of sensors available and their physical characteristics. During execution, the Knowledge Assistant coordinates the collection of data through a data acquisition open-quotes specialist.close quotes During execution and postanalysis, the Knowledge Assistant sends raw data to other open-quotes specialists,close quotes which include statistical pattern recognition software, a neural network, and model-based search software. After the specialists return their results, the Knowledge Assistant consolidates the information and returns a report to the robot control system where the sensed objects and their attributes (e.g., estimated dimensions, weight, material composition, etc.) are displayed in the world model. This report highlights the major components of this system

Unibot, a Universal Agent Architecture for Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saša Mladenović

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Today there are numerous robots in different applications domains despite the fact that they still have limitations in perception, actuation and decision process. Consequently, robots usually have limited autonomy, they are domain specific or have difficulty to adapt on new environments. Learning is the property that makes an agent intelligent and the crucial property that a robot should have to proliferate into the human society. Embedding the learning ability into the robot may simplify the development of the robot control mechanism. The motivation for this research is to develop the agent architecture of the universal robot – Unibot. In our approach the agent is the robot i.e. Unibot that acts in the physical world and is capable of learning. The Unibot conducts several simultaneous simulations of a problem of interest like path-finding. The novelty in our approach is the Multi-Agent Decision Support System which is developed and integrated into the Unibot agent architecture in order to execute simultaneous simulations. Furthermore, the Unibot calculates and evaluates between multiple solutions, decides which action should be performed and performs the action. The prototype of the Unibot agent architecture is described and evaluated in the experiment supported by the Lego Mindstorms robot and the NetLogo.

Quadruped locomotion system of prototype advanced robot for nuclear power plant facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugiyama, Sakae

1991-01-01

The development of the robots for the works in nuclear power stations has been promoted. The demonstration machine developed comprises subsystems so that the design, manufacture, operation, maintenance and so on of the robots are simplified and made convenient, that is, the command for all actions, visual information processing subsystem, manipulation subsystem and movement subsystem. In this report, the elementary technology of movement and the movement subsystem are described. Quadruped walking, intelligent type motion control, and the target specification, movement subsystem and test of the demonstration machine are explained. (K.I.)

Mina: A Sensorimotor Robotic Orthosis for Mobility Assistance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anil K. Raj

2011-01-01

Full Text Available While most mobility options for persons with paraplegia or paraparesis employ wheeled solutions, significant adverse health, psychological, and social consequences result from wheelchair confinement. Modern robotic exoskeleton devices for gait assistance and rehabilitation, however, can support legged locomotion systems for those with lower extremity weakness or paralysis. The Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC has developed the Mina, a prototype sensorimotor robotic orthosis for mobility assistance that provides mobility capability for paraplegic and paraparetic users. This paper describes the initial concept, design goals, and methods of this wearable overground robotic mobility device, which uses compliant actuation to power the hip and knee joints. Paralyzed users can balance and walk using the device over level terrain with the assistance of forearm crutches employing a quadrupedal gait. We have initiated sensory substitution feedback mechanisms to augment user sensory perception of his or her lower extremities. Using this sensory feedback, we hypothesize that users will ambulate with a more natural, upright gait and will be able to directly control the gait parameters and respond to perturbations. This may allow bipedal (with minimal support gait in future prototypes.

Development of Multiple Capsule Robots in Pipe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuxiang Guo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Swallowable capsule robots which travel in body cavities to implement drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and diagnosis have provided great potential for medical applications. However, the space constraints of the internal environment and the size limitations of the robots are great challenges to practical application. To address the fundamental challenges of narrow body cavities, a different-frequency driven approach for multiple capsule robots with screw structure manipulated by external electromagnetic field is proposed in this paper. The multiple capsule robots are composed of driven permanent magnets, joint permanent magnets, and a screw body. The screw body generates a propulsive force in a fluidic environment. Moreover, robots can form new constructions via mutual docking and release. To provide manipulation guidelines for active locomotion, a dynamic model of axial propulsion and circumferential torque is established. The multiple start and step-out frequencies for multiple robots are defined theoretically. Moreover, the different-frequency driven approach based on geometrical parameters of screw structure and the overlap angles of magnetic polarities is proposed to drive multiple robots in an identical electromagnetic field. Finally, two capsule robots were prototyped and experiments in a narrow pipe were conducted to verify the different motions such as docking, release, and cooperative locomotion. The experimental results demonstrated the validity of the driven approach for multiple capsule robots in narrow body cavities.

System Design and Locomotion of Superball, an Untethered Tensegrity Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Sabelhaus, Andrew P.; Bruce, Jonathan; Caluwaerts, Ken; Manovi, Pavlo; Firoozi, Roya Fallah; Dobi, Sarah; Agogino, Alice M.; Sunspiral, Vytas

2015-01-01

The Spherical Underactuated Planetary Exploration Robot ball (SUPERball) is an ongoing project within NASA Ames Research Center's Intelligent Robotics Group and the Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Lab (DTRL). The current SUPERball is the first full prototype of this tensegrity robot platform, eventually destined for space exploration missions. This work, building on prior published discussions of individual components, presents the fully-constructed robot. Various design improvements are discussed, as well as testing results of the sensors and actuators that illustrate system performance. Basic low-level motor position controls are implemented and validated against sensor data, which show SUPERball to be uniquely suited for highly dynamic state trajectory tracking. Finally, SUPERball is shown in a simple example of locomotion. This implementation of a basic motion primitive shows SUPERball in untethered control.

Mechanical Study of Standard Six Beat Front Crawl Swimming by Using Swimming Human Simulation Model

Science.gov (United States)

Nakashima, Motomu

There are many dynamical problems in front crawl swimming which have not been fully investigated by analytical approaches. Therefore, in this paper, standard six beat front crawl swimming is analyzed by the swimming human simulation model SWUM, which has been developed by the authors. First, the outline of the simulation model, the joint motion for one stroke cycle, and the specifications of calculation are described respectively. Next, contribution of each fluid force component and of each body part to the thrust, effect of the flutter kick, estimation of the active drag, roll motion, and the propulsive efficiency are discussed respectively. The following results were theoretically obtained: The thrust is produced at the upper limb by the normal drag force component. The flutter kick plays a role in raising the lower half of the body. The active drag coefficient in the simulation becomes 0.082. Buoyancy determines the primal wave of the roll motion fluctuation. The propulsive efficiency in the simulation becomes 0.2.

Design on a Composite Mobile System for Exploration Robot

OpenAIRE

Shang, Weiyan; Yang, Canjun; Liu, Yunping; Wang, Junming

2016-01-01

In order to accomplish exploration missions in complex environments, a new type of robot has been designed. By analyzing the characteristics of typical moving systems, a new mobile system which is named wheel-tracked moving system (WTMS) has been presented. Then by virtual prototype simulation, the new system’s ability to adapt complex environments has been verified. As the curve of centroid acceleration changes in large amplitude in this simulation, ride performance of this robot has been st...

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) proposed dual-use technology investment program in intelligent robots

Science.gov (United States)

Erikson, Jon D.

1994-01-01

This paper presents an overview of the proposed Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) precompetitive, dual-use technology investment project in robotics. New robotic technology in advanced robots, which can recognize and respond to their environments and to spoken human supervision so as to perform a variety of combined mobility and manipulation tasks in various sectors, is an obejective of this work. In the U.S. economy, such robots offer the benefits of improved global competitiveness in a critical industrial sector; improved productivity by the end users of these robots; a growing robotics industry that produces jobs and profits; lower cost health care delivery with quality improvements; and, as these 'intelligent' robots become acceptable throughout society, an increase in the standard of living for everyone. In space, such robots will provide improved safety, reliability, and productivity as Space Station evolves, and will enable human space exploration (by human/robot teams). The proposed effort consists of partnerships between manufacturers, universities, and JSC to develop working production prototypes of these robots by leveraging current development by both sides. Currently targeted applications are in the manufacturing, health care, services, and construction sectors of the U.S. economy and in the inspection, servicing, maintenance, and repair aspects of space exploration. But the focus is on the generic software architecture and standardized interfaces for custom modules tailored for the various applications allowing end users to customize a robot as PC users customize PC's. Production prototypes would be completed in 5 years under this proposal.

Design and implementation of wormlike creeping mobile robot for EAST remote maintenance system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Qiang, E-mail: zhangqiang@iim.ac.cn [Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); Department of Automation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China); Zhou, Ling [Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); Wang, Zengfu, E-mail: zfwang@ustc.edu.cn [Institute of Intelligent Machines, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); Department of Automation, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026 (China)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • Wormlike creeping robot walking on the V-shaped circular slot in EAST fusion vessel. • Mobile platform to carry equipments or assist manipulators for maintenance tasks. • Chain structure design with n(n ≥ 2) creeping units each of which has three segments. • Creeping gait planning to construct a multi-axis coordinating control scheme. • Evaluation and verification of basic motion performance and mechanical properties. - Abstract: Maintenance for nuclear fusion vessel is crucial, yet it faces great difficulty due to the complex internal physical and geometric conditions. Since the limitation on inherent strength, load, size, etc, a manipulator robot can only complete very limited tasks. Robotic arm systems for remote operation such as JET and MPD can carry certain tools to complete a variety of operating tasks, but it is difficult to achieve the system which is very complex. Therefore, if the inherent idea of using a single robot to complete the specified functions can change, it is possible to make the problems simpler and easier to solve by adding auxiliary robots working together with the robotic arm systems to complete the assigned tasks. Under the above background, based on the deeply analyzing and refining the functional requirements of the vessel operation robot, proceeding from the perspective of ability to move and carry a certain operating device, this paper presents a wormlike creeping mobile robot walking on the V-shaped circular slot inside a nuclear fusion vessel such as EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak). We have designed and implemented the principle prototype of the robot which has chain structure with n (n ≥2) creeping units. Each creeping unit is of three-part structure, which consists of fore segment, mid segment and back segment connected by bidirectional universal joint. The fore and back segments stretch the paws to contact the surface of V-shaped slot, while the mid segment realizes the overall

Design and implementation of wormlike creeping mobile robot for EAST remote maintenance system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Qiang; Zhou, Ling; Wang, Zengfu

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Wormlike creeping robot walking on the V-shaped circular slot in EAST fusion vessel. • Mobile platform to carry equipments or assist manipulators for maintenance tasks. • Chain structure design with n(n ≥ 2) creeping units each of which has three segments. • Creeping gait planning to construct a multi-axis coordinating control scheme. • Evaluation and verification of basic motion performance and mechanical properties. - Abstract: Maintenance for nuclear fusion vessel is crucial, yet it faces great difficulty due to the complex internal physical and geometric conditions. Since the limitation on inherent strength, load, size, etc, a manipulator robot can only complete very limited tasks. Robotic arm systems for remote operation such as JET and MPD can carry certain tools to complete a variety of operating tasks, but it is difficult to achieve the system which is very complex. Therefore, if the inherent idea of using a single robot to complete the specified functions can change, it is possible to make the problems simpler and easier to solve by adding auxiliary robots working together with the robotic arm systems to complete the assigned tasks. Under the above background, based on the deeply analyzing and refining the functional requirements of the vessel operation robot, proceeding from the perspective of ability to move and carry a certain operating device, this paper presents a wormlike creeping mobile robot walking on the V-shaped circular slot inside a nuclear fusion vessel such as EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak). We have designed and implemented the principle prototype of the robot which has chain structure with n (n ≥2) creeping units. Each creeping unit is of three-part structure, which consists of fore segment, mid segment and back segment connected by bidirectional universal joint. The fore and back segments stretch the paws to contact the surface of V-shaped slot, while the mid segment realizes the overall

Laser assisted robotic surgery in cornea transplantation

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Micheletti, Filippo; Magni, Giada; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Leoni, Fabio; Magnani, Bernardo

2017-03-01

Robotic surgery is a reality in several surgical fields, such as in gastrointestinal surgery. In ophthalmic surgery the required high spatial precision is limiting the application of robotic system, and even if several attempts have been designed in the last 10 years, only some application in retinal surgery were tested in animal models. The combination of photonics and robotics can really open new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery, improving the precision, reducing tremor, amplifying scale of motion, and automating the procedure. In this manuscript we present the preliminary results in developing a vision guided robotic platform for laser-assisted anterior eye surgery. The robotic console is composed by a robotic arm equipped with an "end effector" designed to deliver laser light to the anterior corneal surface. The main intended application is for laser welding of corneal tissue in laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty. The console is equipped with an integrated vision system. The experiment originates from a clear medical demand in order to improve the efficacy of different surgical procedures: when the prototype will be optimized, other surgical areas will be included in its application, such as neurosurgery, urology and spinal surgery.

Hydro-Quebec inspection robot RIT-LRG

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Champagne, D.; Rinfret, F.; Bourgault, Y.G.

2008-01-01

Hydro Quebec's Research Centre (IREQ), has developed a variety of inspection tools over the years. The Metar bracelet for the feeder tubes, the REC robot for the heat exchanger and the RIT robot for the Delayed Neutron system just to name a few. This paper discusses with the successful deployment of the Camera Probe Positioning robot for Visual Inspection of the sample lines of the delayed neutron system of CANDU power plants. This RIT robot has three possible configurations (Face, Cabinet and LRG configurations) and has remained a prototype version although it has been used over the years in many outage inspection campaigns since 1997. The main advantages of using this robot are: the significant reduction in radiation exposure, the high quality of the data collected and the archiving of inspection data for further analysis and reports. In 2007, Gentilly-2 (G-2), decided to industrialize the LRG configuration of the RIT robot and to designate it the standard tool for the inspection of the Delayed Neutron System. An improved RIT-LRG robot, along with its control box and command station was developed. The software had to be rewritten requiring an ergonomics analysis of user tasks, work station and interface display. These issues included both physical and cognitive requirements aspects. The two principal topics of this paper will be on the Inspection Robot Technology developed and highlights of the 2008 outage inspection campaign. (author)

Hydro-Quebec inspection robot RIT-LRG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Champagne, D., E-mail: champagne.dominique@ireq.ca [Inst. de recherche d' Hydro-Quebec, Quebec (Canada); Rinfret, F.; Bourgault, Y.G., E-mail: rinfret.francois@hydro.qc.ca, E-mail: bourgault.yves.g@hydro.qc.ca [Hydro-Quebec, Becancour, Quebec (Canada)

2008-07-01

Hydro Quebec's Research Centre (IREQ), has developed a variety of inspection tools over the years. The Metar bracelet for the feeder tubes, the REC robot for the heat exchanger and the RIT robot for the Delayed Neutron system just to name a few. This paper discusses with the successful deployment of the Camera Probe Positioning robot for Visual Inspection of the sample lines of the delayed neutron system of CANDU power plants. This RIT robot has three possible configurations (Face, Cabinet and LRG configurations) and has remained a prototype version although it has been used over the years in many outage inspection campaigns since 1997. The main advantages of using this robot are: the significant reduction in radiation exposure, the high quality of the data collected and the archiving of inspection data for further analysis and reports. In 2007, Gentilly-2 (G-2), decided to industrialize the LRG configuration of the RIT robot and to designate it the standard tool for the inspection of the Delayed Neutron System. An improved RIT-LRG robot, along with its control box and command station was developed. The software had to be rewritten requiring an ergonomics analysis of user tasks, work station and interface display. These issues included both physical and cognitive requirements aspects. The two principal topics of this paper will be on the Inspection Robot Technology developed and highlights of the 2008 outage inspection campaign. (author)

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics to meet the requirements for assembling and machining the ITER vacuum vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pessi, Pekka [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland)], E-mail: pessi@lut.fi; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki [Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lappeenranta (Finland); Jones, Lawrence [EFDA Close Support Unit, Boltzmannstrasse 2, Garching D-85748 (Germany)

2007-10-15

The present paper introduces a mobile parallel robot developed for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The task of the robot is to carry out welding and machining processes inside the ITER vacuum vessel. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimized for the ITER access. The kinematic analysis is given in the paper. A virtual prototype of the parallel robot is built. A dynamic behavior of the whole robot is studied by the multi-body system simulation (MBS)

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics to meet the requirements for assembling and machining the ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessi, Pekka; Wu, Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Jones, Lawrence

2007-01-01

The present paper introduces a mobile parallel robot developed for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The task of the robot is to carry out welding and machining processes inside the ITER vacuum vessel. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimized for the ITER access. The kinematic analysis is given in the paper. A virtual prototype of the parallel robot is built. A dynamic behavior of the whole robot is studied by the multi-body system simulation (MBS)

PRATICE CRAWL – MENTAL DISTABILITIES: ADULT CHOICE OF DRIVE TECHNOLOGY ADAPTED COMPETITORS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Redon

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Of the two schools most stressed about the act of propelling the crawl, crawl in practice, which is the most efficient swimming, the two modes of propulsion favorites are "The outstretched arm" next to the called swimmer paddling and "The arm bent S-shaped" under the so-called swimmer impeller (N. Lanotte, S. Lem, 2012 The debate is not yet settled (Potdevin F; Pelayo P. 2006. Any swimmer has a strategy for managing its own resources considering the cost / benefit of each stroke technique report, with the aim of improving strength (Arellano, R. (1992, its movement and hence its performance (Joshua, 1992 in retarded placed in individual practice crawl competition, open to different technical conditions, what is the movement that is most often practiced, according to "the outstretched arm" or "folded S-shaped arm "under the swimmer? Methods: We record video (Pk Chollet - 2003, during two Regional championships in France adapted swim organized by the French Federation of Adapted Sport tests crawl in Division 1 Division 2 and Division 3 according to the latest regulations for implementation first time. We question the choice: "The outstretched arm" or "arm bent S-shaped" under the swimmer, by interviews (Y.Meynaud; Duclos D.1996 professional supervisors or volunteers before tests their competitors and we competitors are questioning after their trials. Results: It appears on the video that all competitors swim the "arms outstretched" The point of view of professional or volunteer supervisors: no of them are not asked for the choice of method of propulsion is best for their competitors as they say swimming techniques they teach in their club are the same as for all disabled or not competitors. The point of view of competitors: For competitors the method of propulsion "outstretched arm" seems to them the most effective. Method "arm S" Their demand coordination of movement more difficult to obtain in the context of mental disability

Designing a social and assistive robot for seniors.

Science.gov (United States)

Eftring, H; Frennert, S

2016-06-01

The development of social assistive robots is an approach with the intention of preventing and detecting falls among seniors. There is a need for a relatively low-cost mobile robot with an arm and a gripper which is small enough to navigate through private homes. User requirements of a social assistive robot were collected using workshops, a questionnaire and interviews. Two prototype versions of a robot were designed, developed and tested by senior citizens (n = 49) in laboratory trials for 2 h each and in the private homes of elderly persons (n = 18) for 3 weeks each. The user requirement analysis resulted in a specification of tasks the robot should be able to do to prevent and detect falls. It was a challenge but possible to design and develop a robot where both the senior and the robot arm could reach the necessary interaction points of the robot. The seniors experienced the robot as happy and friendly. They wanted the robot to be narrower so it could pass through narrow passages in the home and they also wanted it to be able to pass over thresholds without using ramps and to drive over carpets. User trials in seniors' homes are very important to acquire relevant knowledge for developing robots that can handle real life situations in the domestic environment. Very high reliability of a robot is needed to get feedback about how seniors experience the overall behavior of the robot and to find out if the robot could reduce falls and improve the feeling of security for seniors living alone.

On designing geometric motion planners to solve regulating and trajectory tracking problems for robotic locomotion systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Asnafi, Alireza [Hydro-Aeronautical Research Center, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71348-13668 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mahzoon, Mojtaba [Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71348-13668 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-09-15

Based on a geometric fiber bundle structure, a generalized method to solve both regulation and trajectory tracking problems for locomotion systems is presented. The method is especially applied to two case studies of robotic locomotion systems; a three link articulated fish-like robot as a prototype of locomotion systems with symmetry, and the snakeboard as a prototype of mixed locomotion systems. Our results show that although these motion planners have an open loop structure, due to their generalities, they can steer case studies with negligible errors for almost any complicated path.

On designing geometric motion planners to solve regulating and trajectory tracking problems for robotic locomotion systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asnafi, Alireza; Mahzoon, Mojtaba

2011-01-01

Based on a geometric fiber bundle structure, a generalized method to solve both regulation and trajectory tracking problems for locomotion systems is presented. The method is especially applied to two case studies of robotic locomotion systems; a three link articulated fish-like robot as a prototype of locomotion systems with symmetry, and the snakeboard as a prototype of mixed locomotion systems. Our results show that although these motion planners have an open loop structure, due to their generalities, they can steer case studies with negligible errors for almost any complicated path.

Supporting robotics technology requirements through research in intelligent machines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mann, R.C.

1995-02-01

{open_quotes}Safer, better, cheaper{close_quotes} are recurring themes in many robot development efforts. Significant improvements are being accomplished with existing technology, but basic research sets the foundations for future improvements and breakthrough discoveries. Advanced robots represent systems that integrate the three basic functions of sensing, reasoning, and acting (locomotion and manipulation) into one functional unit. Depending on the application requirements, some of these functions are implemented at a more or less advanced level than others. For example, some navigation tasks can be accomplished with purely reactive control and do not require sophisticated reasoning and planning methodologies. Robotics work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) spans the spectrum from basic research to application-specific development and rapid prototyping of systems. This presentation summarizes recent highlights of the robotics research activities at ORNL.

Development of automatic inspection robot for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, K.; Suzuki, K.; Saitoh, K.; Sakaki, T.; Ohe, Y.; Mizutani, T.; Segawa, M.; Kubo, K.

1987-01-01

This robot system has been developed for automatic inspection of nuclear power plants. The system configuration is composed of vehicle that runs on monorail, the sensors on the vehicle, an image processer that processes the image information from the sensors, a computer that creates the inspection planning of the robot and an operation panel. This system has two main features, the first is the robot control system. The vehicle and the sensors are controlled by the output data calculated in the computer with the three dimensional plant data. The malfunction is recognized by the combination of the results of image processing, information from the microphone and infrared camera. Tests for a prototype automatic inspection robot system have been performed in the simulated main steam piping room of a nuclear power plant

Origami-based earthworm-like locomotion robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Hongbin; Zhang, Yetong; Wang, K W

2017-10-16

Inspired by the morphology characteristics of the earthworms and the excellent deformability of origami structures, this research creates a novel earthworm-like locomotion robot through exploiting the origami techniques. In this innovation, appropriate actuation mechanisms are incorporated with origami ball structures into the earthworm-like robot 'body', and the earthworm's locomotion mechanism is mimicked to develop a gait generator as the robot 'centralized controller'. The origami ball, which is a periodic repetition of waterbomb units, could output significant bidirectional (axial and radial) deformations in an antagonistic way similar to the earthworm's body segment. Such bidirectional deformability can be strategically programmed by designing the number of constituent units. Experiments also indicate that the origami ball possesses two outstanding mechanical properties that are beneficial to robot development: one is the structural multistability in the axil direction that could contribute to the robot control implementation; and the other is the structural compliance in the radial direction that would increase the robot robustness and applicability. To validate the origami-based innovation, this research designs and constructs three robot segments based on different axial actuators: DC-motor, shape-memory-alloy springs, and pneumatic balloon. Performance evaluations reveal their merits and limitations, and to prove the concept, the DC-motor actuation is selected for building a six-segment robot prototype. Learning from earthworms' fundamental locomotion mechanism-retrograde peristalsis wave, seven gaits are automatically generated; controlled by which, the robot could achieve effective locomotion with qualitatively different modes and a wide range of average speeds. The outcomes of this research could lead to the development of origami locomotion robots with low fabrication costs, high customizability, light weight, good scalability, and excellent re-configurability.

Force-sensed interface for control and training space robot

Science.gov (United States)

Moiseev, O. S.; Sarsadskikh, A. S.; Povalyaev, N. D.; Gorbunov, V. I.; Kulakov, F. M.; Vasilev, V. V.

2018-05-01

A method of positional and force-torque control of robots is proposed. Prototypes of the system and the master handle have been created. Algorithm of bias estimation and gravity compensation for force-torque sensor and force-torque trajectory correction are described.

Robotics Vision-based Heuristic Reasoning for Underwater Target Tracking and Navigation

OpenAIRE

Kia, Chua; Arshad, Mohd Rizal

2006-01-01

This paper presents a robotics vision-based heuristic reasoning system for underwater target tracking and navigation. This system is introduced to improve the level of automation of underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) operations. A prototype which combines computer vision with an underwater robotics system is successfully designed and developed to perform target tracking and intelligent navigation. This study focuses on developing image processing algorithms and fuzzy inference system ...

First Application of Robot Teaching in an Existing Industry 4.0 Environment: Does It Really Work?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astrid Weiss

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article reports three case studies on the usability and acceptance of an industrial robotic prototype in the context of human-robot cooperation. The three case studies were conducted in the framework of a two-year project named AssistMe, which aims at developing different means of interaction for programming and using collaborative robots in a user-centered manner. Together with two industrial partners and a technological partner, two different application scenarios were implemented and studied with an off-the-shelf robotic system. The operators worked with the robotic prototype in laboratory conditions (two days, in a factory context (one day and in an automotive assembly line (three weeks. In the article, the project and procedures are described in detail, including the quantitative and qualitative methodology. Our results show that close human-robot cooperation in the industrial context needs adaptive pacing mechanisms in order to avoid a change of working routines for the operators and that an off-the-shelf robotic system is still limited in terms of usability and acceptance. The touch panel, which is needed for controlling the robot, had a negative impact on the overall user experience. It creates a further intermediate layer between the user, the robot and the work piece and potentially leads to a decrease in productivity. Finally, the fear of the worker of being replaced by an improved robotic system was regularly expressed and adds an additional anthropocentric dimension to the discussion of human-robot cooperation, smart factories and the upcoming Industry 4.0.

User-centric design of a personal assistance robot (FRASIER) for active aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Padir, Taşkin; Skorinko, Jeanine; Dimitrov, Velin

2015-01-01

We present our preliminary results from the design process for developing the Worcester Polytechnic Institute's personal assistance robot, FRASIER, as an intelligent service robot for enabling active aging. The robot capabilities include vision-based object detection, tracking the user and help with carrying heavy items such as grocery bags or cafeteria trays. This work-in-progress report outlines our motivation and approach to developing the next generation of service robots for the elderly. Our main contribution in this paper is the development of a set of specifications based on the adopted user-centered design process, and realization of the prototype system designed to meet these specifications.

Topology Optimization and Robotic Fabrication of Advanced Timber Space-frame Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Asbjørn; Amir, Oded; Eversmann, Phillip

2016-01-01

This paper presents a novel method for integrated topology optimization and fabrication of advanced timber space-frame structures. The method, developed in research collaboration between ETH Zürich, Aarhus School of Architecture and Israel Institute of Technology, entails the coupling of truss...... processes solving timber joint intersections, robotically controlling member prefabrication, and spatial robotic assembly of the optimized timber structures. The implication of this concept is studied through pilot fabrication and load-testing of a full scale prototype structure.......-based topology optimization with digital procedures for rationalization and robotic assembly of bespoke timber members, through a procedural, cross-application workflow. Through this, a direct chaining of optimization and robotic fabrication is established, in which optimization data is driving subsequent...

Planar covariance of upper and lower limb elevation angles during hand-foot crawling in healthy young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

MacLellan, M J; Catavitello, G; Ivanenko, Y P; Lacquaniti, F

2017-11-01

Habitual quadrupeds have been shown to display a planar covariance of segment elevation angle waveforms in the fore and hind limbs during many forms of locomotion. The purpose of the current study was to determine if humans generate similar patterns in the upper and lower limbs during hand-foot crawling. Nine healthy young adults performed hand-foot crawling on a treadmill at speeds of 1, 2, and 3 km/h. A principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the segment elevation angle waveforms for the upper (upper arm, lower arm, and hand) and lower (thigh, shank, and foot) limbs separately. The planarity of the elevation angle waveforms was determined using the sum of the variance explained by the first two PCs and the orientation of the covariance plane was quantified using the direction cosines of the eigenvector orthogonal to the plane, projected upon each of the segmental semi-axes. Results showed that planarity of segment elevation angles was maintained in the upper and lower limbs (explained variance >97%), although a slight decrease was present in the upper limb when crawling at 3 km/h. The orientation of the covariance plane was highly limb-specific, consistent with animal studies and possibly related to the functional neural control differences between the upper and lower limbs. These results may suggest that the motor patterns stored in the central nervous system for quadrupedal locomotion may be retained through evolution and may still be exploited when humans perform such tasks.

Velocity, aerobic power and metabolic cost of whole body and arms only front crawl swimming at various stroke rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Kirstin S; Osborne, Mark A; Shephard, Megan E; Skinner, Tina L; Jenkins, David G

2016-05-01

Stroke rate (SR) has not been considered in previous research examining the relative roles of the limbs in front-crawl performance. This study compared velocity, aerobic power ([Formula: see text]) and metabolic cost (C) between whole body (WB) and arms only (AO) front-crawl swimming across various intensities while controlling SR. Twenty Australian national swimmers performed six 200 m front-crawl efforts under two conditions: (1) WB swimming and, (2) AO swimming. Participants completed the 200 m trials under three SR conditions: "low" (22-26 stroke-cycles min(-1)), "moderate" (30-34 stroke-cycles min(-1) and "high" (38-42 stroke-cycles min(-1)). [Formula: see text] was continuously measured, with C, velocity, SR, and kick rate calculated for each effort. Regardless of the SR condition and sex, AO velocity was consistently lower than WB velocity by ~11.0 % (p  0.01). When C was expressed as a function of velocity, WB and AO regression equations differed for males (p = 0.01) but not for females (p = 0.087). Kick rate increased as SR increased (p swimming is the same. Coaches should consider these results when prescribing AO sets if their intention is to reduce the metabolic load.

How crawling and manual object exploration are related to the mental rotation abilities of 9-month-old infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gudrun eSchwarzer

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The present experiment examined whether the mental rotation ability of 9-month-old infants was related to their abilities to crawl and manually explore objects. Forty-eight 9-month-old infants were tested; half of them had been crawling for an average of 9.3 weeks. The infants were habituated to a video of a simplified Shepard-Metzler object rotating back and forth through a 240° angle around the longitudinal axis of the object. They were tested with videos of the same object rotating through a previously unseen 120° angle and with a mirror image of the display. All of the infants also participated in a manual object exploration task, in which they freely explored 5 toy blocks. The results showed that the crawlers looked significantly longer at the novel (mirror object than at the familiar object, independent of their manual exploration scores. The non-crawlers looking times, in contrast, were influenced by the manual exploration scores. The infants who did not spontaneously explore the toy blocks tended to show a familiarity preference, whereas those who explored the toy blocks preferred to look at the novel object. Thus, all of the infants were able to master the mental rotation task but it seemed to be the most complex process for infants who had no crawling experience and who did not spontaneously explore objects.

Continuous path control of a 5-DOF parallel-serial hybrid robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchiyama, Takuma; Terada, Hidetsugu; Mitsuya, Hironori

2010-01-01

Using the 5-degree of freedom parallel-serial hybrid robot, to realize the de-burring, new forward and inverse kinematic calculation methods based on the 'off-line teaching' method are proposed. This hybrid robot consists of a parallel stage section and a serial stage section. Considering this point, each section is calculated individually. And the continuous path control algorithm of this hybrid robot is proposed. To verify the usefulness, a prototype robot is tested which is controlled based on the proposed methods. This verification includes a positioning test and a pose test. The positioning test evaluates the continuous path of the tool center point. The pose test evaluates the pose on the tool center point. As the result, it is confirmed that this hybrid robot moves correctly using the proposed methods

Design, Modeling and Control of a Biped Line-Walking Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludan Wang

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The subject of this paper is the design and analysis of a biped line walking robot for inspection of power transmission lines. With a novel mechanism the centroid of the robot can be concentrated on the axis of hip joint to minimize the drive torque of the hip joint. The mechanical structure of the robot is discussed, as well as forward kinematics. Dynamic model is established in this paper to analyze the inverse kinematics for motion planning. The line-walking cycle of the line-walking robot is composed of a single-support phase and a double-support phase. Locomotion of the line-walking robot is discussed in details and the obstacle-navigation process is planed according to the structure of power transmission line. To fulfill the demands of line-walking, a control system and trajectories generation method are designed for the prototype of the line-walking robot. The feasibility of this concept is then confirmed by performing experiments with a simulated line environment.

A locust-inspired miniature jumping robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaitsev, Valentin; Gvirsman, Omer; Ben Hanan, Uri; Weiss, Avi; Ayali, Amir; Kosa, Gabor

2015-11-25

Unmanned ground vehicles are mostly wheeled, tracked, or legged. These locomotion mechanisms have a limited ability to traverse rough terrain and obstacles that are higher than the robot's center of mass. In order to improve the mobility of small robots it is necessary to expand the variety of their motion gaits. Jumping is one of nature's solutions to the challenge of mobility in difficult terrain. The desert locust is the model for the presented bio-inspired design of a jumping mechanism for a small mobile robot. The basic mechanism is similar to that of the semilunar process in the hind legs of the locust, and is based on the cocking of a torsional spring by wrapping a tendon-like wire around the shaft of a miniature motor. In this study we present the jumping mechanism design, and the manufacturing and performance analysis of two demonstrator prototypes. The most advanced jumping robot demonstrator is power autonomous, weighs 23 gr, and is capable of jumping to a height of 3.35 m, covering a distance of 1.37 m.

Design of Lightweight e Attendance Prototype Using Raspberry Pi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Dzul Aiman Aslan; Mohamad Safuan Sulaiman; Saaidi Ismail; Mohd Fauzi Haris; Nurbahyah Hamdan; Abdul Muin Abd Rahman

2014-01-01

E-Attendance is a system that has been extensively used to record attendance in most of the official ceremony of Nuclear Malaysia. Currently, a computer is used as the client to record the input from the proximity card. However, further study on Raspberry Pi, the single board computer that use system on a chip (SoC) in the current market, discover that it is capable of delivering a simple light task of the e-attendance. With a compact memory and in linux environment, a prototype for lightweight e-attendance is being developed. This prototype of Raspberry Pi is believe to have potential in computer based system of Nuclear Technology such as access control, monitoring system and even robotic assistance. This paper will discuss the design of the prototype that resemble e-attendance to improve the robustness of the system. (author)

The CI-ROB project: real time monitoring for a robotic prostate curietherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liem, X.; Lartigau, E.; Coelen, V.; Merzouki, R.

2010-01-01

The authors present a project which is still at the proto-typing stage and for which hardware and software are still being developed, and which aims at developing a full line for a robotic curietherapy. It comprises an articulated robotic arm with six degree of freedom, and is based on an auto-regulated loop with real time monitoring and control. An echographic probe acquires the prostate images in real time. An adaptive detection defines the prostate contour. This is performed in a virtual environment which comprises the prostate phantom, the robot and the intervention table. The target is defined in the virtual environment (image coordinates) and coordinates are transmitted to the robot controller which defines the robot movements by using the inverse geometric model. Short communication

A 200-m All-out Front-crawl Swim Modifies Competitive Swimmers' Shoulder Joint Position Sense

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Uematsu, A.; Kurita, Y.; Inoue, K.; Okuno, K.; Hortobagyi, T.; Suzuki, S.

2015-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that an all-out-effort 200-m front-crawl swim trial affects competitive swimmers' shoulder joint position sense. On Day 1, we measured shoulder joint position sense before and after the swim trial, and on Day 2 before and after 2 min of seated rest. On both days, shoulder

Current Capabilities and Development Potential in Surgical Robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathias Hoeckelmann

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Commercial surgical robots have been in clinical use since the mid-1990s, supporting surgeons in various tasks. In the past decades, many systems emerged as research platforms, and a few entered the global market. This paper summarizes the currently available surgical systems and research directions in the broader field of surgical robotics. The widely deployed teleoperated manipulators aim to enhance human cognitive and physical skills and provide smart tools for surgeons, while image-guided robotics focus on surpassing human limitations by introducing automated targeting and treatment delivery methods. Both concepts are discussed based on prototypes and commercial systems. Through concrete examples the possible future development paths of surgical robots are illustrated. While research efforts are taking different approaches to improve the capacity of such systems, the aim of this survey is to assess their maturity from the commercialization point of view.

Developments and Control of Biocompatible Conducting Polymer for Intracorporeal Continuum Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Chikhaoui, Mohamed Taha; Benouhiba, Amine; Rougeot, Patrick; Rabenorosoa, Kanty; Ouisse, Morvan; Andreff, Nicolas

2018-04-30

Dexterity of robots is highly required when it comes to integration for medical applications. Major efforts have been conducted to increase the dexterity at the distal parts of medical robots. This paper reports on developments toward integrating biocompatible conducting polymers (CP) into inherently dexterous concentric tube robot paradigm. In the form of tri-layer thin structures, CP micro-actuators produce high strains while requiring less than 1 V for actuation. Fabrication, characterization, and first integrations of such micro-actuators are presented. The integration is validated in a preliminary telescopic soft robot prototype with qualitative and quantitative performance assessment of accurate position control for trajectory tracking scenarios. Further, CP micro-actuators are integrated to a laser steering system in a closed-loop control scheme with displacements up to 5 mm. Our first developments aim toward intracorporeal medical robotics, with miniaturized actuators to be embedded into continuum robots.

Research and development of advanced robots for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukune, Hideo; Hirukawa, Hirohisa; Kitagaki, Kosei; Liu, Yunhui; Onda, Hiromu; Nakamura, Akira

1994-01-01

Social and economic demands have been pressing for automation of inspection tasks, maintenance and repair jobs of nuclear power plants, which are carried out by human workers under circumstances with high radiation level. Since the plants are not always designed for introduction of automatic machinery, sophisticated robots shall play a crucial role to free workers from hostile environments. We have been studying intelligent robot systems and regarded nuclear industries as one of the important application fields where we can validate the feasibility of the methods and systems we have developed. In this paper we firstly discuss on the tasks required in nuclear power plants. Secondly we introduce current status of R and D on special purpose robots, versatile robots and intelligent robots for automatizing the tasks. Then we focus our discussions on three major functions in realizing robotized assembly tasks under such unstructured environments as in nuclear power plants; planning, vision and manipulation. Finally we depict an image of a prototype robot system for nuclear power plants based on the advanced functions. (author) 64 refs

Embodiment design of soft continuum robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongjie Kang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of a multidisciplinary project where mechatronic engineers worked alongside biologists to develop a soft robotic arm that captures key features of octopus anatomy and neurophysiology. The concept of embodiment (the dynamic coupling between sensory-motor control, anatomy, materials and environment that allows for the animal to achieve adaptive behaviours is used as a starting point for the design process but tempered by current engineering technologies and approaches. In this article, the embodied design requirements are first discussed from a robotic viewpoint by taking into account real-life engineering limitations; then, the motor control schemes inspired by octopus nervous system are investigated. Finally, the mechanical and control design of a prototype is presented that appropriately blends bio-inspiration and engineering limitations. Simulated and experimental results show that the developed continuum robotic arm is able to reproduce octopus-like motions for bending, reaching and grasping.

Development of Autonomous Boat-Type Robot for Automated Velocity Measurement in Straight Natural River

Science.gov (United States)

Sanjou, Michio; Nagasaka, Tsuyoshi

2017-11-01

The present study describes an automated system to measure the river flow velocity. A combination of the camera-tracking system and the Proportional/Integral/Derivative (PID) control could enable the boat-type robot to remain in position against the mainstream; this results in reasonable evaluation of the mean velocity by a duty ratio which corresponds to rotation speed of the screw propeller. A laser range finder module was installed to measure the local water depth. Reliable laboratory experiments with the prototype boat robot and electromagnetic velocimetry were conducted to obtain a calibration curve that connects the duty ratio and mean current velocity. The remaining accuracy in the target point was also examined quantitatively. The fluctuation in the spanwise direction is within half of the robot length. It was therefore found that the robot remains well within the target region. We used two-dimensional navigation tests to guarantee that the prototype moved smoothly to the target points and successfully measured the streamwise velocity profiles across the mainstream. Moreover, the present robot was found to move successfully not only in the laboratory flume but also in a small natural river. The robot could move smoothly from the starting point near the operator's site toward the target point where the velocity is measured, and it could evaluate the cross-sectional discharge.

SATBOT I: Prototype of a biomorphic autonomous spacecraft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frigo, J.; Tilden, M.W.

1995-12-01

Our goal is to produce a prototype of an autonomous satellite robot, SATBOT. This robot differs from conventional robots in that it has three degrees of freedom, uses magnetics to direct the motion, and needs a zero gravity environment. The design integrates the robot`s structure and a biomorphic (biological morphology) control system to produce a survival-oriented vehicle that adapts to an unknown environment. Biomorphic systems, loosely modeled after biological systems, use simple analog circuitry, low power, and are microprocessor independent. These analog networks called Nervous Networks (Nv), are used to solve real-time controls problems. The Nv approach to problem solving in the robotics has produced many surprisingly capable machines which exhibit emergent behavior. The network can be designed to respond to positive or negative inputs from a sensor and produce a desired directed motion. The fluidity and direction of motion is set by the neurons and is inherent to the structure of the device. The robot is designed to orient itself with respect to a local magnetic field; to direct its attitude toward the greatest source of light; and robustly recover from variations in the local magnetic field, power source, or structural stability. This design uses a two neuron network which acts as a push-pull controller for the actuator (air core coil), and two sun sensors (photodiodes) as bias inputs to the neuron. The effect of sensor activation as it relates to an attractive or repulsive torque (directional motion) is studied. A discussion of this system`s power (energy) efficiency and frequency, noise immunity, and some dynamic characteristics is presented.

Rad-hard embedded computers for nuclear robotics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giraud, A.; Joffre, F.; Marceau, M.; Robiolle, M.; Brunet, J.P.; Mijuin, D.

1994-01-01

Nuclear industries require robots with embedded rad hard electronics and high reliability. The SYROCO research program allowed to perform efficient industrial prototypes, build according to MICADO architecture, and to design CADMOS architecture. MICADO architecture uses the auto healing property that have CMOS circuits when being switched off during irradiation. (D.L.). 8 refs., 5 figs

Evaluation of modular robot system for maintenance tasks in hot cell

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagala, Prithvi Sekhar, E-mail: ps.pagala@upm.es [Centre for Automation and Robotics UPM-CSIC (Spain); Ferre, Manuel, E-mail: m.ferre@upm.es [Centre for Automation and Robotics UPM-CSIC (Spain); Orona, Luis, E-mail: l.orona@gsi.de [GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung (Germany)

2014-10-15

Highlights: •Modular robot deployment inside hot cell for remote manipulation evaluated. •Flexible and adaptable system for variety of tasks presented. •Uses in large workspaces and evolving requirements shown. -- Abstract: This work assesses the use of a modular robot system to perform maintenance and inspection tasks such as, remote flexible inspection, manipulation and cooperation with deployed systems inside the hot cell. A flexible modular solution for the inclusion in maintenance operations is presented. The proposed heterogeneous modular robotic system is evaluated using simulations of the prototype across selected robot configuration to perform tasks. Results obtained show the advantages and ability of the modular robot to perform the necessary tasks as well as its ability to adapt and evolve depending on the need. The simulation test case inside hot cell shows modular robot configuration, a two modular arm to perform tele-operation tasks in the workspace and a wheeled platform for inspection collaborating to perform tasks. The advantage of using re-configurable modular robot over conventional robot platforms is shown.

Operation analysis of a Chebyshev-Pantograph leg mechanism for a single DOF biped robot

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Conghui; Ceccarelli, Marco; Takeda, Yukio

2012-12-01

In this paper, operation analysis of a Chebyshev-Pantograph leg mechanism is presented for a single degree of freedom (DOF) biped robot. The proposed leg mechanism is composed of a Chebyshev four-bar linkage and a pantograph mechanism. In contrast to general fully actuated anthropomorphic leg mechanisms, the proposed leg mechanism has peculiar features like compactness, low-cost, and easy-operation. Kinematic equations of the proposed leg mechanism are formulated for a computer oriented simulation. Simulation results show the operation performance of the proposed leg mechanism with suitable characteristics. A parametric study has been carried out to evaluate the operation performance as function of design parameters. A prototype of a single DOF biped robot equipped with two proposed leg mechanisms has been built at LARM (Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics). Experimental test shows practical feasible walking ability of the prototype, as well as drawbacks are discussed for the mechanical design.

ANFIS -Based Navigation for HVAC Service Robot with Image Processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salleh, Mohd Zoolfadli Md; Rashid, Nahrul Khair Alang Md; Mustafah, Yasir Mohd

2013-01-01

In this paper, we present an ongoing work on the autonomous navigation of a mobile service robot for Heat, Ventilation and Air Condition (HVAC) ducting. CCD camera mounted on the front-end of our robot is used to analyze the ducts openings (blob analysis) in order to differentiate them from other landmarks (blower fan, air outlets and etc). Distance between the robot and duct openings is measured using ultrasonic sensor. Controller chosen is ANFIS where its architecture accepts three inputs; recognition of duct openings, robot positions and distance while the outputs is maneuver direction (left or right).45 membership functions are created from which produces 46 training epochs. In order to demonstrate the functionality of the system, a working prototype is developed and tested inside HVAC ducting in ROBOCON Lab, IIUM

Experiments in Neural-Network Control of a Free-Flying Space Robot

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Wilson, Edward

1995-01-01

Four important generic issues are identified and addressed in some depth in this thesis as part of the development of an adaptive neural network based control system for an experimental free flying space robot prototype...

Gait Planning Research for an Electrically Driven Large-Load-Ratio Six-Legged Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Chao Zhuang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Gait planning is an important basis for the walking of a legged robot. To improve the walking stability of multi-legged robots and to reduce the impact force between the foot and the ground, gait planning strategies are presented for an electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot. First, the configuration and walking gait of the electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot are designed. The higher-stable swing sequences of legs and typical walking modes are respectively obtained. Based on the Denavit–Hartenberg (D–H method, the analyses of the forward and inverse kinematics are implemented. The mathematical models of the articulated rotation angles are respectively established. In view of the buffer device installed at the end of shin to decrease the impact force between the foot and the ground, an initial lift height of the leg is brought into gait planning when the support phase changes into the transfer phase. The mathematical models of foot trajectories are established. Finally, a prototype of the electrically driven large-load-ratio six-legged robot is developed. The experiments of the prototype are carried out regarding the aspects of the walking speed and surmounting obstacle. Then, the reasonableness of gait planning is verified based on the experimental results. The proposed strategies of gait planning lay the foundation for effectively reducing the foot–ground impact force and can provide a reference for other large-load-ratio multi-legged robots.

Crawl space assisted heat pump. [using stored ground heat

Science.gov (United States)

Ternes, M. P.

1980-01-01

A variety of experiments and simulations, currently being designed or underway, to determine the feasibility of conditioning the source air of an air to air heat pump using stored ground heat or cool to produce higher seasonal COP's and net energy savings are discussed. The ground would condition ambient air as it is drawn through the crawl space of a house. Tests designed to evaluate the feasibility of the concept, to determine the amount of heat or cool available from the ground, to study the effect of the system on the heating and cooling loads of the house, to study possible mechanisms which could enhance heat flow through the ground, and to determine if diurnal temperature swings are necessary to achieve successful system performance are described.

Radon mitigation in crawl-space houses in Nashville, Tennessee. Report for October 1987-July 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pyle, B.E.; Williamson, A.D.; Fowler, C.S.; Belzer, F.E.; Osborne, M.C.

1988-05-01

Approximately 15% of existing U.S. houses are built over dirt crawl spaces, and little or no data exist relative to radon mitigation techniques for this style of house construction. This paper discusses and Environmental Protection Agency radon mitigation demonstration. A variety of techniques were evaluated to determine the most-effective and least-costly method of radon mitigation

BOA II: Asbestos Pipe-Insulation Removal Robot System. Innovative Technology Summary Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

None

2001-01-01

The objective of this task is to develop and demonstrate a mechanical, asbestos-removal system that can be remotely operated without a containment area. The technology, known as BOA, consists of a pipe-crawler removal head and a boom vehicle system with dual robots. BOA's removal head can be remotely placed on the outside of the pipe and can crawl along the pipe, removing lagging and insulation. The lagging and insulation is cut using a hybrid endmill water-jet cutter and then diced into 2-inch cube sections of ACM. These ACM sections are then removed from the pipe using a set of blasting fan- spray nozzles, vacuumed off through a vacuum hose, and bagged. Careful attention to vacuum and entrapment air flow ensures that the system can operate without a containment area while meeting local and federal standards for fiber count

3D Printer Instrumentation to Create Varied Geometries of Robotic Limbs and Heterogeneous Granular Media

Science.gov (United States)

2015-05-20

Transfer Robo Ant The 3D printer was used to rapidly prototype a robot ant . The robot ant was used to model the behavior of the fire ant and to model...computer models and 3D printed ant robots are shown below. Snake Bot We used the 3D printed to rapidly design a modular, easily-modified snake...living organism (modern mudskippers, a terrestrial fish) and extinct early tetrapods (e.g. Ichthyostega, Acanthostega) while allowing us to explore

Designing Modular Robotic Playware

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Henrik Hautop; Marti, Patrizia

2009-01-01

In this paper, we explore the design of modular robotic objects that may enhance playful experiences. The approach builds upon the development of modular robotics to create a kind of playware, which is flexible in both set-up and activity building for the end-user to allow easy creation of games....... Key features of this design approach are modularity, flexibility, and construction, immediate feedback to stimulate engagement, activity design by end-users, and creative exploration of play activities. These features permit the use of such modular playware by a vast array of users, including disabled...... children who often could be prevented from using and taking benefits from modern technologies. The objective is to get any children moving, exchanging, experimenting and having fun, regardless of their cognitive or physical ability levels. The paper describes two prototype systems developed as modular...

An autonomous mobil robot to perform waste drum inspections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, K.D.; Ward, C.R.

1994-01-01

A mobile robot is being developed by the Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) Robotics Group of Westinghouse Savannah River company (WSRC) to perform mandated inspections of waste drums stored in warehouse facilities. The system will reduce personnel exposure and create accurate, high quality documentation to ensure regulatory compliance. Development work is being coordinated among several DOE, academic and commercial entities in accordance with DOE's technology transfer initiative. The prototype system was demonstrated in November of 1993. A system is now being developed for field trails at the Fernald site

EXOS research on master controllers for robotic devices

Science.gov (United States)

Marcus, Beth A.; An, Ben; Eberman, Brian

1992-01-01

Two projects are currently being conducted by EXOS under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program with NASA. One project will develop a force feedback device for controlling robot hands, the other will develop an elbow and shoulder exoskeleton which can be integrated with other EXOS devices to provide whole robot arm and hand control. Aspects covered are the project objectives, important research issues which have arisen during the developments, and interim results of the projects. The Phase 1 projects currently underway will result in hardware prototypes and identification of research issues required for complete system development and/or integration.

Development and test of prototype components for ITER; Entwicklung und Test von Prototypkomponenten fuer ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biel, Wolfgang; Behr, Wilfried; Castano-Bardawil, David; and others

2015-08-15

The scientific program of the project is divided into the following partial projects: (1.) ITER Diagnostic Port Plug for the charge-exchange spectroscopy (CXRS) with the subthemes: (a) Development of prototypes for critical mechanical components, (b) development of a roboter for the laser welding of vacuum seals and pipings at the Port Plug, (c) mirror studies, (d) CXRS prototype spectrometer, (2.) ITER tritium retention diagnostics (TR), (3.) ITER disruption mitigation ventile (DMV).

Autonomous Monitoring Aerial Robot System for Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ji H.; Gu, Beom W; Thai, Van X.; Rim, C. T. [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

In this paper, autonomous monitoring aerial robot system (AMARS), which includes omnidirectional wireless charging platform, aerial robot, landing coils and a battery management board, is proposed to guarantee automatic monitoring of NPPs. The prototype of the system is fabricated, and omnidirectional charging of the system is experimentally validated with 1 C charging state. AR(Aerial Robots)s are essential for NPP accident management because human cannot access to the accident site due to the risks of unexpected explosions, collapses, and high level of radioactive contaminants. Moreover, ARs can support operators to manage normal operation of NPPs built in harsh environment of high temperature and humidity such as UAE Barakah NPP. Because these ARs usually have very low energy capacity, however, the operation time of ARs is less than 30 minutes and should be recharged regularly by human powers, which makes it impossible to monitor NPPs by ARs automatically. In this paper, the concept of AMARS has been proposed and its performance was successfully verified with a fabricated prototype. The charging state of the on board battery in AR was measured as 0.5 C with the induced voltage of 18.6 V, which is well matched to the designed induced voltage when the AR was placed on the edge of the wireless charging platform.

A Low Cost, Modular Robotics Tool Carrier For Precision Agriculture Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, S H; Jensen, K; Bøgild, A

of operation. Armadillos industrial grade Linux based FroboBox computer runs the FroboMind architecture which is based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) by Willow Garage. FroboMind is a novel generic architecture that has been implemented and successfully tested on different field robots. It has been...... developed for research within precision agriculture and the design is highly modular in order to optimize with respect to extensibility, scalability, short development time and code reuse. All FroboMind software components used for the Armadillo robot are released as open-source. A prototype of Armadillo...... focus on further improving the Armadillo hardware and software and application to new research projects....

Robots and cyborgs: to be or to have a body?

Science.gov (United States)

Palese, Emma

2012-06-01

Starting with service robotics and industrial robotics, this paper aims to suggest philosophical reflections about the relationship between body and machine, between man and technology in our contemporary world. From the massive use of the cell phone to the robots which apparently "feel" and show emotions like humans do. From the wearable exoskeleton to the prototype reproducing the artificial sense of touch, technological progress explodes to the extent of embodying itself in our nakedness. Robotics, indeed, is inspired by biology in order to develop a new kind of technology affecting human life. This is a bio-robotic approach, which is fulfilled in the figure of the cyborg and consequently in the loss of human nature. Today, humans have reached the possibility to modify and create their own body following their personal desires. But what is the limit of this achievement? For this reason, we all must question ourselves whether we have or whether we are a body.

On safety enhancements for medical robots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ng, W.S.; Tan, C.K.

1996-01-01

Both software and hardware methods to enhance safety are discussed for active medical robots applied to, among others, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery and prostatectomy. This paper advocates that while it is practically difficult, if not impossible, for software reliability to be 100%, there are positive measures by which a medical robot system can be made adequately or inherently safe. Such measures avoid the problems of software reliability but turn to mathematical logic directly to build a safer system. Examples in a newly developed prototype, known as surgeon assistant robot for selected urological disorders (SARUD), are given to illustrate the concept. Although software measures to promote reliability of a system is less preferred compared to hardware measures, as it can never escape from operating on a hardware platform, it is suggested that a complementary/ hybrid approach can be a good solution for achieving a safe and flexible (by being reprogrammable) system. A totally independent safety monitor is being built. It can arrest a servo runaway and detect out-of-safe-boundary conditions, using encoder pulses as input. This dedicated system can resolve some major safety concerns of a medical robot such as SARUD

Theseus: tethered distributed robotics (TDR)

Science.gov (United States)

Digney, Bruce L.; Penzes, Steven G.

2003-09-01

The Defence Research and Development Canada's (DRDC) Autonomous Intelligent System's program conducts research to increase the independence and effectiveness of military vehicles and systems. DRDC-Suffield's Autonomous Land Systems (ALS) is creating new concept vehicles and autonomous control systems for use in outdoor areas, urban streets, urban interiors and urban subspaces. This paper will first give an overview of the ALS program and then give a specific description of the work being done for mobility in urban subspaces. Discussed will be the Theseus: Thethered Distributed Robotics (TDR) system, which will not only manage an unavoidable tether but exploit it for mobility and navigation. Also discussed will be the prototype robot called the Hedgehog, which uses conformal 3D mobility in ducts, sewer pipes, collapsed rubble voids and chimneys.

Application of irradiation in bait production to the control of crawling insects in urban areas

Science.gov (United States)

Migdał, W.; Owczarczyk, H. B.; Świ ȩtosławski, J.; Świ ȩtosławski, J.

2000-03-01

The efficiency and palatability of two baits were studied to the control of crawling insects in urban areas: "Cockroach Kill Gel" for control of cockroaches and Faratox B for control of ants. Ionizing energy was used in producing the baits. It was concluded, that after irradiation the palatability of Faratox B improved and palatability of Cockroach Kill Gel did not change.

Application of irradiation in bait production to the control of crawling insects in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Migdal, W.; Owczarczyk, H.B.; Swietoslawski, J.; Swietoslawski, J.

2000-01-01

The efficiency and palatability of two baits were studied to the control of crawling insects in urban areas: 'Cockroach Kill Gel' for control of cockroaches and Faratox B for control of ants. Ionizing energy was used in producing the baits. It was concluded, that after irradiation the palatability of Faratox B improved and palatability of Cockroach Kill Gel did not change

Application of irradiation in bait production to the control of crawling insects in urban areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Migdal, W.; Owczarczyk, H.B.; Swietoslawski, J.; Swietoslawski, J

2000-03-01

The efficiency and palatability of two baits were studied to the control of crawling insects in urban areas: 'Cockroach Kill Gel' for control of cockroaches and Faratox B for control of ants. Ionizing energy was used in producing the baits. It was concluded, that after irradiation the palatability of Faratox B improved and palatability of Cockroach Kill Gel did not change.

A multimodal interface for real-time soldier-robot teaming

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, Daniel J.; Howard, Thomas M.; Walter, Matthew R.

2016-05-01

Recent research and advances in robotics have led to the development of novel platforms leveraging new sensing capabilities for semantic navigation. As these systems becoming increasingly more robust, they support highly complex commands beyond direct teleoperation and waypoint finding facilitating a transition away from robots as tools to robots as teammates. Supporting future Soldier-Robot teaming requires communication capabilities on par with human-human teams for successful integration of robots. Therefore, as robots increase in functionality, it is equally important that the interface between the Soldier and robot advances as well. Multimodal communication (MMC) enables human-robot teaming through redundancy and levels of communications more robust than single mode interaction. Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies released in recent years for smart-phones and gaming provide tools for the creation of portable interfaces incorporating MMC through the use of speech, gestures, and visual displays. However, for multimodal interfaces to be successfully used in the military domain, they must be able to classify speech, gestures, and process natural language in real-time with high accuracy. For the present study, a prototype multimodal interface supporting real-time interactions with an autonomous robot was developed. This device integrated COTS Automated Speech Recognition (ASR), a custom gesture recognition glove, and natural language understanding on a tablet. This paper presents performance results (e.g. response times, accuracy) of the integrated device when commanding an autonomous robot to perform reconnaissance and surveillance activities in an unknown outdoor environment.

Microsurgery robots: addressing the needs of high-precision surgical interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mattos, Leonardo S; Caldwell, Darwin G; Peretti, Giorgio; Mora, Francesco; Guastini, Luca; Cingolani, Roberto

2016-01-01

Robotics has a significant potential to enhance the overall capacity and efficiency of healthcare systems. Robots can help surgeons perform better quality operations, leading to reductions in the hospitalisation time of patients and in the impact of surgery on their postoperative quality of life. In particular, robotics can have a significant impact on microsurgery, which presents stringent requirements for superhuman precision and control of the surgical tools. Microsurgery is, in fact, expected to gain importance in a growing range of surgical specialties as novel technologies progressively enable the detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases at earlier stages. Within such scenarios, robotic microsurgery emerges as one of the key components of future surgical interventions, and will be a vital technology for addressing major surgical challenges. Nonetheless, several issues have yet to be overcome in terms of mechatronics, perception and surgeon-robot interfaces before microsurgical robots can achieve their full potential in operating rooms. Research in this direction is progressing quickly and microsurgery robot prototypes are gradually demonstrating significant clinical benefits in challenging applications such as reconstructive plastic surgery, ophthalmology, otology and laryngology. These are reassuring results offering confidence in a brighter future for high-precision surgical interventions.

Additive Manufacturing of Parts and Tooling in Robotic Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Love, Lonnie J. [ORNL; Hassen, Ahmed A. [ORNL; Chesser, Phillip C. [ORNL; Parsons, Jeremy [Mantaro Networks, Inc.

2018-04-01

ORNL worked with Transcend Robotics, LLC to explore additive manufacturing of the two-piece compression body for their ARTI mobile robot platform. Extrusion compression molding was identified as an effective means of manufacturing these parts. ORNL consulted on modifications to the housing design to accommodate the selected manufacturing process. Parts were printed using ORNL's FDM machines for testing and evaluation of the design as a precursor to molding the parts. The assembly and evaluation of the parts proved favorable and minor design changes to improve assembly and performance were identified.The goal is to develop a light weight and rugged two-part robotic enclosure for an unmanned ground vehicle UGV) that will be used in search and rescue applications. The FDM parts fabricated by ORNL allowed Transcend Robotics to assemble a prototype robot and verify that the new parts will meet the performance requirements. ORNL fabricated enclosure parts out of ABS and Nylon 12 materials such that the design could be tested prior to fabricating tooling for compression molding of Nylon 6 with carbon fiber fill. The robot was performance tested and compared with the previous manufacturing techniques and found to have superior performance.

A robotic platform for laser welding of corneal tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Rossi, Francesca; Micheletti, Filippo; Magni, Giada; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Leoni, Fabio; Magnani, Bernardo

2017-07-01

Robotic surgery is a reality in several surgical fields, such as in gastrointestinal surgery. In ophthalmic surgery the required high spatial precision is limiting the application of robotic system, and even if several attempts have been designed in the last 10 years, only some application in retinal surgery were tested in animal models. The combination of photonics and robotics can really open new frontiers in minimally invasive surgery, improving the precision, reducing tremor, amplifying scale of motion, and automating the procedure. In this manuscript we present the preliminary results in developing a vision guided robotic platform for laser-assisted anterior eye surgery. The robotic console is composed by a robotic arm equipped with an "end effector" designed to deliver laser light to the anterior corneal surface. The main intended application is for laser welding of corneal tissue in laser assisted penetrating keratoplasty and endothelial keratoplasty. The console is equipped with an integrated vision system. The experiment originates from a clear medical demand in order to improve the efficacy of different surgical procedures: when the prototype will be optimized, other surgical areas will be included in its application, such as neurosurgery, urology and spinal surgery.

Piezoresistive pressure sensor array for robotic skin

Science.gov (United States)

Mirza, Fahad; Sahasrabuddhe, Ritvij R.; Baptist, Joshua R.; Wijesundara, Muthu B. J.; Lee, Woo H.; Popa, Dan O.

2016-05-01

Robots are starting to transition from the confines of the manufacturing floor to homes, schools, hospitals, and highly dynamic environments. As, a result, it is impossible to foresee all the probable operational situations of robots, and preprogram the robot behavior in those situations. Among human-robot interaction technologies, haptic communication is an intuitive physical interaction method that can help define operational behaviors for robots cooperating with humans. Multimodal robotic skin with distributed sensors can help robots increase perception capabilities of their surrounding environments. Electro-Hydro-Dynamic (EHD) printing is a flexible multi-modal sensor fabrication method because of its direct printing capability of a wide range of materials onto substrates with non-uniform topographies. In past work we designed interdigitated comb electrodes as a sensing element and printed piezoresistive strain sensors using customized EHD printable PEDOT:PSS based inks. We formulated a PEDOT:PSS derivative ink, by mixing PEDOT:PSS and DMSO. Bending induced characterization tests of prototyped sensors showed high sensitivity and sufficient stability. In this paper, we describe SkinCells, robot skin sensor arrays integrated with electronic modules. 4x4 EHD-printed arrays of strain sensors was packaged onto Kapton sheets and silicone encapsulant and interconnected to a custom electronic module that consists of a microcontroller, Wheatstone bridge with adjustable digital potentiometer, multiplexer, and serial communication unit. Thus, SkinCell's electronics can be used for signal acquisition, conditioning, and networking between sensor modules. Several SkinCells were loaded with controlled pressure, temperature and humidity testing apparatuses, and testing results are reported in this paper.

Soft Robotic Manipulation of Onions and Artichokes in the Food Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Morales

2014-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development of a robotic solution for a problem of fast manipulation and handling of onions or artichokes in the food industry. The complete solution consists of a parallel robotic manipulatior, a specially designed end-effector based on a customized vacuum suction cup, and a computer vision software developed for pick and place operations. First, the selection and design process of the proposed robotic solution to fit with the initial requeriments is presented, including the customized vacuum suction cup. Then, the kinematic analysis of the parallel manipulator needed to develop the robot control system is reviewed. Moreover, computer vision application is presented inthe paper. Hardware details of the implementation of the building prototype are also shown. Finally, conclusions and future work show the current status of the project.

Durable Tactile Glove for Human or Robot Hand

Science.gov (United States)

Butzer, Melissa; Diftler, Myron A.; Huber, Eric

2010-01-01

A glove containing force sensors has been built as a prototype of tactile sensor arrays to be worn on human hands and anthropomorphic robot hands. The force sensors of this glove are mounted inside, in protective pockets; as a result of this and other design features, the present glove is more durable than earlier models.

Controlling Tensegrity Robots through Evolution using Friction based Actuation

Science.gov (United States)

Kothapalli, Tejasvi; Agogino, Adrian K.

2017-01-01

Traditional robotic structures have limitations in planetary exploration as their rigid structural joints are prone to damage in new and rough terrains. In contrast, robots based on tensegrity structures, composed of rods and tensile cables, offer a highly robust, lightweight, and energy efficient solution over traditional robots. In addition tensegrity robots can be highly configurable by rearranging their topology of rods, cables and motors. However, these highly configurable tensegrity robots pose a significant challenge for locomotion due to their complexity. This study investigates a control pattern for successful locomotion in tensegrity robots through an evolutionary algorithm. A twelve-rod hardware model is rapidly prototyped to utilize a new actuation method based on friction. A web-based physics simulation is created to model the twelve-rod tensegrity ball structure. Square-waves are used as control policies for the actuators of the tensegrity structure. Monte Carlo trials are run to find the most successful number of amplitudes for the square-wave control policy. From the results, an evolutionary algorithm is implemented to find the most optimized solution for locomotion of the twelve-rod tensegrity structure. The software pattern coupled with the new friction based actuation method can serve as the basis for highly efficient tensegrity robots in space exploration.

Human-Like Room Segmentation for Domestic Cleaning Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Fleer

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Autonomous mobile robots have recently become a popular solution for automating cleaning tasks. In one application, the robot cleans a floor space by traversing and covering it completely. While fulfilling its task, such a robot may create a map of its surroundings. For domestic indoor environments, these maps often consist of rooms connected by passageways. Segmenting the map into these rooms has several uses, such as hierarchical planning of cleaning runs by the robot, or the definition of cleaning plans by the user. Especially in the latter application, the robot-generated room segmentation should match the human understanding of rooms. Here, we present a novel method that solves this problem for the graph of a topo-metric map: first, a classifier identifies those graph edges that cross a border between rooms. This classifier utilizes data from multiple robot sensors, such as obstacle measurements and camera images. Next, we attempt to segment the map at these room–border edges using graph clustering. By training the classifier on user-annotated data, this produces a human-like room segmentation. We optimize and test our method on numerous realistic maps generated by our cleaning-robot prototype and its simulated version. Overall, we find that our method produces more human-like room segmentations compared to mere graph clustering. However, unusual room borders that differ from the training data remain a challenge.

Module-based structure design of wheeled mobile robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Luo

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an innovative and systematic approach for synthesizing mechanical structures of wheeled mobile robots. The principle and terminologies used for the proposed synthesis method are presented by adopting the concept of modular design, isomorphic and non-isomorphic, and set theory with its associated combinatorial mathematics. The modular-based innovative synthesis and design of wheeled robots were conducted at two levels. Firstly at the module level, by creative design and analysing the structures of classic wheeled robots, a wheel module set containing four types of wheel mechanisms, a suspension module set consisting of five types of suspension frames and a chassis module set composed of five types of rigid or articulated chassis were designed and generalized. Secondly at the synthesis level, two kinds of structure synthesis modes, namely the isomorphic-combination mode and the non-isomorphic combination mode were proposed to synthesize mechanical structures of wheeled robots; which led to 241 structures for wheeled mobile robots including 236 novel ones. Further, mathematical models and a software platform were developed to provide appropriate and intuitive tools for simulating and evaluating performance of the wheeled robots that were proposed in this paper. Eventually, physical prototypes of sample wheeled robots/rovers were developed and tested so as to prove and validate the principle and methodology presented in this paper.

The effect of learner's control of self-observation strategies on learning of front crawl.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Priscila Garcia; Corrêa, Umberto Cesar

2016-02-01

This study investigated the effect of learner's control of self-observation strategies on motor skill learning. For this purpose, beginner and intermediate learner swimmers practised the front crawl. Seventy college students took part in this experiment. They comprised 40 novice learners, both male (n=19) and female (n=21), with an average age of 20.7 years (±0.44), and 30 intermediate learners, both male (n=17) and female (n=13), with an average age of 21.1 years (±0.86). The design involved a pretest (one day), four acquisition sessions (four days), and a retention test (one day). They were divided into three groups: (1) choice, which could choose to watch a video with their best or overall performance during practise; (2) yoked, which were paired to those of the choice group; and (3) control (did not watch any video). The measures included the performance of front crawl and self-efficacy. The results showed that: (1) beginners who chose a type of observation strategy had superior motor skill learning; (2) for intermediate learners, self-observation promoted better motor learning, regardless of the control of choices; (3) self-observation improved self-efficacy beliefs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Robotic Technology Efforts at the NASA/Johnson Space Center

Science.gov (United States)

Diftler, Ron

2017-01-01

The NASA/Johnson Space Center has been developing robotic systems in support of space exploration for more than two decades. The goal of the Center’s Robotic Systems Technology Branch is to design and build hardware and software to assist astronauts in performing their mission. These systems include: rovers, humanoid robots, inspection devices and wearable robotics. Inspection systems provide external views of space vehicles to search for surface damage and also maneuver inside restricted areas to verify proper connections. New concepts in human and robotic rovers offer solutions for navigating difficult terrain expected in future planetary missions. An important objective for humanoid robots is to relieve the crew of “dull, dirty or dangerous” tasks allowing them more time to perform their important science and exploration missions. Wearable robotics one of the Center’s newest development areas can provide crew with low mass exercise capability and also augment an astronaut’s strength while wearing a space suit.This presentation will describe the robotic technology and prototypes developed at the Johnson Space Center that are the basis for future flight systems. An overview of inspection robots will show their operation on the ground and in-orbit. Rovers with independent wheel modules, crab steering, and active suspension are able to climb over large obstacles, and nimbly maneuver around others. Humanoid robots, including the First Humanoid Robot in Space: Robonaut 2, demonstrate capabilities that will lead to robotic caretakers for human habitats in space, and on Mars. The Center’s Wearable Robotics Lab supports work in assistive and sensing devices, including exoskeletons, force measuring shoes, and grasp assist gloves.

Sensor agent robot with servo-accelerometer for structural health monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Nobukazu; Mita, Akira

2012-04-01

SHM systems are becoming feasible with the growth of computer and sensor technologies during the last decade. However, high cost prevents SHM to become common in general homes. The reason of this high cost is partially due to many accelerometers. In this research, we propose a moving sensor agent robot with accelerometers and a laser range finder (LRF). If this robot can properly measure accurate acceleration data, the cost of SHM would be cut down and resulting in the spread of SHM systems. Our goal is to develop a platform for SHM using the sensor agent robot. We designed the prototype robot to correctly detect the floor vibrations and acquire the micro tremor information. When the sensor agent robot is set in the mode of acquiring the data, the dynamics of the robot should be tuned not to be affected by its flexibility. To achieve this purpose the robot frame was modified to move down to the ground and to provide enough rigidity to obtain good data. In addition to this mechanism, we tested an algorithm to correctly know the location of the robot and the map of the floor to be used in the SHM system using the LRF and Simultaneously Localization and Mapping (SLAM).

Intelligent Robot-assisted Humanitarian Search and Rescue System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henry Y. K. Lau

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The unprecedented scale and number of natural and man-made disasters in the past decade has urged international emergency search and rescue communities to seek for novel technology to enhance operation efficiency. Tele-operated search and rescue robots that can navigate deep into rubble to search for victims and to transfer critical field data back to the control console has gained much interest among emergency response institutions. In response to this need, a low-cost autonomous mini robot equipped with thermal sensor, accelerometer, sonar, pin-hole camera, microphone, ultra-bright LED and wireless communication module is developed to study the control of a group of decentralized mini search and rescue robots. The robot can navigate autonomously between voids to look for living body heat and can send back audio and video information to allow the operator to determine if the found object is a living human. This paper introduces the design and control of a low-cost robotic search and rescue system based on an immuno control framework developed for controlling decentralized systems. Design and development of the physical prototype and the immunity-based control system are described in this paper.

Intelligent Robot-Assisted Humanitarian Search and Rescue System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Albert W. Y. Ko

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The unprecedented scale and number of natural and man-made disasters in the past decade has urged international emergency search and rescue communities to seek for novel technology to enhance operation efficiency. Tele-operated search and rescue robots that can navigate deep into rubble to search for victims and to transfer critical field data back to the control console has gained much interest among emergency response institutions. In response to this need, a low-cost autonomous mini robot equipped with thermal sensor, accelerometer, sonar, pin-hole camera, microphone, ultra-bright LED and wireless communication module is developed to study the control of a group of decentralized mini search and rescue robots. The robot can navigate autonomously between voids to look for living body heat and can send back audio and video information to allow the operator to determine if the found object is a living human. This paper introduces the design and control of a low-cost robotic search and rescue system based on an immuno control framework developed for controlling decentralized systems. Design and development of the physical prototype and the immunity-based control system are described in this paper.

Transoral robotic surgery in head and neck cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hans, S; Delas, B; Gorphe, P; Ménard, M; Brasnu, D

2012-02-01

Robots have invaded industry and, more recently, the field of medicine. Following the development of various prototypes, Intuitive Surgical® has developed the Da Vinci surgical robot. This robot, designed for abdominal surgery, has been widely used in urology since 2000. The many advantages of this transoral robotic surgery (TORS) are described in this article. Its disadvantages are essentially its high cost and the absence of tactile feedback. The first feasibility studies in head and neck cancer, conducted in animals, dummies and cadavers, were performed in 2005, followed by the first publications in patients in 2006. The first series including more than 20 patients treated by TORS demonstrated the feasibility for the following sites: oropharynx, supraglottic larynx and hypopharynx. However, these studies did not validate the oncological results of the TORS technique. TORS decreases the number of tracheotomies, and allows more rapid swallowing rehabilitation and a shorter length of hospital stay. Technical improvements are expected. Smaller, more ergonomic, new generation robots, therefore more adapted to the head and neck, will probably be available in the future. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Prototypical Rod Consolidation Demonstration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-05-01

The objective of Phase 3 of the Prototypical Rod consolidation Demonstration Project (PRCDP) was to procure, fabricate, assemble, and test the Prototypical Rod consolidation System as described in the NUS Phase 2 Final Design Report. This effort required providing the materials, components, and fabricated parts which makes up all of the system equipment. In addition, it included the assembly, installation, and setup of this equipment at the Cold Test Facility. During the Phase 3 effort the system was tested on a component, subsystem, and system level. This volume 1, discusses the PRCDP Phase 3 Test Program that was conducted by the HALLIBURTON NUS Environmental Corporation under contract AC07-86ID12651 with the United States Department of Energy. This document, Volume 1, Book 5 discusses the following topics: Lower Cutting System Test Results and Analysis Report; NFBC Loading System Test Results and Analysis Report; Robotic Bridge Transporter Test Results and Analysis Report; RM-10A Remotec Manipulator Test Results and Analysis Report; and Manipulator Transporter Test Results and Analysis Report

Foot-controlled robotic-enabled endoscope holder for endoscopic sinus surgery: A cadaveric feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Jason Y K; Leung, Iris; Navarro-Alarcon, David; Lin, Weiyang; Li, Peng; Lee, Dennis L Y; Liu, Yun-hui; Tong, Michael C F

2016-03-01

To evaluate the feasibility of a unique prototype foot-controlled robotic-enabled endoscope holder (FREE) in functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Cadaveric study. Using human cadavers, we investigated the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of the robotic endoscope holder in performing endoscopic sinus surgery with two hands in five cadaver heads, mimicking a single nostril three-handed technique. The FREE robot is relatively easy to use. Setup was quick, taking less than 3 minutes from docking the robot at the head of the bed to visualizing the middle meatus. The unit is also relatively small, takes up little space, and currently has four degrees of freedom. The learning curve for using the foot control was short. The use of both hands was not hindered by the presence of the endoscope in the nasal cavity. The tremor filtration also aided in the smooth movement of the endoscope, with minimal collisions. The FREE endoscope holder in an ex-vivo cadaver test corroborated the feasibility of the robotic prototype, which allows for a two-handed approach to surgery equal to a single nostril three-handed technique without the holder that may reduce operating time. Further studies will be needed to evaluate its safety profile and use in other areas of endoscopic surgery. NA. Laryngoscope, 126:566-569, 2016. © 2015 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Finger-Shaped GelForce: Sensor for Measuring Surface Traction Fields for Robotic Hand.

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, K; Kamiyama, K; Kawakami, N; Tachi, S

2010-01-01

It is believed that the use of haptic sensors to measure the magnitude, direction, and distribution of a force will enable a robotic hand to perform dexterous operations. Therefore, we develop a new type of finger-shaped haptic sensor using GelForce technology. GelForce is a vision-based sensor that can be used to measure the distribution of force vectors, or surface traction fields. The simple structure of the GelForce enables us to develop a compact finger-shaped GelForce for the robotic hand. GelForce that is developed on the basis of an elastic theory can be used to calculate surface traction fields using a conversion equation. However, this conversion equation cannot be analytically solved when the elastic body of the sensor has a complicated shape such as the shape of a finger. Therefore, we propose an observational method and construct a prototype of the finger-shaped GelForce. By using this prototype, we evaluate the basic performance of the finger-shaped GelForce. Then, we conduct a field test by performing grasping operations using a robotic hand. The results of this test show that using the observational method, the finger-shaped GelForce can be successfully used in a robotic hand.

Developing an Automatic Crawling System for Populating a Digital Repository of Professional Development Resources: A Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jung-ran; Yang, Chris; Tosaka, Yuji; Ping, Qing; Mimouni, Houda El

2016-01-01

This study is a part of the larger project that develops a sustainable digital repository of professional development resources on emerging data standards and technologies for data organization and management in libraries. Toward that end, the project team developed an automated workflow to crawl for, monitor, and classify relevant web objects…

Prototyping a Hybrid Cooperative and Tele-robotic Surgical System for Retinal Microsurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Balicki, Marcin; Xia, Tian; Jung, Min Yang; Deguet, Anton; Vagvolgyi, Balazs; Kazanzides, Peter; Taylor, Russell

2011-06-01

This paper presents the design of a tele-robotic microsurgical platform designed for development of cooperative and tele-operative control schemes, sensor based smart instruments, user interfaces and new surgical techniques with eye surgery as the driving application. The system is built using the distributed component-based cisst libraries and the Surgical Assistant Workstation framework. It includes a cooperatively controlled EyeRobot2, a da Vinci Master manipulator, and a remote stereo visualization system. We use constrained optimization based virtual fixture control to provide Virtual Remote-Center-of-Motion (vRCM) and haptic feedback. Such system can be used in a hybrid setup, combining local cooperative control with remote tele-operation, where an experienced surgeon can provide hand-over-hand tutoring to a novice user. In another scheme, the system can provide haptic feedback based on virtual fixtures constructed from real-time force and proximity sensor information.

Structural optimization for materially informed design to robotic production processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bier, H.H.; Mostafavi, S.

2015-01-01

Hyperbody’s materially informed Design-to-Robotic-Production (D2RP) processes for additive and subtractive manufacturing aim to achieve performative porosity in architecture at various scales. An extended series of D2RP experiments aiming to produce prototypes at 1:1 scale wherein design materiality

ARTIE: An Integrated Environment for the Development of Affective Robot Tutors.

Science.gov (United States)

Imbernón Cuadrado, Luis-Eduardo; Manjarrés Riesco, Ángeles; De La Paz López, Félix

2016-01-01

Over the last decade robotics has attracted a great deal of interest from teachers and researchers as a valuable educational tool from preschool to highschool levels. The implementation of social-support behaviors in robot tutors, in particular in the emotional dimension, can make a significant contribution to learning efficiency. With the aim of contributing to the rising field of affective robot tutors we have developed ARTIE (Affective Robot Tutor Integrated Environment). We offer an architectural pattern which integrates any given educational software for primary school children with a component whose function is to identify the emotional state of the students who are interacting with the software, and with the driver of a robot tutor which provides personalized emotional pedagogical support to the students. In order to support the development of affective robot tutors according to the proposed architecture, we also provide a methodology which incorporates a technique for eliciting pedagogical knowledge from teachers, and a generic development platform. This platform contains a component for identiying emotional states by analysing keyboard and mouse interaction data, and a generic affective pedagogical support component which specifies the affective educational interventions (including facial expressions, body language, tone of voice,…) in terms of BML (a Behavior Model Language for virtual agent specification) files which are translated into actions of a robot tutor. The platform and the methodology are both adapted to primary school students. Finally, we illustrate the use of this platform to build a prototype implementation of the architecture, in which the educational software is instantiated with Scratch and the robot tutor with NAO. We also report on a user experiment we carried out to orient the development of the platform and of the prototype. We conclude from our work that, in the case of primary school students, it is possible to identify, without

ARTIE: an Integrated Environment for the development of Affective Robot Tutors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis-Eduardo Imbernón Cuadrado

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Over the last decade robotics has attracted a great deal of interest from teachers and researchers as a valuable educational tool from preschool to highschool levels. The implementation of social- support behaviours in robot tutors, in particular in the emotional dimension, can make a signicant contribution to learning efciency.With the aim of contributing to the rising eld of affective robot tutors we have developed ARTIE (Affective Robot Tutor Integrated Environment. We offer an architectural pattern which integrates any given educational software for primary school children with a component whose function is to identify the emotional state of the students who are interacting with the software, and with the driver of a robot tutor which provides personalized emotional pedagogical support to the students. In order to support the development of affective robot tutors according to the proposed architecture, we also provide a methodology which incorporates a technique for eliciting pedagogical knowledge from teachers, and a generic development platform. This platform contains a component for identiying emotional states by analysing keyboard and mouse interaction data, and a generic affective pedagogical support component which specifies the affective educational interventions (including facial expressions, body language, tone of voice,... in terms of BML (a Behavior Model Language for virtual agent specification files which are translated into actions of a robot tutor. The platform and the methodology are both adapted to primary school students. Finally, we illustrate the use of this platform to build a prototype implementation of the architecture, in which the educational software is instantiated with Scratch and the robot tutor with NAO. We also report on a user experiment we carried out to orient the development of the platform and of the prototype. We conclude from our work that, in the case of primary school students, it is possible to

Efficiency analysis of the speed turns in the crawl stroke swimming.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Savchenko M.I.

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Contemporary approaches to improving technique of the speed in the crawl stroke swimming, namely roll-forward turn were considered in the paper. The performance efficiency is defined by the time covering 15 meter distance. The students of the sports mastering group aged 16-20 took part in the experiment. The video recordings of the Ukrainian, European and World Championships and Deflympic Games, and also chronometration during the department trainings served as the experimental data. The research showed that white improving the technical level of turns performance, the attention should be paid to the exact performance of all the elements of the turns.

A design of speed reducer with trapezoidal tooth profile for robot manipulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nam, Won Ki; Oh, Se Hoon [Chung-Ang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-01-15

Robots are increasingly performing human work as manufacturing is automated. Accordingly, the use of precision speed reducers has become essential for achieving precise control of the robot arm position. Curved tooth profiles, such as cycloid or involute tooth profiles, are generally used in precision speed reducers. Speed reducers with cycloid tooth profiles, which enable high precision control, are widely used to manipulate robot systems. This study proposes a speed reducer that has a trapezoidal tooth profile with straight lines. In this work, we mechanically analyzed trapezoidal tooth profiles, and then measured performance was by various tests using a prototype manufactured specifically for this study.

A design of speed reducer with trapezoidal tooth profile for robot manipulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nam, Won Ki; Oh, Se Hoon

2011-01-01

Robots are increasingly performing human work as manufacturing is automated. Accordingly, the use of precision speed reducers has become essential for achieving precise control of the robot arm position. Curved tooth profiles, such as cycloid or involute tooth profiles, are generally used in precision speed reducers. Speed reducers with cycloid tooth profiles, which enable high precision control, are widely used to manipulate robot systems. This study proposes a speed reducer that has a trapezoidal tooth profile with straight lines. In this work, we mechanically analyzed trapezoidal tooth profiles, and then measured performance was by various tests using a prototype manufactured specifically for this study

I Show You How I Like You: Emotional Human-Robot Interaction through Facial Expression and Tactile Stimulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Canamero, Dolores; Fredslund, Jacob

2001-01-01

We report work on a LEGO robot that displays different emotional expressions in response to physical stimulation, for the purpose of social interaction with humans. This is a first step toward our longer-term goal of exploring believable emotional exchanges to achieve plausible interaction...... with a simple robot. Drawing inspiration from theories of human basic emotions, we implemented several prototypical expressions in the robot's caricatured face and conducted experiments to assess the recognizability of these expressions...

R and D project for large industrial technologies in fiscal 1989. Report on achievements in R and D of robots for critical works; 1989 nendo seika hokokusho. Ogata kogyo gijutsu kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo. Kyokugen sagyo robot no kenkyu kaihatsu

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1990-03-01

Research and development have been performed on basic technologies common to different types of robots to carry out works in critical conditions. This paper summarizes the achievements in fiscal 1989. In the R and D of sensor technologies, a prototype tri-axial one-millimeter sensor array and a signal processing device were produced and evaluations were given. A prototype production and evaluations were made on a system that can recognize comprehensively the slip, hardness, and moment as the tri-axial tactile information. In the R and D of motive force technologies, discussions were given on improvement of sensitivity of the torque sensor in the actuator for force control. Design and prototype fabrication were carried out on a speed reducer integrated actuator having a torque sensor for the manipulator's elbow joint. In addition, a force controlled controller was fabricated on a trial basis, which compensates the non-linearity of the force controlled actuator by means of software control. In the R and D of the robot languages, an application program was prepared on a representative work related to movements of a critical work robot. Verification was also conducted on the reasonability of the grammar specifications. (NEDO)

Dynamic modelling of a 3-CPU parallel robot via screw theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Carbonari

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The article describes the dynamic modelling of I.Ca.Ro., a novel Cartesian parallel robot recently designed and prototyped by the robotics research group of the Polytechnic University of Marche. By means of screw theory and virtual work principle, a computationally efficient model has been built, with the final aim of realising advanced model based controllers. Then a dynamic analysis has been performed in order to point out possible model simplifications that could lead to a more efficient run time implementation.

Kinematics/statics analysis of a novel serial-parallel robotic arm with hand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Yi; Dai, Zhuohong; Ye, Nijia; Wang, Peng [Yanshan University, Hebei (China)

2015-10-15

A robotic arm with fingered hand generally has multi-functions to complete various complicated operations. A novel serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is proposed and its kinematics and statics are studied systematically. A 3D prototype of the serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is constructed and analyzed by simulation. The serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is composed of an upper 3RPS parallel manipulator, a lower 3SPR parallel manipulator and a hand with three finger mechanisms. Its kinematics formulae for solving the displacement, velocity, acceleration of are derived. Its statics formula for solving the active/constrained forces is derived. Its reachable workspace and orientation workspace are constructed and analyzed. Finally, an analytic example is given for solving the kinematics and statics of the serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand and the analytic solutions are verified by a simulation mechanism.

Kinematics/statics analysis of a novel serial-parallel robotic arm with hand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Yi; Dai, Zhuohong; Ye, Nijia; Wang, Peng

2015-01-01

A robotic arm with fingered hand generally has multi-functions to complete various complicated operations. A novel serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is proposed and its kinematics and statics are studied systematically. A 3D prototype of the serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is constructed and analyzed by simulation. The serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand is composed of an upper 3RPS parallel manipulator, a lower 3SPR parallel manipulator and a hand with three finger mechanisms. Its kinematics formulae for solving the displacement, velocity, acceleration of are derived. Its statics formula for solving the active/constrained forces is derived. Its reachable workspace and orientation workspace are constructed and analyzed. Finally, an analytic example is given for solving the kinematics and statics of the serial-parallel robotic arm with a hand and the analytic solutions are verified by a simulation mechanism.

Mobile robot motion estimation using Hough transform

Science.gov (United States)

Aldoshkin, D. N.; Yamskikh, T. N.; Tsarev, R. Yu

2018-05-01

This paper proposes an algorithm for estimation of mobile robot motion. The geometry of surrounding space is described with range scans (samples of distance measurements) taken by the mobile robot’s range sensors. A similar sample of space geometry in any arbitrary preceding moment of time or the environment map can be used as a reference. The suggested algorithm is invariant to isotropic scaling of samples or map that allows using samples measured in different units and maps made at different scales. The algorithm is based on Hough transform: it maps from measurement space to a straight-line parameters space. In the straight-line parameters, space the problems of estimating rotation, scaling and translation are solved separately breaking down a problem of estimating mobile robot localization into three smaller independent problems. The specific feature of the algorithm presented is its robustness to noise and outliers inherited from Hough transform. The prototype of the system of mobile robot orientation is described.

Design and Development of Vision Based Blockage Clearance Robot for Sewer Pipes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krishna Prasad Nesaian

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Robotic technology is one of the advanced technologies, which is capable of completing tasks at situations where humans are unable to reach, see or survive. The underground sewer pipelines are the major tools for the transportation of effluent water. A lot of troubles caused by blockage in sewer pipe will lead to overflow of effluent water, sanitation problems. So robotic vehicle that is capable of traveling at underneath effluent water determining blockage using ultrasonic sensors and clearing by means of drilling mechanism is done. In addition to that wireless camera is fixed which acts as a robot vision by which we can monitor video and capture images using MATLAB tool. Thus in this project a prototype model of underground sewer pipe blockage clearance robot with drilling type will be developed

Scenario-Based Assessment of User Needs for Point-of-Care Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyeong Suk; Kim, Jeongeun

2018-01-01

This study aimed to derive specific user requirements and barriers in a real medical environment to define the essential elements and functions of two types of point-of-care (POC) robot: a telepresence robot as a tool for teleconsultation, and a bedside robot to provide emotional care for patients. An analysis of user requirements was conducted; user needs were gathered and identified, and detailed, realistic scenarios were created. The prototype robots were demonstrated in physical environments for envisioning and evaluation. In all, three nurses and three clinicians participated as evaluators to observe the demonstrations and evaluate the robot systems. The evaluators were given a brief explanation of each scene and the robots' functionality. Four major functions of the teleconsultation robot were defined and tested in the demonstration. In addition, four major functions of the bedside robot were evaluated. Among the desired functions for a teleconsultation robot, medical information delivery and communication had high priority. For a bedside robot, patient support, patient monitoring, and healthcare provider support were the desired functions. The evaluators reported that the teleconsultation robot can increase support from and access to specialists and resources. They mentioned that the bedside robot can improve the quality of hospital life. Problems identified in the demonstration were those of space conflict, communication errors, and safety issues. Incorporating this technology into healthcare services will enhance communication and teamwork skills across distances and thereby facilitate teamwork. However, repeated tests will be needed to evaluate and ensure improved performance.

A novel traveling wave piezoelectric actuated tracked mobile robot utilizing friction effect

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liang; Shu, Chengyou; Jin, Jiamei; Zhang, Jianhui

2017-03-01

A novel traveling wave piezoelectric-actuated tracked mobile robot with potential application to robotic rovers was proposed and investigated in this study. The proposed tracked mobile robot is composed of a parallelogram-frame-structure piezoelectric transducer with four rings and a metal track. Utilizing the converse piezoelectric and friction effects, traveling waves were propagated in the rings and then the metal track was actuated by the piezoelectric transducer. Compared with traditional tracked mechanisms, the proposed tracked mobile robot has a simpler and more compact structure without lubricant, which eliminates the problem of lubricant volatilization and deflation, thus, it could be operated in the vacuum environment. Dynamic characteristics were simulated and measured to reveal the mechanism of actuating track of the piezoelectric transducer. Experimental investigations of the traveling wave piezoelectric-actuated tracked mobile robot were then carried out, and the results indicated that the robot prototype with a pair of exciting voltages of 460 Vpp is able to achieve a maximum velocity of 57 mm s-1 moving on the foam plate and possesses the obstacle crossing capability with a maximum height of 27 mm. The proposed tracked mobile robot exhibits potential to be the driving system of robotic rovers.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm.

Science.gov (United States)

Laschi, C; Mazzolai, B; Mattoli, V; Cianchetti, M; Dario, P

2009-03-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laschi, C; Cianchetti, M [Advanced Robotics Technology and Systems Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Pisa (Italy); Mazzolai, B; Dario, P [Italian Institute of Technology, Genova (Italy); Mattoli, V [Centre of Research in Microengineering Laboratory, Scuola Superiore Sant' Anna, Pisa (Italy)], E-mail: cecilia.laschi@sssup.it

2009-03-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups.

Design of a biomimetic robotic octopus arm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laschi, C; Cianchetti, M; Mazzolai, B; Dario, P; Mattoli, V

2009-01-01

This paper reports the rationale and design of a robotic arm, as inspired by an octopus arm. The octopus arm shows peculiar features, such as the ability to bend in all directions, to produce fast elongations, and to vary its stiffness. The octopus achieves these unique motor skills, thanks to its peculiar muscular structure, named muscular hydrostat. Different muscles arranged on orthogonal planes generate an antagonistic action on each other in the muscular hydrostat, which does not change its volume during muscle contractions, and allow bending and elongation of the arm and stiffness variation. By drawing inspiration from natural skills of octopus, and by analysing the geometry and mechanics of the muscular structure of its arm, we propose the design of a robot arm consisting of an artificial muscular hydrostat structure, which is completely soft and compliant, but also able to stiffen. In this paper, we discuss the design criteria of the robotic arm and how this design and the special arrangement of its muscular structure may bring the building of a robotic arm into being, by showing the results obtained by mathematical models and prototypical mock-ups

Design and Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Wire-Driven Multi-Section Flexible Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Li

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a bio-inspired wire-driven multi-section flexible robot. It is inspired by the snake skeleton and octopus arm muscle arrangements. The robot consists of three sections and each section is made up of several identical vertebras, which are articulated by both spherical joints and a flexible backbone. Each section is driven by two groups of wires, controlling the bending motion in X and Y directions. This design integrates the serpentine robots' structure and the continuum robots' actuation. As a result, it is more compact than traditional serpentine robots and has a higher positioning accuracy than typical continuum soft robots, such as OctArm V. A Kinematics model and a workspace model of the robot are developed based on the piece wise constant curvature assumption. To evaluate the design, a prototype is built and experiments are carried out. The average distal end positioning error is less than 4%. Characteristics of the wire-driven robot are also discussed, including the leverage effect and the manipulability under constraint. These features makes the proposed robot well suited to confined spaces, especially for working in minimally invasive surgery, nuclear reactor pipelines, disaster debris, etc.

Robotic surgery in children: adopt now, await, or dismiss?

Science.gov (United States)

Cundy, Thomas P; Marcus, Hani J; Hughes-Hallett, Archie; Khurana, Sanjeev; Darzi, Ara

2015-12-01

The role of robot-assisted surgery in children remains controversial. This article aims to distil this debate into an evidence informed decision-making taxonomy; to adopt this technology (1) now, (2) later, or (3) not at all. Robot-assistance is safe, feasible and effective in selected cases as an adjunctive tool to enhance capabilities of minimally invasive surgery, as it is known today. At present, expectations of rigid multi-arm robotic systems to deliver higher quality care are over-estimated and poorly substantiated by evidence. Such systems are associated with high costs. Further comparative effectiveness evidence is needed to define the case-mix for which robot-assistance might be indicated. It seems unlikely that we should expect compelling patient benefits when it is only the mode of minimally invasive surgery that differs. Only large higher-volume institutions that share the robot amongst multiple specialty groups are likely to be able to sustain higher associated costs with today's technology. Nevertheless, there is great potential for next-generation surgical robotics to enable better ways to treat childhood surgical diseases through less invasive techniques that are not possible today. This will demand customized technology for selected patient populations or procedures. Several prototype robots exclusively designed for pediatric use are already under development. Financial affordability must be a high priority to ensure clinical accessibility.

Double-Acting Sleeve Muscle Actuator for Bio-Robotic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hao Zheng

2013-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a new type of muscle-like actuator, namely double-acting (DA sleeve muscle actuator, which is suitable for the actuation of biologically-inspired and biomedical robotic systems, especially those serving human-assistance purposes (prostheses, orthoses, etc.. Developed based on the traditional pneumatic muscle actuator, the new DA sleeve muscle incorporates a unique insert at the center. With the insert occupying the central portion of the internal volume, this new actuator enjoys multiple advantages relative to the traditional pneumatic muscle, including a consistent increase of force capacity over the entire range of motion, and a significant decrease of energy consumption in operation. Furthermore, the insert encompasses an additional chamber, which generates an extension force when pressurized. As such, this new actuator provides a unique bi-directional actuation capability, and, thus, has a potential to significantly simplify the design of a muscle actuator-powered robotic system. To demonstrate this new actuator concept, a prototype has been designed and fabricated, and experiments conducted on this prototype demonstrated the enhanced force capacity and the unique bi-directional actuation capability.

Double-Acting Sleeve Muscle Actuator for Bio-Robotic Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hao; Shen, Xiangrong

2014-01-01

This paper presents a new type of muscle-like actuator, namely double-acting (DA) sleeve muscle actuator, which is suitable for the actuation of biologically-inspired and biomedical robotic systems, especially those serving human-assistance purposes (prostheses, orthoses, etc.). Developed based on the traditional pneumatic muscle actuator, the new DA sleeve muscle incorporates a unique insert at the center. With the insert occupying the central portion of the internal volume, this new actuator enjoys multiple advantages relative to the traditional pneumatic muscle, including a consistent increase of force capacity over the entire range of motion, and a significant decrease of energy consumption in operation. Furthermore, the insert encompasses an additional chamber, which generates an extension force when pressurized. As such, this new actuator provides a unique bi-directional actuation capability, and, thus, has a potential to significantly simplify the design of a muscle actuator-powered robotic system. To demonstrate this new actuator concept, a prototype has been designed and fabricated, and experiments conducted on this prototype demonstrated the enhanced force capacity and the unique bi-directional actuation capability. PMID:25264492

Double-Acting Sleeve Muscle Actuator for Bio-Robotic Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Hao; Shen, Xiangrong

2013-11-25

This paper presents a new type of muscle-like actuator, namely double-acting (DA) sleeve muscle actuator, which is suitable for the actuation of biologically-inspired and biomedical robotic systems, especially those serving human-assistance purposes (prostheses, orthoses, etc .). Developed based on the traditional pneumatic muscle actuator, the new DA sleeve muscle incorporates a unique insert at the center. With the insert occupying the central portion of the internal volume, this new actuator enjoys multiple advantages relative to the traditional pneumatic muscle, including a consistent increase of force capacity over the entire range of motion, and a significant decrease of energy consumption in operation. Furthermore, the insert encompasses an additional chamber, which generates an extension force when pressurized. As such, this new actuator provides a unique bi-directional actuation capability, and, thus, has a potential to significantly simplify the design of a muscle actuator-powered robotic system. To demonstrate this new actuator concept, a prototype has been designed and fabricated, and experiments conducted on this prototype demonstrated the enhanced force capacity and the unique bi-directional actuation capability.

Development and demonstration of prototype transportation equipment for emplacing HL vitrified waste canisters into small diameter bored horizontal disposal cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seidler, Wolf K.; Bosgiraud, Jean-Michel; Londe, Louis

2008-01-01

Over a period of 4 and years the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), working with a variety of Contractors mostly specializing in nuclear orientated mechanical applications, successfully designed, fabricated and demonstrated 2 very different prototype high level waste transport systems. The first system, based on air cushion technology, was developed primarily for very heavy loads (17 to 45 tonnes). The results of this work are described in a separate presentation (Paper 21) at this Conference. The second system, developed by Andra within the framework of the ESDRED Project, generally referred to as the 'Pushing Robot System' for vitrified waste canisters, is the subject of this paper. The 'Pushing Robot System' is a part of the French national disposal concept that is described in Andra's 'Dossier 2005'. The latter is a public document that can be viewed on Andra's web site (www.andra.fr). The 'Pushing Robot System' system is designed for the deep geological disposal (in clay formations) of 'C' type vitrified waste canisters. In its entirety the system provides for the transport, emplacement and, if necessary, the retrieval of those canisters. Nothing in the design of the Andra emplacement equipment would preclude its utilization in horizontal openings in other types of geological settings. Over a period of some 8 years Andra has developed the 'Pushing Robot System' in 3 phases. Initially there was only the 'Conceptual Design' (Phase 1) which was incorporated in the Dossier 2005. This was followed by Phase 2 i.e. the design and fabrication of a simplified full scale prototype system henceforth referred to a P1, which includes a Pushing Robot, a Dummy Canister and a Test Bench. P1 details were also incorporated in the Dossier 2005. Finally, during Phase 3, a second more comprehensive full scale prototype system P2 has been designed and is being assembled and tested this month. This system includes a Transport Shuttle, a Transfer Shielding Cask, a

Collaboration Layer for Robots in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borch, Ole; Madsen, Per Printz; Broberg, Jacob Honor´e

2009-01-01

networks to solve tasks collaboratively. In this proposal the Collaboration Layer is modelled to handle service and position discovery, group management, and synchronisation among robots, but the layer is also designed to be extendable. Based on this model of the Collaboration Layer, generic services...... are provided to the application running on the robot. The services are generic because they can be used by many different applications, independent of the task to be solved. Likewise, specific services are requested from the underlying Virtual Machine, such as broadcast, multicast, and reliable unicast....... A prototype of the Collaboration Layer has been developed to run in a simulated environment and tested in an evaluation scenario. In the scenario five robots solve the tasks of vacuum cleaning and entrance guarding, which involves the ability to discover potential co-workers, form groups, shift from one group...

System Design of a Cheetah Robot Toward Ultra-high Speed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mantian Li

2014-05-01

Full Text Available High-speed legged locomotion pushes the limits of the most challenging problems of design and development of the mechanism, also the control and the perception method. The cheetah is an existence proof of concept of what we imitate for high-speed running, and provides us lots of inspiration on design. In this paper, a new model of a cheetah-like robot is developed using anatomical analysis and design. Inspired by a biological neural mechanism, we propose a novel control method for controlling the muscles' flexion and extension, and simulations demonstrate good biological properties and leg's trajectory. Next, a cheetah robot prototype is designed and assembled with pneumatic muscles, a musculoskeletal structure, an antagonistic muscle arrangement and a J-type cushioning foot. Finally, experiments of the robot legs swing and kick ground tests demonstrate its natural manner and validate the design of the robot. In the future, we will test the bounding behaviour of a real legged system.

Towards an Open Software Platform for Field Robots in Precision Agriculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kjeld; Larsen, Morten; Nielsen, Søren H

2014-01-01

Robotics in precision agriculture has the potential to improve competitiveness and increase sustainability compared to current crop production methods and has become an increasingly active area of research. Tractor guidance systems for supervised navigation and implement control have reached...... the market, and prototypes of field robots performing precision agriculture tasks without human intervention also exist. But research in advanced cognitive perception and behaviour that is required to enable a more efficient, reliable and safe autonomy becomes increasingly demanding due to the growing...... software complexity. A lack of collaboration between research groups contributes to the problem. Scientific publications describe methods and results from the work, but little field robot software is released and documented for others to use. We hypothesize that a common open software platform tailored...

Dynamics Analysis of Fluid-Structure Interaction for a Biologically-Inspired Biped Robot Running on Water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Linsen Xu

2013-10-01

Full Text Available A kinematics analysis of a biologically-inspired biped robot is carried out, and the trajectory of the robot foot is understood. For calculating the pressure distribution across a robot foot before touching the surface of water, the compression flow of air and the depression motion of the water surface are considered. The pressure model after touching the water surface has been built according to the theory of rigid body planar motion. The multi-material ALE algorithm is applied to emulate the course of the foot slapping water. The simulation results indicate that the model of the bionic robot can satisfy the water-running function. The real prototype of the robot is manufactured to test its function of running on water. When the biped robot is running on water, the average force generated by the propulsion mechanism is about 1.3N. The experimental results show that the propulsion system can satisfy the requirement of biped robot running on water.

A Simple Interface for 3D Position Estimation of a Mobile Robot with Single Camera.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Chun-Tang; Chung, Ming-Hsuan; Chiou, Juing-Shian; Wang, Chi-Jo

2016-03-25

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of mobile robots controlled by a smart phone or tablet. This paper proposes a visual control interface for a mobile robot with a single camera to easily control the robot actions and estimate the 3D position of a target. In this proposal, the mobile robot employed an Arduino Yun as the core processor and was remote-controlled by a tablet with an Android operating system. In addition, the robot was fitted with a three-axis robotic arm for grasping. Both the real-time control signal and video transmission are transmitted via Wi-Fi. We show that with a properly calibrated camera and the proposed prototype procedures, the users can click on a desired position or object on the touchscreen and estimate its 3D coordinates in the real world by simple analytic geometry instead of a complicated algorithm. The results of the measurement verification demonstrates that this approach has great potential for mobile robots.

APLIKASI PENGONTROLAN ROBOT PEMANTAU DARI UDARA BERBASIS ANDROID

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquline M.S. Waworundeng

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk membuat Aplikasi pengontrolan robot pemantau dari udara berbasis Android untuk memantau daerah yang berbahaya atau daerah dengan ketinggian tertentu yang sulit dijangkau oleh manusia. Hardware yang digunakan berupa Helicopter R/C yang dimodifikasi dengan menambahkan kamera IP serta remote control yang terhubung dengan Arduino Uno dan Arduino Ethernet Shield.  Sistem ini dilengkapi dengan aplikasi pengontrolan robot dan kamera untuk melakukan pemantauan dan proses pengambilan gambar dengan menggunakan jaringan wireless. Jaringan wireless berfungsi sebagai media transmisi data berupa gambar dan dapat menampilkan hasil pemantauan object kepada user, melalui layar tablet-PC yang menggunakan sistem operasi mobile berbasis Android. Metode pengembangan yang digunakan dalam pembuatan aplikasi pengontrolan ini adalah metode prototype, dengan bahasa pemrograman untuk pengembangan aplikasi yaitu Java Android dan bahasa pemrograman C yang digunakan untuk pengembangan perangkat pengontrol. Hardware dan software dalam penelitian ini dapat berfungsi sesuai dengan rancangan. Dengan aplikasi pengontrolan robot pemantau dari udara berbasis android ini dapat membantu user untuk melakukan observasi di suatu daerah.

A Finger Exoskeleton Robot for Finger Movement Rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tzu-Heng Hsu

2017-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, a finger exoskeleton robot has been designed and presented. The prototype device was designed to be worn on the dorsal side of the hand to assist in the movement and rehabilitation of the fingers. The finger exoskeleton is 3D-printed to be low-cost and has a transmission mechanism consisting of rigid serial links which is actuated by a stepper motor. The actuation of the robotic finger is by a sliding motion and mimics the movement of the human finger. To make it possible for the patient to use the rehabilitation device anywhere and anytime, an Arduino™ control board and a speech recognition board were used to allow voice control. As the robotic finger follows the patients voice commands the actual motion is analyzed by Tracker image analysis software. The finger exoskeleton is designed to flex and extend the fingers, and has a rotation range of motion (ROM of 44.2°.

Parametric Optimal Design of a Parallel Schönflies-Motion Robot under Pick-And-Place Trajectory Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Guanglei; Bai, Shaoping; Hjørnet, Preben

2015-01-01

This paper deals with the parametric optimum design of a parallel Schoenflies-motion robot, named "Ragnar", designed for fast and flexible pick-and-place applications. The robot architecture admits a rectangular workspace, which can utilize the shop-floor space efficiently. In this work......, the parametric models of the transmission quality, elasto-statics and dynamics are established. By taking into consideration of design requirements and pick-and-place trajectory, a comprehensive multi-objective optimization problem is formulated to optimize both kinematic and dynamic performances. The Pareto......-front is obtained, which provides optimal solutions to the robot design. Robot prototyping work based on the optimal results is described....

Towards an Open Software Platform for Field Robots in Precision Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kjeld Jensen

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Robotics in precision agriculture has the potential to improve competitiveness and increase sustainability compared to current crop production methods and has become an increasingly active area of research. Tractor guidance systems for supervised navigation and implement control have reached the market, and prototypes of field robots performing precision agriculture tasks without human intervention also exist. But research in advanced cognitive perception and behaviour that is required to enable a more efficient, reliable and safe autonomy becomes increasingly demanding due to the growing software complexity. A lack of collaboration between research groups contributes to the problem. Scientific publications describe methods and results from the work, but little field robot software is released and documented for others to use. We hypothesize that a common open software platform tailored to field robots in precision agriculture will significantly decrease development time and resources required to perform experiments due to efficient reuse of existing work across projects and robot platforms. In this work we present the FroboMind software platform and evaluate the performance when applied to precision agriculture tasks.

Role of Pectoral Fin Flexibility in Robotic Fish Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Bazaz Behbahani, Sanaz; Tan, Xiaobo

2017-08-01

Pectoral fins play a vital role in the maneuvering and locomotion of fish, and they have become an important actuation mechanism for robotic fish. In this paper, we explore the effect of flexibility of robotic fish pectoral fins on the robot locomotion performance and mechanical efficiency. A dynamic model for the robotic fish is presented, where the flexible fin is modeled as multiple rigid elements connected via torsional springs and dampers. Blade element theory is used to capture the hydrodynamic force on the fin. The model is validated with experimental results obtained on a robotic fish prototype, equipped with 3D-printed fins of different flexibility. The model is then used to analyze the impacts of fin flexibility and power/recovery stroke speed ratio on the robot swimming speed and mechanical efficiency. It is found that, in general, flexible fins demonstrate advantages over rigid fins in speed and efficiency at relatively low fin-beat frequencies, while rigid fins outperform flexible fins at higher frequencies. For a given fin flexibility, the optimal frequency for speed performance differs from the optimal frequency for mechanical efficiency. In addition, for any given fin, there is an optimal power/recovery stroke speed ratio, typically in the range of 2-3, that maximizes the speed performance. Overall, the presented model offers a promising tool for fin flexibility and gait design, to achieve speed and efficiency objectives for robotic fish actuated with pectoral fins.

Robotics take heat out of reactor. [Windscale AGR decommissioning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rufford, N

1986-12-04

The Windscale prototype reactor is being decommissioned and dismantled. The stages are outlined. The first phase began in 1985 and included construction of a waste packaging plant annexed to the steel dome. The boilers will be cut up and, once decontaminated, probably sold for scrap. The second phase involves dismantling the reactor itself. Much of this will be done by a semi-automatic robot which is being specially built and tested. The robot will have an extendable arm with a manipulator which will be equipped with bolt croppers, shears, a saw and oxypropane cutter. This robot will cut up the pressure vessel in sections ready for encasing in concrete. Lessons learnt from the dismantling will be used in future reactor designs and specifications (eg the need to use steels with fewer impurities, especially cobalt). Ultimate disposal of the concrete waste blocks is undecided. (U.K.).

Magnetic resonance-compatible robotic and mechatronics systems for image-guided interventions and rehabilitation: a review study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsekos, Nikolaos V; Khanicheh, Azadeh; Christoforou, Eftychios; Mavroidis, Constantinos

2007-01-01

The continuous technological progress of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as its widespread clinical use as a highly sensitive tool in diagnostics and advanced brain research, has brought a high demand for the development of magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible robotic/mechatronic systems. Revolutionary robots guided by real-time three-dimensional (3-D)-MRI allow reliable and precise minimally invasive interventions with relatively short recovery times. Dedicated robotic interfaces used in conjunction with fMRI allow neuroscientists to investigate the brain mechanisms of manipulation and motor learning, as well as to improve rehabilitation therapies. This paper gives an overview of the motivation, advantages, technical challenges, and existing prototypes for MR-compatible robotic/mechatronic devices.

Infrared Range Sensor Array for 3D Sensing in Robotic Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongtae Do

2013-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design and testing of multiple infrared range detectors arranged in a two-dimensional (2D array. The proposed system can collect the sparse three-dimensional (3D data of objects and surroundings for robotics applications. Three kinds of tasks are considered using the system: detecting obstacles that lie ahead of a mobile robot, sensing the ground profile for the safe navigation of a mobile robot, and sensing the shape and position of an object on a conveyor belt for pickup by a robot manipulator. The developed system is potentially a simple alternative to high-resolution (and expensive 3D sensing systems, such as stereo cameras or laser scanners. In addition, the system can provide shape information about target objects and surroundings that cannot be obtained using simple ultrasonic sensors. Laboratory prototypes of the system were built with nine infrared range sensors arranged in a 3×3 array and test results confirmed the validity of system.

Modeling and analysis of a meso-hydraulic climbing robot with artificial muscle actuation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Edward M; Jenkins, Tyler E; Bryant, Matthew

2017-07-10

This paper presents a fully coupled electro-hydraulic model of a bio-inspired climbing robot actuated by fluidic artificial muscles (FAMs). This analysis expands upon previous FAM literature by considering not only the force and contraction characteristics of the actuator, but the complete hydraulic and electromechanical circuits as well as the dynamics of the climbing robot. This analysis allows modeling of the time-varying applied pressure, electrical current, and actuator contraction for accurate prediction of the robot motion, energy consumption, and mechanical work output. The developed model is first validated against mechanical and electrical data collected from a proof-of-concept prototype robot. The model is then employed to study the system-level sensitivities of the robot locomotion efficiency and average climbing speed to several design and operating parameters. The results of this analysis demonstrate that considering only the transduction efficiency of the FAM actuators is insufficient to maximize the efficiency of the complete robot, and that a holistic approach can lead to significant improvements in performance. © 2017 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Dynamic analysis of a bio-inspired climbing robot using ADAMS-Simulink co-simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Chattopadhyay, P.; Dikshit, H.; Majumder, A.; Ghoshal, S.; Maity, A.

2018-04-01

Climbing robot has been an area of interest since the demand of inspection of pipeline, nuclear power plant, and various big structure is growing up rapidly. This paper represents the development of a bio-inspired modular robot which mimics inchworm locomotion during climbing. In the present paper, the climbing motion is achieved only on a flat vertical plane by magnetic adhesion principle. The robot is modelled as a 4-link planar mechanism with three revolute joints actuated by DC servo motors. Sinusoidal gait pattern is used to approximate the motion of an inchworm. The dynamics of the robot is presented by using ADAMS/MATLAB co-simulation methodology. The simulation result gives the maximum value of joint torque during one complete cycle of motion. This torque value is used for the selection of servo motor specifications required to build the prototype.

Low-cost educational robotics applied to physics teaching in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, Marcos A. M.; Duarte, José R. R.

2015-07-01

In this paper, we propose some of the strategies and methodologies for teaching high-school physics topics through an educational robotics show. This exhibition was part of a set of actions promoted by a Brazilian government program of incentive for teaching activities, whose primary focus is the training of teachers, the improvement of teaching in public schools, the dissemination of science, and the formation of new scientists and researchers. By means of workshops, banners and the prototyping of robotics, we were able to create a connection between the study areas and their surroundings, making learning meaningful and accessible for the students involved and contributing to their cognitive development.

Relative Contribution of Arms and Legs in 30 s Fully Tethered Front Crawl Swimming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro G. Morouço

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The relative contribution of arm stroke and leg kicking to maximal fully tethered front crawl swimming performance remains to be solved. Twenty-three national level young swimmers (12 male and 11 female randomly performed 3 bouts of 30 s fully tethered swimming (using the whole body, only the arm stroke, and only the leg kicking. A load-cell system permitted the continuous measurement of the exerted forces, and swimming velocity was calculated from the time taken to complete a 50 m front crawl swim. As expected, with no restrictions swimmers were able to exert higher forces than that using only their arm stroke or leg kicking. Estimated relative contributions of arm stroke and leg kicking were 70.3% versus 29.7% for males and 66.6% versus 33.4% for females, with 15.6% and 13.1% force deficits, respectively. To obtain higher velocities, male swimmers are highly dependent on the maximum forces they can exert with the arm stroke (r=0.77, P<0.01, whereas female swimmers swimming velocity is more related to whole-body mean forces (r=0.81, P<0.01. The obtained results point that leg kicking plays an important role over short duration high intensity bouts and that the used methodology may be useful to identify strength and/or coordination flaws.

Robots in Health and Social Care: A Complementary Technology to Home Care and Telehealthcare?

OpenAIRE

Torbjørn S. Dahl; Maged N. Kamel Boulos

2013-01-01

This article offers a brief overview of most current and potential uses and applications of robotics in health/care and social care, whether commercially ready and available on the market or still at the various stages of research and prototyping. We provide carefully hand-picked examples and pointers to on-going research for each set of identified robotics applications and then discuss the main ingredients for the success of these applications, as well as the main issues surrounding their a...

Soft mobile robots driven by foldable dielectric elastomer actuators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Wenjie; Liu, Fan; Ma, Ziqi; Li, Chenghai; Zhou, Jinxiong, E-mail: jxzhouxx@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures and School of Aerospace, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China)

2016-08-28

A cantilever beam with elastic hinge pulled antagonistically by two dielectric elastomer (DE) membranes in tension forms a foldable actuator if one DE membrane is subject to a voltage and releases part of tension. Simply placing parallel rigid bars on the prestressed DE membranes results in enhanced actuators working in a pure shear state. We report design, analysis, fabrication, and experiment of soft mobile robots that are moved by such foldable DE actuators. We describe systematic measurement of the foldable actuators and perform theoretical analysis of such actuators based on minimization of total energy, and a good agreement is achieved between model prediction and measurement. We develop two versions of prototypes of soft mobile robots driven either by two sets of DE membranes or one DE membrane and elastic springs. We demonstrate locomotion of these soft mobile robots and highlight several key design parameters that influence locomotion of the robots. A 45 g soft robot driven by a cyclic triangle voltage with amplitude 7.4 kV demonstrates maximal stroke 160 mm or maximal rolling velocity 42 mm/s. The underlying mechanics and physics of foldable DE actuators can be leveraged to develop other soft machines for various applications.

Combining psychological and engineering approaches to utilizing social robots with children with autism.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickstein-Fischer, Laurie; Fischer, Gregory S

2014-01-01

It is estimated that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 68 children. Early identification of an ASD is exceedingly important to the introduction of an intervention. We are developing a robot-assisted approach that will serve as an improved diagnostic and early intervention tool for children with autism. The robot, named PABI® (Penguin for Autism Behavioral Interventions), is a compact humanoid robot taking on an expressive cartoon-like embodiment. The robot is affordable, durable, and portable so that it can be used in various settings including schools, clinics, and the home. Thus enabling significantly enhanced and more readily available diagnosis and continuation of care. Through facial expressions, body motion, verbal cues, stereo vision-based tracking, and a tablet computer, the robot is capable of interacting meaningfully with an autistic child. Initial implementations of the robot, as part of a comprehensive treatment model (CTM), include Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy where the child interacts with a tablet computer wirelessly interfaced with the robot. At the same time, the robot makes meaningful expressions and utterances and uses stereo cameras in eyes to track the child, maintain eye contact, and collect data such as affect and gaze direction for charting of progress. In this paper we present the clinical justification, anticipated usage with corresponding requirements, prototype development of the robotic system, and demonstration of a sample application for robot-assisted ABA therapy.

A Multidisciplinary PBL Robot Control Project in Automation and Electronic Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Hassan, Houcine; Domínguez, Carlos; Martínez, Juan-Miguel; Perles, Angel; Capella, Juan-Vicente; Albaladejo, José

2015-01-01

This paper presents a multidisciplinary problem-based learning (PBL) project consisting of the development of a robot arm prototype and the implementation of its control system. The project is carried out as part of Industrial Informatics (II), a compulsory third-year course in the Automation and Electronic Engineering (AEE) degree program at the…

Robotics in scansorial environments

Science.gov (United States)

Autumn, Kellar; Buehler, Martin; Cutkosky, Mark; Fearing, Ronald; Full, Robert J.; Goldman, Daniel; Groff, Richard; Provancher, William; Rizzi, Alfred A.; Saranli, Uluc; Saunders, Aaron; Koditschek, Daniel E.

2005-05-01

We review a large multidisciplinary effort to develop a family of autonomous robots capable of rapid, agile maneuvers in and around natural and artificial vertical terrains such as walls, cliffs, caves, trees and rubble. Our robot designs are inspired by (but not direct copies of) biological climbers such as cockroaches, geckos, and squirrels. We are incorporating advanced materials (e.g., synthetic gecko hairs) into these designs and fabricating them using state of the art rapid prototyping techniques (e.g., shape deposition manufacturing) that permit multiple iterations of design and testing with an effective integration path for the novel materials and components. We are developing novel motion control techniques to support dexterous climbing behaviors that are inspired by neuroethological studies of animals and descended from earlier frameworks that have proven analytically tractable and empirically sound. Our near term behavioral targets call for vertical climbing on soft (e.g., bark) or rough surfaces and for ascents on smooth, hard steep inclines (e.g., 60 degree slopes on metal or glass sheets) at one body length per second.

Simulated front crawl swimming performance related to critical speed and critical power.

Science.gov (United States)

Toussaint, H M; Wakayoshi, K; Hollander, A P; Ogita, F

1998-01-01

Competitive pool swimming events range in distance from 50 to 1500 m. Given the difference in performance times (+/- 23-1000 s), the contribution of the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems changes considerably with race distance. In training practice the regression line between swimming distance and time (Distance = critical velocity x time + anaerobic swimming capacity) is used to determine the individual capacity of the aerobic and anaerobic metabolic pathways. Although there is confidence that critical velocity and anaerobic swimming capacity are fitness measures that separate aerobic and anaerobic components, a firm theoretical basis for the interpretation of these results does not exist. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the critical power concept and anaerobic swimming capacity as measures of the aerobic and anaerobic capacity using a modeling approach. A systems model was developed that relates the mechanics and energetics involved in front crawl swimming performance. From actual swimming flume measurements, the time dependent aerobic and anaerobic energy release was modeled. Data derived from the literature were used to relate the energy cost of front crawl swimming to swimming velocity. A balance should exist between the energy cost to swim a distance in a certain time and the concomitant aerobic and anaerobic energy release. The ensuing model was used to predict performance times over a range of distances (50-1500 m) and to calculate the regression line between swimming distance and time. Using a sensitivity analysis, it was demonstrated that the critical velocity is indicative for the capacity of the aerobic energy system. Estimates of the anaerobic swimming capacity, however, were influenced by variations in both anaerobic and aerobic energy release. Therefore, it was concluded that the anaerobic swimming capacity does not provide a reliable estimate of the anaerobic capacity.

An Evaluation of Camera Pose Methods for an Augmented Reality System: Application to Teaching Industrial Robots

OpenAIRE

Maidi , Madjid; Mallem , Malik; Benchikh , Laredj; Otmane , Samir

2013-01-01

International audience; In automotive industry, industrial robots are widely used in production lines for many tasks such as welding, painting or assembly. Their use requires, from users, both a good manipulation and robot control. Recently, new tools have been developed to realize fast and accurate trajectories in many production sectors by using the real prototype of vehicle or a generalized design within a virtual simulation platform. However, many issues could be considered in these cases...

Robotics Vision-based Heuristic Reasoning for Underwater Target Tracking and Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chua Kia

2005-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a robotics vision-based heuristic reasoning system for underwater target tracking and navigation. This system is introduced to improve the level of automation of underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs operations. A prototype which combines computer vision with an underwater robotics system is successfully designed and developed to perform target tracking and intelligent navigation. This study focuses on developing image processing algorithms and fuzzy inference system for the analysis of the terrain. The vision system developed is capable of interpreting underwater scene by extracting subjective uncertainties of the object of interest. Subjective uncertainties are further processed as multiple inputs of a fuzzy inference system that is capable of making crisp decisions concerning where to navigate. The important part of the image analysis is morphological filtering. The applications focus on binary images with the extension of gray-level concepts. An open-loop fuzzy control system is developed for classifying the traverse of terrain. The great achievement is the system's capability to recognize and perform target tracking of the object of interest (pipeline in perspective view based on perceived condition. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by computer and prototype simulations. This work is originated from the desire to develop robotics vision system with the ability to mimic the human expert's judgement and reasoning when maneuvering ROV in the traverse of the underwater terrain.

Robotics Vision-based Heuristic Reasoning for Underwater Target Tracking and Navigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chua Kia

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a robotics vision-based heuristic reasoning system for underwater target tracking and navigation. This system is introduced to improve the level of automation of underwater Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs operations. A prototype which combines computer vision with an underwater robotics system is successfully designed and developed to perform target tracking and intelligent navigation. This study focuses on developing image processing algorithms and fuzzy inference system for the analysis of the terrain. The vision system developed is capable of interpreting underwater scene by extracting subjective uncertainties of the object of interest. Subjective uncertainties are further processed as multiple inputs of a fuzzy inference system that is capable of making crisp decisions concerning where to navigate. The important part of the image analysis is morphological filtering. The applications focus on binary images with the extension of gray-level concepts. An open-loop fuzzy control system is developed for classifying the traverse of terrain. The great achievement is the system's capability to recognize and perform target tracking of the object of interest (pipeline in perspective view based on perceived condition. The effectiveness of this approach is demonstrated by computer and prototype simulations. This work is originated from the desire to develop robotics vision system with the ability to mimic the human expert's judgement and reasoning when maneuvering ROV in the traverse of the underwater terrain.

Development and control towards a parallel water hydraulic weld/cut robot for machining processes in ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Huapeng; Handroos, Heikki; Pessi, Pekka; Kilkki, Juha; Jones, Lawrence

2005-01-01

This paper presents a special robot, able to carry out welding and machining processes from inside the ITER vacuum vessel (VV), consisting of a five degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism, mounted on a carriage driven by two electric motors on a rack. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimised for ITER access and a hydraulically actuated pre-prototype built. A hybrid controller is designed for the robot, including position, speed and pressure feedback loops to achieve high accuracy and high dynamic performances. Finally, the experimental tests are given and discussed

Compensating Hand Function in Chronic Stroke Patients Through the Robotic Sixth Finger.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvietti, Gionata; Hussain, Irfan; Cioncoloni, David; Taddei, Sabrina; Rossi, Simone; Prattichizzo, Domenico

2017-02-01

A novel solution to compensate hand grasping abilities is proposed for chronic stroke patients. The goal is to provide the patients with a wearable robotic extra-finger that can be worn on the paretic forearm by means of an elastic band. The proposed prototype, the Robotic Sixth Finger, is a modular articulated device that can adapt its structure to the grasped object shape. The extra-finger and the paretic hand act like the two parts of a gripper cooperatively holding an object. We evaluated the feasibility of the approach with four chronic stroke patients performing a qualitative test, the Frenchay Arm Test. In this proof of concept study, the use of the Robotic Sixth Finger has increased the total score of the patients by two points in a five points scale. The subjects were able to perform the two grasping tasks included in the test that were not possible without the robotic extra-finger. Adding a robotic opposing finger is a very promising approach that can significantly improve the functional compensation of the chronic stroke patient during everyday life activities.

A Simple Interface for 3D Position Estimation of a Mobile Robot with Single Camera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chun-Tang Chao

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of mobile robots controlled by a smart phone or tablet. This paper proposes a visual control interface for a mobile robot with a single camera to easily control the robot actions and estimate the 3D position of a target. In this proposal, the mobile robot employed an Arduino Yun as the core processor and was remote-controlled by a tablet with an Android operating system. In addition, the robot was fitted with a three-axis robotic arm for grasping. Both the real-time control signal and video transmission are transmitted via Wi-Fi. We show that with a properly calibrated camera and the proposed prototype procedures, the users can click on a desired position or object on the touchscreen and estimate its 3D coordinates in the real world by simple analytic geometry instead of a complicated algorithm. The results of the measurement verification demonstrates that this approach has great potential for mobile robots.

Design and Implementation an Autonomous Humanoid Robot Based on Fuzzy Rule-Based Motion Controller

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Taheri

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Research on humanoid robotics in Mechatronics and Automation Laboratory, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Islamic Azad University Khorasgan branch (Isfahan of Iran was started at
the beginning of this decade. Various research prototypes for humanoid robots have been designed and are going through evolution over these years. This paper describes the hardware and software design of the kid size humanoid robot systems of the PERSIA Team in 2009. The robot has 20 actuated degrees of freedom based on Hitec HSR898. In this paper we have tried to focus on areas such as mechanical structure, Image processing unit, robot controller, Robot AI and behavior
learning. In 2009, our developments for the Kid size humanoid robot include: (1 the design and construction of our new humanoid robots (2 the design and construction of a new hardware and software controller to be used in our robots. The project is described in two main parts: Hardware and Software. The software is developed a robot application which consists walking controller, autonomous motion robot, self localization base on vision and Particle Filter, local AI, Trajectory Planning, Motion Controller and Network. The hardware consists of the mechanical structure and the driver circuit board. Each robot is able to walk, fast walk, pass, kick and dribble when it catches
the ball. These humanoids have been successfully participating in various robotic soccer competitions. This project is still in progress and some new interesting methods are described in the current report.

Long-Range Untethered Real-Time Live Gas Main Robotic Inspection System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagen Schempf; Daphne D' Zurko

2004-10-31

Under funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Northeast Gas Association (NGA), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) developed an untethered, wireless remote controlled inspection robot dubbed Explorer. The project entailed the design and prototyping of a wireless self-powered video-inspection robot capable of accessing live 6- and 8-inch diameter cast-iron and steel mains, while traversing turns and Ts and elbows under real-time control with live video feedback to an operator. The design is that of a segmented actively articulated and wheel-leg powered robot design, with fisheye imaging capability and self-powered battery storage and wireless real-time communication link. The prototype was functionally tested in an above ground pipe-network, in order to debug all mechanical, electrical and software subsystems, and develop the necessary deployment and retrieval, as well as obstacle-handling scripts. A pressurized natural gas test-section was used to certify it for operation in natural gas at up to 60 psig. Two subsequent live-main field-trials in both cast-iron and steel pipe, demonstrated its ability to be safely launched, operated and retrieved under real-world conditions. The system's ability to safely and repeatably exidrecover from angled and vertical launchers, traverse multi-thousand foot long pipe-sections, make T and varied-angle elbow-turns while wirelessly sending live video and handling command and control messages, was clearly demonstrated. Video-inspection was clearly shown to be a viable tool to understand the state of this critical buried infrastructure, irrespective of low- (cast-iron) or high-pressure (steel) conditions. This report covers the different aspects of specifications, requirements, design, prototyping, integration and testing and field-trialing of the Explorer platform.

Robots in Health and Social Care: A Complementary Technology to Home Care and Telehealthcare?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Torbjørn S. Dahl

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article offers a brief overview of most current and potential uses and applications of robotics in health/care and social care, whether commercially ready and available on the market or still at the various stages of research and prototyping. We provide carefully hand-picked examples and pointers to on-going research for each set of identified robotics applications and then discuss the main ingredients for the success of these applications, as well as the main issues surrounding their adoption for everyday use, including sustainability in non-technical environments, patient/user safety and acceptance, ethical considerations such as patient/user privacy, and cost effectiveness. We examine how robotics could (partially fill in some of the identified gaps in current telehealthcare and home care/self-care provisions. The article concludes with a brief glimpse at a couple of emerging developments and promising applications in the field (soft robots and robots for disaster response that are expected to play important roles in the future.

Continuous Static Gait with Twisting Trunk of a Metamorphic Quadruped Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Zhang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The natural quadrupeds, such as geckos and lizards, often twist their trunks when moving. Conventional quadruped robots cannot perform the same motion due to equipping with a trunk which is a rigid body or at most consists of two blocks connected by passive joints. This paper proposes a metamorphic quadruped robot with a reconfigurable trunk which can implement active trunk motions, called MetaRobot I. The robot can imitate the natural quadrupeds to execute motion of trunk twisting. Benefiting from the twisting trunk, the stride length of this quadruped is increased comparing to that of conventional quadruped robots.In this paper a continuous static gait benefited from the twisting trunk performing the increased stride length is introduced. After that, the increased stride length relative to the trunk twisting will be analysed mathematically. Other points impacting the implementation of the increased stride length in the gait are investigated such as the upper limit of the stride length and the kinematic margin. The increased stride length in the gait will lead the increase of locomotion speed comparing with conventional quadruped robots, giving the extent that natural quadrupeds twisting their trunks when moving. The simulation and an experiment on the prototype are then carried out to illustrate the benefits on the stride length and locomotion speed brought by the twisting trunk to the quadruped robot.

The application of robotics to microlaryngeal laser surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckmire, Robert A; Wong, Yu-Tung; Deal, Allison M

2015-06-01

To evaluate the performance of human subjects, using a prototype robotic micromanipulator controller in a simulated, microlaryngeal operative setting. Observational cross-sectional study. Twenty-two human subjects with varying degrees of laser experience performed CO2 laser surgical tasks within a simulated microlaryngeal operative setting using an industry standard manual micromanipulator (MMM) and a prototype robotic micromanipulator controller (RMC). Accuracy, repeatability, and ablation consistency measures were obtained for each human subject across both conditions and for the preprogrammed RMC device. Using the standard MMM, surgeons with >10 previous laser cases performed superior to subjects with fewer cases on measures of error percentage and cumulative error (P = .045 and .03, respectively). No significant differences in performance were observed between subjects using the RMC device. In the programmed (P/A) mode, the RMC performed equivalently or superiorly to experienced human subjects on accuracy and repeatability measures, and nearly an order of magnitude better on measures of ablation consistency. The programmed RMC performed significantly better for repetition error when compared to human subjects with industry standard MMM for all measured parameters, and delivers an ablation consistency nearly an order of magnitude better than human laser operators. NA. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

3D vision system for intelligent milking robot automation

Science.gov (United States)

Akhloufi, M. A.

2013-12-01

In a milking robot, the correct localization and positioning of milking teat cups is of very high importance. The milking robots technology has not changed since a decade and is based primarily on laser profiles for teats approximate positions estimation. This technology has reached its limit and does not allow optimal positioning of the milking cups. Also, in the presence of occlusions, the milking robot fails to milk the cow. These problems, have economic consequences for producers and animal health (e.g. development of mastitis). To overcome the limitations of current robots, we have developed a new system based on 3D vision, capable of efficiently positioning the milking cups. A prototype of an intelligent robot system based on 3D vision for real-time positioning of a milking robot has been built and tested under various conditions on a synthetic udder model (in static and moving scenarios). Experimental tests, were performed using 3D Time-Of-Flight (TOF) and RGBD cameras. The proposed algorithms permit the online segmentation of teats by combing 2D and 3D visual information. The obtained results permit the teat 3D position computation. This information is then sent to the milking robot for teat cups positioning. The vision system has a real-time performance and monitors the optimal positioning of the cups even in the presence of motion. The obtained results, with both TOF and RGBD cameras, show the good performance of the proposed system. The best performance was obtained with RGBD cameras. This latter technology will be used in future real life experimental tests.

The mechanical design of a humanoid robot with flexible skin sensor for use in psychiatric therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Alec; Tadesse, Yonas

2014-03-01

In this paper, a humanoid robot is presented for ultimate use in the rehabilitation of children with mental disorders, such as autism. Creating affordable and efficient humanoids could assist the therapy in psychiatric disability by offering multimodal communication between the humanoid and humans. Yet, the humanoid development needs a seamless integration of artificial muscles, sensors, controllers and structures. We have designed a human-like robot that has 15 DOF, 580 mm tall and 925 mm arm span using a rapid prototyping system. The robot has a human-like appearance and movement. Flexible sensors around the arm and hands for safe human-robot interactions, and a two-wheel mobile platform for maneuverability are incorporated in the design. The robot has facial features for illustrating human-friendly behavior. The mechanical design of the robot and the characterization of the flexible sensors are presented. Comprehensive study on the upper body design, mobile base, actuators selection, electronics, and performance evaluation are included in this paper.

Soft segmented inchworm robot with dielectric elastomer muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Conn, Andrew T.; Hinitt, Andrew D.; Wang, Pengchuan

2014-03-01

Robotic devices typically utilize rigid components in order to produce precise and robust operation. Rigidity becomes a significant impediment, however, when navigating confined or constricted environments e.g. search-and-rescue, industrial pipe inspection. In such cases adaptively conformable soft structures become optimal. Dielectric elastomers (DEs) are well suited for developing such soft robots since they are inherently compliant and can produce large musclelike actuation strains. In this paper, a soft segmented inchworm robot is presented that utilizes pneumatically-coupled DE membranes to produce inchworm-like locomotion. The robot is constructed from repeated body segments, each with a simple control architecture, so that the total length can be readily adapted by adding or removing segments. Each segment consists of a soft inflatable shell (internal pressure in range of 1.0-15.9 mBar) and a pair of antagonistic DE membranes (VHB 4905). Experimental testing of a single body segment is presented and the relationship between drive voltage, pneumatic pressure and active displacement is characterized. This demonstrates that pneumatic coupling of DE membranes induces complex non-linear electro-mechanical behaviour as drive voltage and pneumatic pressure are altered. Locomotion of a two-segment inchworm robot prototype with a passive length of 80 mm is presented. Artificial setae are included on the body shell to generate anisotropic friction for locomotion. A maximum locomotion speed of 4.1 mm/s was recorded at a drive frequency of 1.5 Hz, which compares favourably to biological counterparts. Future development of the soft inchworm robot are discussed including reflexive low-level control of individual segments.

Promoting Diversity in Undergraduate Research in Robotics-Based Seismic

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, C. M.; Arthur, C. L.; Carmichael, B. L.; Webber, G. K.; Agah, A.

2006-12-01

The motivation for this research was to investigate forming evenly-spaced grid patterns with a team of mobile robots for future use in seismic imaging in polar environments. A team of robots was incrementally designed and simulated by incorporating sensors and altering each robot's controller. Challenges, design issues, and efficiency were also addressed. This research project incorporated the efforts of two undergraduate REU students from Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in North Carolina, and the research staff at the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. ECSU is a historically black university. Mentoring these two minority students in scientific research, seismic, robotics, and simulation will hopefully encourage them to pursue graduate degrees in science-related or engineering fields. The goals for this 10-week internship during summer 2006 were to educate the students in the fields of seismology, robotics, and virtual prototyping and simulation. Incrementally designing a robot platform for future enhancement and evaluation was central to this research, and involved simulation of several robots working together to change seismic grid shape and spacing. This process gave these undergraduate students experience and knowledge in an actual research project for a real-world application. The two undergraduate students gained valuable research experience and advanced their knowledge of seismic imaging, robotics, sensors, and simulation. They learned that seismic sensors can be used in an array to gather 2D and 3D images of the subsurface. They also learned that robotics can support dangerous or difficult human activities, such as those in a harsh polar environment, by increasing automation, robustness, and precision. Simulating robot designs also gave them experience in programming behaviors for mobile robots. Thus far, one academic paper has resulted from their research. This paper received third place at the 2006

Spatial Programming for Industrial Robots Through Task Demonstration

OpenAIRE

Jens Lambrecht; Martin Kleinsorge; Martin Rosenstrauch; Jörg Krüger

2013-01-01

Abstract We present an intuitive system for the programming of industrial robots using markerless gesture recognition and mobile augmented reality in terms of programming by demonstration. The approach covers gesture-based task definition and adaption by human demonstration, as well as task evaluation through augmented reality. A 3D motion tracking system and a handheld device establish the basis for the presented spatial programming system. In this publication, we present a prototype toward ...

Bio-inspired aquatic robotics by untethered piezohydroelastic actuation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cen, L; Erturk, A

2013-01-01

This paper investigates fish-like aquatic robotics using flexible bimorphs made of macro-fiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric laminates for carangiform locomotion. In addition to noiseless and efficient actuation over a range of frequencies, geometric scalability, and simple design, bimorph propulsors made of MFCs offer a balance between the actuation force and velocity response for performance enhancement in bio-inspired swimming. The experimental component of the presented work focuses on the characterization of an elastically constrained MFC bimorph propulsor for thrust generation in quiescent water as well as the development of a robotic fish prototype combining a microcontroller and a printed-circuit-board amplifier to generate high actuation voltage for untethered locomotion. From the theoretical standpoint, a distributed-parameter electroelastic model including the hydrodynamic effects and actuator dynamics is coupled with the elongated-body theory for predicting the mean thrust in quiescent water. In-air and underwater experiments are performed to verify the incorporation of hydrodynamic effects in the linear actuation regime. For electroelastically nonlinear actuation levels, experimentally obtained underwater vibration response is coupled with the elongated-body theory to predict the thrust output. The measured mean thrust levels in quiescent water (on the order of ∼10 mN) compare favorably with thrust levels of biological fish. An untethered robotic fish prototype that employs a single bimorph fin (caudal fin) for straight swimming and turning motions is developed and tested in free locomotion. A swimming speed of 0.3 body-length/second (7.5 cm s −1 swimming speed for 24.3 cm body length) is achieved at 5 Hz for a non-optimized main body-propulsor bimorph combination under a moderate actuation voltage level. (paper)

Kinematics and dynamics analysis of a quadruped walking robot with parallel leg mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongbo; Sang, Lingfeng; Hu, Xing; Zhang, Dianfan; Yu, Hongnian

2013-09-01

It is desired to require a walking robot for the elderly and the disabled to have large capacity, high stiffness, stability, etc. However, the existing walking robots cannot achieve these requirements because of the weight-payload ratio and simple function. Therefore, Improvement of enhancing capacity and functions of the walking robot is an important research issue. According to walking requirements and combining modularization and reconfigurable ideas, a quadruped/biped reconfigurable walking robot with parallel leg mechanism is proposed. The proposed robot can be used for both a biped and a quadruped walking robot. The kinematics and performance analysis of a 3-UPU parallel mechanism which is the basic leg mechanism of a quadruped walking robot are conducted and the structural parameters are optimized. The results show that performance of the walking robot is optimal when the circumradius R, r of the upper and lower platform of leg mechanism are 161.7 mm, 57.7 mm, respectively. Based on the optimal results, the kinematics and dynamics of the quadruped walking robot in the static walking mode are derived with the application of parallel mechanism and influence coefficient theory, and the optimal coordination distribution of the dynamic load for the quadruped walking robot with over-determinate inputs is analyzed, which solves dynamic load coupling caused by the branches’ constraint of the robot in the walk process. Besides laying a theoretical foundation for development of the prototype, the kinematics and dynamics studies on the quadruped walking robot also boost the theoretical research of the quadruped walking and the practical applications of parallel mechanism.

Laws on Robots, Laws by Robots, Laws in Robots : Regulating Robot Behaviour by Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leenes, R.E.; Lucivero, F.

2015-01-01

Speculation about robot morality is almost as old as the concept of a robot itself. Asimov’s three laws of robotics provide an early and well-discussed example of moral rules robots should observe. Despite the widespread influence of the three laws of robotics and their role in shaping visions of

A swimming robot actuated by living muscle tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herr Hugh

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Biomechatronics is the integration of biological components with artificial devices, in which the biological component confers a significant functional capability to the system, and the artificial component provides specific cellular and tissue interfaces that promote the maintenance and functional adaptation of the biological component. Based upon functional performance, muscle is potentially an excellent mechanical actuator, but the larger challenge of developing muscle-actuated, biomechatronic devices poses many scientific and engineering challenges. As a demonstratory proof of concept, we designed, built, and characterized a swimming robot actuated by two explanted frog semitendinosus muscles and controlled by an embedded microcontroller. Using open loop stimulation protocols, the robot performed basic swimming maneuvers such as starting, stopping, turning (turning radius ~400 mm and straight-line swimming (max speed >1/3 body lengths/second. A broad spectrum antibiotic/antimycotic ringer solution surrounded the muscle actuators for long term maintenance, ex vivo. The robot swam for a total of 4 hours over a 42 hour lifespan (10% duty cycle before its velocity degraded below 75% of its maximum. The development of functional biomechatronic prototypes with integrated musculoskeletal tissues is the first critical step toward the long term objective of controllable, adaptive and robust biomechatronic robots and prostheses.

Spatial Programming for Industrial Robots through Task Demonstration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jens Lambrecht

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract We present an intuitive system for the programming of industrial robots using markerless gesture recognition and mobile augmented reality in terms of programming by demonstration. The approach covers gesture-based task definition and adaption by human demonstration, as well as task evaluation through augmented reality. A 3D motion tracking system and a handheld device establish the basis for the presented spatial programming system. In this publication, we present a prototype toward the programming of an assembly sequence consisting of several pick-and-place tasks. A scene reconstruction provides pose estimation of known objects with the help of the 2D camera of the handheld. Therefore, the programmer is able to define the program through natural bare-hand manipulation of these objects with the help of direct visual feedback in the augmented reality application. The program can be adapted by gestures and transmitted subsequently to an arbitrary industrial robot controller using a unified interface. Finally, we discuss an application of the presented spatial programming approach toward robot-based welding tasks.

The ARAMIS project: a concept robot and technical design.

Science.gov (United States)

Colizzi, Lucio; Lidonnici, Antonio; Pignolo, Loris

2009-11-01

To describe the ARAMIS (Automatic Recovery Arm Motility Integrated System) project, a concept robot applicable in the neuro-rehabilitation of the paretic upper limb after stroke. Methods, results and conclusion: The rationale and engineering of a state-of-the-art, hardware/software integrated robot system, its mechanics, ergonomics, electric/electronics features providing control, safety and suitability of use are described. An ARAMIS prototype has been built and is now available for clinical tests. It allows the therapist to design neuro-rehabilitative (synchronous or asynchronous) training protocols in which sample exercises are generated by a single exoskeleton (operated by the patient's unaffected arm or by the therapist's arm) and mirrored in real-time or offline by the exoskeleton supporting the paretic arm.

Dynamics of underwater legged locomotion: modeling and experiments on an octopus-inspired robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Calisti, M; Corucci, F; Arienti, A; Laschi, C

2015-07-30

This paper studies underwater legged locomotion (ULL) by means of a robotic octopus-inspired prototype and its associated model. Two different types of propulsive actions are embedded into the robot model: reaction forces due to leg contact with the ground and hydrodynamic forces such as the drag arising from the sculling motion of the legs. Dynamic parameters of the model are estimated by means of evolutionary techniques and subsequently the model is exploited to highlight some distinctive features of ULL. Specifically, the separation between the center of buoyancy (CoB)/center of mass and density affect the stability and speed of the robot, whereas the sculling movements contribute to propelling the robot even when its legs are detached from the ground. The relevance of these effects is demonstrated through robotic experiments and model simulations; moreover, by slightly changing the position of the CoB in the presence of the same feed-forward activation, a number of different behaviors (i.e. forward and backward locomotion at different speeds) are achieved.

Development of a humanoid robot hand with coupling four-bar linkage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinhua Liu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available To improve the operating performance of robots’ end-effector, a humanoid robot hand based on coupling four-bar linkage was designed. An improved transmission system was proposed for the base joint of the thumb. Thus, a far greater motion range and more reasonable layout of the palm were obtained. Moreover, the mathematical model for kinematics simulation was presented based on the Assur linkage group theory to verify and optimize the proposed structure. To research the motion relationships between the fingers and the object in the process of grasping object, the grasping analysis of multi-finger manipulation was presented based on contact kinematics. Finally, a prototype of the humanoid robot hand was produced by a three-dimensional printer, and a kinematics simulation example and the workspace solving of the humanoid robot hand were carried out. The results showed that the velocities of finger joints approximately met the proportion relationship 1:1:1, which accorded with the grasping law of the human hand. In addition, the large workspace, reasonable layout, and good manipulability of the humanoid robot hand were verified.

A novel semi-automatic snake robot for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery: preclinical tests in animal and human cadaver models (with video).

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Jaebum; Cho, Chang Nho; Kim, Kwang Gi; Chang, Tae Young; Jung, Hyunchul; Kim, Sung Chun; Kim, Min-Tae; Yang, Nari; Kim, Tae-Yun; Sohn, Dae Kyung

2015-06-01

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is an emerging surgical technique. We aimed to design, create, and evaluate a new semi-automatic snake robot for NOTES. The snake robot employs the characteristics of both a manual endoscope and a multi-segment snake robot. This robot is inserted and retracted manually, like a classical endoscope, while its shape is controlled using embedded robot technology. The feasibility of a prototype robot for NOTES was evaluated in animals and human cadavers. The transverse stiffness and maneuverability of the snake robot appeared satisfactory. It could be advanced through the anus as far as the peritoneal cavity without any injury to adjacent organs. Preclinical tests showed that the device could navigate the peritoneal cavity. The snake robot has advantages of high transverse force and intuitive control. This new robot may be clinically superior to conventional tools for transanal NOTES.

PROCESSING OF CRAWLED URBAN IMAGERY FOR BUILDING USE CLASSIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Tutzauer

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Recent years have shown a shift from pure geometric 3D city models to data with semantics. This is induced by new applications (e.g. Virtual/Augmented Reality and also a requirement for concepts like Smart Cities. However, essential urban semantic data like building use categories is often not available. We present a first step in bridging this gap by proposing a pipeline to use crawled urban imagery and link it with ground truth cadastral data as an input for automatic building use classification. We aim to extract this city-relevant semantic information automatically from Street View (SV imagery. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs proved to be extremely successful for image interpretation, however, require a huge amount of training data. Main contribution of the paper is the automatic provision of such training datasets by linking semantic information as already available from databases provided from national mapping agencies or city administrations to the corresponding façade images extracted from SV. Finally, we present first investigations with a CNN and an alternative classifier as a proof of concept.

Cultural Robotics: The Culture of Robotics and Robotics in Culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hooman Samani

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we have investigated the concept of “Cultural Robotics” with regard to the evolution of social into cultural robots in the 21st Century. By defining the concept of culture, the potential development of a culture between humans and robots is explored. Based on the cultural values of the robotics developers, and the learning ability of current robots, cultural attributes in this regard are in the process of being formed, which would define the new concept of cultural robotics. According to the importance of the embodiment of robots in the sense of presence, the influence of robots in communication culture is anticipated. The sustainability of robotics culture based on diversity for cultural communities for various acceptance modalities is explored in order to anticipate the creation of different attributes of culture between robots and humans in the future.

Friendly network robotics; Friendly network robotics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-03-01

This paper summarizes the research results on the friendly network robotics in fiscal 1996. This research assumes an android robot as an ultimate robot and the future robot system utilizing computer network technology. The robot aiming at human daily work activities in factories or under extreme environments is required to work under usual human work environments. The human robot with similar size, shape and functions to human being is desirable. Such robot having a head with two eyes, two ears and mouth can hold a conversation with human being, can walk with two legs by autonomous adaptive control, and has a behavior intelligence. Remote operation of such robot is also possible through high-speed computer network. As a key technology to use this robot under coexistence with human being, establishment of human coexistent robotics was studied. As network based robotics, use of robots connected with computer networks was also studied. In addition, the R-cube (R{sup 3}) plan (realtime remote control robot technology) was proposed. 82 refs., 86 figs., 12 tabs.

Variable geometry truss manipulators: A new type of robot for site inspection and remediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naccarato, F.

1996-01-01

A new type of robotic manipulator has been developed that offers many potential advantages over conventional robot arms for site inspection and remediation. This new robot is based on the variable geometry truss manipulator (VGTM) concept which combines the structural properties of a truss with the dexterous capabilities of a manipulator. By substituting linear actuators for some of the fixed-length members within a truss, the structure can be made to change its overall shape. By coordinating the motion of these actuators appropriately, a VGTM can perform tasks that are relevant to hazardous waste clean-up, including deployment through curved ducts, probing into crevices and obstacle avoidance. Trussarm trademark, a prototype VGTM with twelve degrees-of-freedom, has been constructed by Dynacon Enterprises Limited

Automated Sample Exchange Robots for the Structural Biology Beam Lines at the Photon Factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiraki, Masahiko; Watanabe, Shokei; Yamada, Yusuke; Matsugaki, Naohiro; Igarashi, Noriyuki; Gaponov, Yurii; Wakatsuki, Soichi

2007-01-01

We are now developing automated sample exchange robots for high-throughput protein crystallographic experiments for onsite use at synchrotron beam lines. It is part of the fully automated robotics systems being developed at the Photon Factory, for the purposes of protein crystallization, monitoring crystal growth, harvesting and freezing crystals, mounting the crystals inside a hutch and for data collection. We have already installed the sample exchange robots based on the SSRL automated mounting system at our insertion device beam lines BL-5A and AR-NW12A at the Photon Factory. In order to reduce the time required for sample exchange further, a prototype of a double-tonged system was developed. As a result of preliminary experiments with double-tonged robots, the sample exchange time was successfully reduced from 70 seconds to 10 seconds with the exception of the time required for pre-cooling and warming up the tongs

Robot vision for nuclear advanced robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, Ryoichi; Okano, Hideharu; Kuno, Yoshinori; Miyazawa, Tatsuo; Shimada, Hideo; Okada, Satoshi; Kawamura, Astuo

1991-01-01

This paper describes Robot Vision and Operation System for Nuclear Advanced Robot. This Robot Vision consists of robot position detection, obstacle detection and object recognition. With these vision techniques, a mobile robot can make a path and move autonomously along the planned path. The authors implemented the above robot vision system on the 'Advanced Robot for Nuclear Power Plant' and tested in an environment mocked up as nuclear power plant facilities. Since the operation system for this robot consists of operator's console and a large stereo monitor, this system can be easily operated by one person. Experimental tests were made using the Advanced Robot (nuclear robot). Results indicate that the proposed operation system is very useful, and can be operate by only person. (author)

A cost-effective intelligent robotic system with dual-arm dexterous coordination and real-time vision

Science.gov (United States)

Marzwell, Neville I.; Chen, Alexander Y. K.

1991-01-01

Dexterous coordination of manipulators based on the use of redundant degrees of freedom, multiple sensors, and built-in robot intelligence represents a critical breakthrough in development of advanced manufacturing technology. A cost-effective approach for achieving this new generation of robotics has been made possible by the unprecedented growth of the latest microcomputer and network systems. The resulting flexible automation offers the opportunity to improve the product quality, increase the reliability of the manufacturing process, and augment the production procedures for optimizing the utilization of the robotic system. Moreover, the Advanced Robotic System (ARS) is modular in design and can be upgraded by closely following technological advancements as they occur in various fields. This approach to manufacturing automation enhances the financial justification and ensures the long-term profitability and most efficient implementation of robotic technology. The new system also addresses a broad spectrum of manufacturing demand and has the potential to address both complex jobs as well as highly labor-intensive tasks. The ARS prototype employs the decomposed optimization technique in spatial planning. This technique is implemented to the framework of the sensor-actuator network to establish the general-purpose geometric reasoning system. The development computer system is a multiple microcomputer network system, which provides the architecture for executing the modular network computing algorithms. The knowledge-based approach used in both the robot vision subsystem and the manipulation control subsystems results in the real-time image processing vision-based capability. The vision-based task environment analysis capability and the responsive motion capability are under the command of the local intelligence centers. An array of ultrasonic, proximity, and optoelectronic sensors is used for path planning. The ARS currently has 18 degrees of freedom made up by two

The prototype cameras for trans-Neptunian automatic occultation survey

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiang-Yu; Ling, Hung-Hsu; Hu, Yen-Sang; Geary, John C.; Chang, Yin-Chang; Chen, Hsin-Yo; Amato, Stephen M.; Huang, Pin-Jie; Pratlong, Jerome; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; Lehner, Matthew; Norton, Timothy; Jorden, Paul

2016-08-01

The Transneptunian Automated Occultation Survey (TAOS II) is a three robotic telescope project to detect the stellar occultation events generated by TransNeptunian Objects (TNOs). TAOS II project aims to monitor about 10000 stars simultaneously at 20Hz to enable statistically significant event rate. The TAOS II camera is designed to cover the 1.7 degrees diameter field of view of the 1.3m telescope with 10 mosaic 4.5k×2k CMOS sensors. The new CMOS sensor (CIS 113) has a back illumination thinned structure and high sensitivity to provide similar performance to that of the back-illumination thinned CCDs. Due to the requirements of high performance and high speed, the development of the new CMOS sensor is still in progress. Before the science arrays are delivered, a prototype camera is developed to help on the commissioning of the robotic telescope system. The prototype camera uses the small format e2v CIS 107 device but with the same dewar and also the similar control electronics as the TAOS II science camera. The sensors, mounted on a single Invar plate, are cooled to the operation temperature of about 200K as the science array by a cryogenic cooler. The Invar plate is connected to the dewar body through a supporting ring with three G10 bipods. The control electronics consists of analog part and a Xilinx FPGA based digital circuit. One FPGA is needed to control and process the signal from a CMOS sensor for 20Hz region of interests (ROI) readout.

Augmented robotic device for EVA hand manoeuvres

Science.gov (United States)

Matheson, Eloise; Brooker, Graham

2012-12-01

During extravehicular activities (EVAs), pressurised space suits can lead to difficulties in performing hand manoeuvres and fatigue. This is often the cause of EVAs being terminated early, or taking longer to complete. Assistive robotic gloves can be used to augment the natural motion of a human hand, meaning work can be carried out more efficiently with less stress to the astronaut. Lightweight and low profile solutions must be found in order for the assistive robotic glove to be easily integrated with a space suit pressure garment. Pneumatic muscle actuators combined with force sensors are one such solution. These actuators are extremely light, yet can output high forces using pressurised gases as the actuation drive. Their movement is omnidirectional, so when combined with a flexible exoskeleton that itself provides a degree of freedom of movement, individual fingers can be controlled during flexion and extension. This setup allows actuators and other hardware to be stored remotely on the user's body, resulting in the least possible mass being supported by the hand. Two prototype gloves have been developed at the University of Sydney; prototype I using a fibreglass exoskeleton to provide flexion force, and prototype II using torsion springs to achieve the same result. The gloves have been designed to increase the ease of human movements, rather than to add unnatural ability to the hand. A state space control algorithm has been developed to ensure that human initiated movements are recognised, and calibration methods have been implemented to accommodate the different characteristics of each wearer's hands. For this calibration technique, it was necessary to take into account the natural tremors of the human hand which may have otherwise initiated unexpected control signals. Prototype I was able to actuate the user's hand in 1 degree of freedom (DOF) from full flexion to partial extension, and prototype II actuated a user's finger in 2 DOF with forces achieved

Parametric optimization in virtual prototyping environment of the control device for a robotic system used in thin layers deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Enescu (Balaş, M. L.; Alexandru, C.

2016-08-01

The paper deals with the optimal design of the control system for a 6-DOF robot used in thin layers deposition. The optimization is based on parametric technique, by modelling the design objective as a numerical function, and then establishing the optimal values of the design variables so that to minimize the objective function. The robotic system is a mechatronic product, which integrates the mechanical device and the controlled operating device.The mechanical device of the robot was designed in the CAD (Computer Aided Design) software CATIA, the 3D-model being then transferred to the MBS (Multi-Body Systems) environment ADAMS/View. The control system was developed in the concurrent engineering concept, through the integration with the MBS mechanical model, by using the DFC (Design for Control) software solution EASY5. The necessary angular motions in the six joints of the robot, in order to obtain the imposed trajectory of the end-effector, have been established by performing the inverse kinematic analysis. The positioning error in each joint of the robot is used as design objective, the optimization goal being to minimize the root mean square during simulation, which is a measure of the magnitude of the positioning error varying quantity.

Robotic membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ramsgaard Thomsen, Mette

2008-01-01

The relationship between digital and analogue is often constructed as one of opposition. The perception that the world is permeated with underlying patterns of data, describing events and matter alike, suggests that information can be understood apart from the substance to which it is associated......, and that its encoded logic can be constructed and reconfigured as an isolated entity. This disembodiment of information from materiality implies that an event like a thunderstorm, or a material like a body, can be described equally by data, in other words it can be read or written. The following prototypes......, Vivisection and Strange Metabolisms, were developed at the Centre for Information Technology and Architecture (CITA) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen as a means of engaging intangible digital data with tactile physical material. As robotic membranes, they are a dual examination...

Robotics Inspection Vehicle for Advanced Storages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruiz, Emilio; Renaldi, Graziano; Puig, David; Franzetti, Michele; Correcher, Carlos [European Commission, Ispra (Italy). Inst. for the Protection and Security of the Citizen

2003-05-01

After the dismantling of nuclear weapons and the probable release of large quantities of weapon graded materials under international verification regimes, there will be a wide interest in unmanned, highly automated and secure storage areas. In such circumstances, robotics technologies can provide an effective answer to the problem of securing, manipulating and inventorying all stored materials. In view of this future application JRC's NPNS started the development and construction of an advanced robotics prototype and demonstration system, named Robotics Inspection Vehicle (RIV), for remote inspection, surveillance and remote handling in those areas. The system was designed to meet requirements of reliability, security, high availability, robustness against radiation effects, self-maintainability (i.e., auto-repair capability), and easy installation. Due to its innovative holonomic design, RIV is a highly maneuverable and agile platform able to move in any direction, including sideways. The platform carries on-board a five degree of freedom manipulator arm. The high maneuverability and operation modes take into account the needs for accessing in the most easy way materials in the storage area. The platform is prepared to operate in one of three modes: i) manual tele-operation, ii) semiautonomous and iii) fully autonomous. The paper describes RIV's main design features, and details its GENERIS based control software [JRC's software architecture for robotics] and embedded sensors (i.e., 3D laser range, transponder antenna, ultra-sound, vision-based robot guidance, force-torque sensors, etc.). RIV was designed to incorporate several JRC innovative surveillance and inspection technologies and reveals that the current state of technology is mature to effectively provide a solution to novel storage solutions. The system is available for demonstration at JRC's Rialto Laboratory.

TosNet: An easy-to-use, real-time communications protocol for modular, distributed robot controllers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falsig, Simon; Sørensen, Anders Stengaard

2009-01-01

Net supports up to 15 nodes, with cycle-rates up to 25 kHz, depending on the configuration. The protocol stack is completely specified as VHDL code, implemented in an FPGA. The physical layer is implemented with Toslink fiberoptic links, offering a compact, robust and highly available link technology......This paper presents the TosNet network, created for robotics research, education, and prototyping, emphasizing ease of use, robustness, compactness, flexibility and fast hard realtime response, to allow distribution of all levels of the robot control system. The current implementation of Tos...

Parametric motion control of robotic arms: A biologically based approach using neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, O.; D'Eleuterio, G. M. T.; Lipitkas, J.; Grodski, J. J.

1993-01-01

A neural network based system is presented which is able to generate point-to-point movements of robotic manipulators. The foundation of this approach is the use of prototypical control torque signals which are defined by a set of parameters. The parameter set is used for scaling and shaping of these prototypical torque signals to effect a desired outcome of the system. This approach is based on neurophysiological findings that the central nervous system stores generalized cognitive representations of movements called synergies, schemas, or motor programs. It has been proposed that these motor programs may be stored as torque-time functions in central pattern generators which can be scaled with appropriate time and magnitude parameters. The central pattern generators use these parameters to generate stereotypical torque-time profiles, which are then sent to the joint actuators. Hence, only a small number of parameters need to be determined for each point-to-point movement instead of the entire torque-time trajectory. This same principle is implemented for controlling the joint torques of robotic manipulators where a neural network is used to identify the relationship between the task requirements and the torque parameters. Movements are specified by the initial robot position in joint coordinates and the desired final end-effector position in Cartesian coordinates. This information is provided to the neural network which calculates six torque parameters for a two-link system. The prototypical torque profiles (one per joint) are then scaled by those parameters. After appropriate training of the network, our parametric control design allowed the reproduction of a trained set of movements with relatively high accuracy, and the production of previously untrained movements with comparable accuracy. We conclude that our approach was successful in discriminating between trained movements and in generalizing to untrained movements.

Robotics

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, E. P.; Iurevich, E. I.

The history and the current status of robotics are reviewed, as are the design, operation, and principal applications of industrial robots. Attention is given to programmable robots, robots with adaptive control and elements of artificial intelligence, and remotely controlled robots. The applications of robots discussed include mechanical engineering, cargo handling during transportation and storage, mining, and metallurgy. The future prospects of robotics are briefly outlined.

PLANNING IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTICS (PAIR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Editorial, Foreword

2016-11-01

, in particular from Czechia, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. Regarding this, the conference continues with addressing a broader audience and not only students from Czech universities.During the student talks, it has been satisfactory to see young researchers how they acquired experience with presenting their ideas and share results with the audience. The topics of the student presentations range from fundamental problems of mobile robotics such simultaneous localization and mapping, planning algorithms, decentralized exploration but also address high-level data managing for guiding humans or autonomous vehicles. Six papers have been selected for the proceedings and you can read students work about autonomous robot control in robotic competitions, communications frameworks in multi-robot systems, map building, localization of hexapod crawling robot and its energy efficiency using various motion gaits, and multi-goal planning for unmanned aerial vehicles. These papers have been mostly written by undergraduate students, and it is my great pleasure to see how they put their results into a form of research papers. Hopefully, it will provide them nice experience and courage them to further research and scientific work. The format of the conference as a joint event with the RoboTour competition proves to be very vital and interesting for young researchers. Based on the positive feedback and interest from the international young research community, it encourages me to continue with the conference for the next year. I would like to thank all the authors for high-quality presentations and final versions of the articles presented in the proceedings. Thank you all,Jan Faigl 

Robot 2015 : Second Iberian Robotics Conference : Advances in Robotics

CERN Document Server

Moreira, António; Lima, Pedro; Montano, Luis; Muñoz-Martinez, Victor

2016-01-01

This book contains a selection of papers accepted for presentation and discussion at ROBOT 2015: Second Iberian Robotics Conference, held in Lisbon, Portugal, November 19th-21th, 2015. ROBOT 2015 is part of a series of conferences that are a joint organization of SPR – “Sociedade Portuguesa de Robótica/ Portuguese Society for Robotics”, SEIDROB – Sociedad Española para la Investigación y Desarrollo de la Robótica/ Spanish Society for Research and Development in Robotics and CEA-GTRob – Grupo Temático de Robótica/ Robotics Thematic Group. The conference organization had also the collaboration of several universities and research institutes, including: University of Minho, University of Porto, University of Lisbon, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, University of Aveiro, University of Zaragoza, University of Malaga, LIACC, INESC-TEC and LARSyS. Robot 2015 was focussed on the Robotics scientific and technological activities in the Iberian Peninsula, although open to research and delegates from other...

Biological inspiration used for robots motion synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielińska, Teresa

2009-01-01

This work presents a biologically inspired method of gait generation. Bipedal gait pattern (for hip and knee joints) was taken into account giving the reference trajectories in a learning task. The four coupled oscillators were taught to generate the outputs similar to those in a human gait. After applying the correction functions the obtained generation method was validated using ZMP criterion. The formula suitable for real-time motion generation taking into account the positioning errors was also formulated. The small real robot prototype was tested to be able walk successfully following the elaborated motion pattern.

Robot-assisted intracerebral hemorrhage evacuation: an experimental evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Burgner, Jessica; Swaney, Philip J.; Lathrop, Ray A.; Weaver, Kyle D.; Webster, Robert J.

2013-03-01

We present a novel robotic approach for the rapid, minimally invasive treatment of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH), in which a hematoma or blood clot arises in the brain parenchyma. We present a custom image-guided robot system that delivers a steerable cannula into the lesion and aspirates it from the inside. The steerable cannula consists of an initial straight tube delivered in a manner similar to image-guided biopsy (and which uses a commercial image guidance system), followed by the sequential deployment of multiple individual precurved elastic tubes. Rather than deploying the tubes simultaneously, as has been done in nearly all prior studies, we deploy the tubes one at a time, using a compilation of their individual workspaces to reach desired points inside the lesion. This represents a new paradigm in active cannula research, defining a novel procedure-planning problem. A design that solves this problem can potentially save many lives by enabling brain decompression both more rapidly and less invasively than is possible through the traditional open surgery approach. Experimental results include a comparison of the simulated and actual workspaces of the prototype robot, and an accuracy evaluation of the system.

Numerical and experimental study of the virtual quadrupedal walking robot-semiquad

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoustin, Yannick; Chevallereau, Christine; Formal'sky, Alexander

2006-01-01

SemiQuad is a prototyped walking robot with a platform and two double-link legs. Thus, it is a five-link mechanism. The front leg models identical motions of two quadruped's front legs, the back leg models identical motions of two quadruped's back legs. The legs have passive (uncontrolled) feet that extend in the frontal plane. Due to this the robot is stable in the frontal plane. This robot can be viewed as a 'virtual' quadruped. Four DC motors drive the mechanism. Its control system comprises a computer, hardware servo-systems and power amplifiers. The locomotion of the prototype is planar curvet gait. In the double support our prototype is statically stable and over actuated. In the single support it is unstable and under actuated system. There is no flight phase. We describe here the scheme of the mechanism, the characteristics of the drives and the control strategy. The dynamic model of the planar walking is recalled for the double, single support phases and for the impact instant. An intuitive control strategy is detailed. The designed control strategy overcomes the difficulties appeared due to unstable and under actuated motion in the single support. Due to the control algorithm the walking regime consists of the alternating different phases. The sequence of these phases is the following. A double support phase begins. A fast bend and unbend of the front leg allows a lift-off of the front leg. During the single support on the back leg the distance between the two leg tips increases. Then an impact occurs and a new double support phase begins. A fast bend and unbend of the back leg allows the lift-off of the back leg. During the single support on the front leg the distance between the two leg tips decreases to form a cyclic walking gait. The experiments give results that are close to those of the simulation

Three-dimensional computer-aided human factors engineering analysis of a grafting robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Y C; Chen, S; Wu, G J; Lin, Y H

2012-07-01

The objective of this research was to conduct a human factors engineering analysis of a grafting robot design using computer-aided 3D simulation technology. A prototype tubing-type grafting robot for fruits and vegetables was the subject of a series of case studies. To facilitate the incorporation of human models into the operating environment of the grafting robot, I-DEAS graphic software was applied to establish individual models of the grafting robot in line with Jack ergonomic analysis. Six human models (95th percentile, 50th percentile, and 5th percentile by height for both males and females) were employed to simulate the operating conditions and working postures in a real operating environment. The lower back and upper limb stresses of the operators were analyzed using the lower back analysis (LBA) and rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) functions in Jack. The experimental results showed that if a leg space is introduced under the robot, the operator can sit closer to the robot, which reduces the operator's level of lower back and upper limbs stress. The proper environmental layout for Taiwanese operators for minimum levels of lower back and upper limb stress are to set the grafting operation at 23.2 cm away from the operator at a height of 85 cm and with 45 cm between the rootstock and scion units.

Ultra light inspection robotic arm, design and modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voisembert, S.

2012-01-01

One of the major challenges in robotics is the improvement of inspections operations in confined and hazardous area using unmanned remote handling systems. Articulated arm are used in this case to carry some diagnostic tools for the inspection tasks. These long reach multi-link carriers should be characterized by a large workspace and reduced mass. Today, with about ten degrees of freedom and ten meters long they have reached their performance limit. Indeed, for long reach, the arm should have enough torque to carry its own weight plus the payload in cantilever mode and enough stiffness to minimize the deflection caused by the gravity. Despite the use of best materials and components, this kind of robot has reach its performance limit. Overcoming this limit needs a change in paradigm. Therefore a problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool TRIZ (theory of inventive problem solving) is used. It leads naturally to identify the origin of the dilemma: the proper weight of the arm and so its mass under gravity. In particular, it proposes to postulate that a no-mass robot exists. An analysis of the properties of such a robot leads to the patented concept of an ultra light inflatable robot with unique and constant volume and constant diameter joints. This new object would benefit from advantages such as easy implementation, harmlessness toward its environment and so the ability to lean on it without damage. Therefore it could easily increase its range and its foreseen low-cost building would open a wide field of new applications. This thesis work, elaborates appropriate technical concepts and dimensioning methods for ultra light inflatable robots. The payload and length performances of an inflatable robot are analytically validated. Experimentations and a finite-element modeling are used for a pre-dimensioning of the joints and different modes of construction are prototyped in partnership with, specialized company in thigh-tech textile. The joints are also modeled with

Autonomous Inspection Robot for Power Transmission Lines Maintenance While Operating on the Overhead Ground Wires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Li

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the development of a mobile robot capable of clearing such obstacles as counterweights, anchor clamps, and torsion tower. The mobile robot walks on overhead ground wires in 500KV power tower. Its ultimate purpose is to automate to inspect the defect of power transmission line. The robot with 13 motors is composed of two arms, two wheels, two claws, two wrists, etc. Each arm has 4 degree of freedom. Claws are also mounted on the arms. An embedded computer based on PC/104 is chosen as the core of control system. Visible light and thermal infrared cameras are installed to obtain the video and temperature information, and the communication system is based on wireless LAN TCP/IP protocol. A prototype robot was developed with careful considerations of mobility. The new sensor configuration is used for the claw to grasp the overhead ground wires. The bridge is installed in the torsion tower for the robot easy to cross obstacles. The new posture plan is proposed for obstacles cleaning in the torsion tower. Results of experiments demonstrate that the robot can be applied to execute the navigation and inspection tasks.

Autonomous Inspection Robot for Power Transmission Lines Maintenance While Operating on the Overhead Ground Wires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Li

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the development of a mobile robot capable of clearing such obstacles as counterweights, anchor clamps, and torsion tower. The mobile robot walks on overhead ground wires in 500KV power tower. Its ultimate purpose is to automate to inspect the defect of power transmission line. The robot with 13 motors is composed of two arms, two wheels, two claws, two wrists, etc. Each arm has 4 degree of freedom. Claws are also mounted on the arms. An embedded computer based on PC/104 is chosen as the core of control system. Visible light and thermal infrared cameras are installed to obtain the video and temperature information, and the communication system is based on wireless LAN TCP/IP protocol. A prototype robot was developed with careful considerations of mobility. The new sensor configuration is used for the claw to grasp the overhead ground wires. The bridge is installed in the torsion tower for the robot easy to cross obstacles. The new posture plan is proposed for obstacles cleaning in the torsion tower. Results of experiments demonstrate that the robot can be applied to execute the navigation and inspection tasks.

Nonparametric Online Learning Control for Soft Continuum Robot: An Enabling Technique for Effective Endoscopic Navigation

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kit-Hang; Fu, Denny K.C.; Leong, Martin C.W.; Chow, Marco; Fu, Hing-Choi; Althoefer, Kaspar; Sze, Kam Yim; Yeung, Chung-Kwong

2017-01-01

Abstract Bioinspired robotic structures comprising soft actuation units have attracted increasing research interest. Taking advantage of its inherent compliance, soft robots can assure safe interaction with external environments, provided that precise and effective manipulation could be achieved. Endoscopy is a typical application. However, previous model-based control approaches often require simplified geometric assumptions on the soft manipulator, but which could be very inaccurate in the presence of unmodeled external interaction forces. In this study, we propose a generic control framework based on nonparametric and online, as well as local, training to learn the inverse model directly, without prior knowledge of the robot's structural parameters. Detailed experimental evaluation was conducted on a soft robot prototype with control redundancy, performing trajectory tracking in dynamically constrained environments. Advanced element formulation of finite element analysis is employed to initialize the control policy, hence eliminating the need for random exploration in the robot's workspace. The proposed control framework enabled a soft fluid-driven continuum robot to follow a 3D trajectory precisely, even under dynamic external disturbance. Such enhanced control accuracy and adaptability would facilitate effective endoscopic navigation in complex and changing environments. PMID:29251567

Cultural Robotics: The Culture of Robotics and Robotics in Culture

OpenAIRE

Hooman Samani; Elham Saadatian; Natalie Pang; Doros Polydorou; Owen Noel Newton Fernando; Ryohei Nakatsu; Jeffrey Tzu Kwan Valino Koh

2013-01-01

In this paper, we have investigated the concept of “Cultural Robotics” with regard to the evolution of social into cultural robots in the 21st Century. By defining the concept of culture, the potential development of a culture between humans and robots is explored. Based on the cultural values of the robotics developers, and the learning ability of current robots, cultural attributes in this regard are in the process of being formed, which would define the new concept of cultural robotics. Ac...

The Design and Implementation of a Prototype Surf-Zone Robot for Waterborne Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2015-12-01

Measurement Unit IR Infrared MC Mission Complexity MONTe Mobility over Non-Trivial Terrain MOSART Mobile Surf-zone Amphibious Robot NIST... rubber coating (Plasti-Dip) and a liquid repellent treatment (Rust-Oleum Never Wet–multisurface). An FDM sparse part T5 was coated as depicted in Figure...Coating Process on FDM Part T5 Figure 15. (a) FDM part with two layers of black rubber coating (first coating), (b) FDM part with liquid repelling

A Methodology for the Design of Robotic Hands with Multiple Fingers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Eduardo Parada Puig

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a methodology that has been applied for a design process of anthropomorphic hands with multiple fingers. Biomechanical characteristics of human hand have been analysed so that ergonomic and anthropometric aspects have been used as fundamental references for obtaining grasping mechanisms. A kinematic analysis has been proposed to define the requirements for designing grasping functions. Selection of materials and actuators has been discussed too. This topic has been based on previous experiences with prototypes that have been developed at the Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM of the University of Cassino. An example of the application of the proposed method has been presented for the design of a first prototype of LARM Hand.

Robot Actors, Robot Dramaturgies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jochum, Elizabeth

This paper considers the use of tele-operated robots in live performance. Robots and performance have long been linked, from the working androids and automata staged in popular exhibitions during the nineteenth century and the robots featured at Cybernetic Serendipity (1968) and the World Expo...

Prosthetic Jamming Terminal Device: A Case Study of Untethered Soft Robotics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Nadia; Amend, John; Farrell, Todd; Latour, Debra; Martinez, Carlos; Johansson, Jen; McNicoll, Anthony; Wartenberg, Marek; Naseef, Samuel; Hanson, William; Culley, William

2016-12-01

This article illuminates the major and often overlooked challenge of untethering soft robotic systems through the context of recent work, in which soft robotic gripper technology enabled by jamming of granular media was applied to a prosthetic jamming terminal device (PJTD). The PJTD's technical and market feasibility was evaluated in a pilot study with two upper-limb amputees. A PJTD prototype was tested against a commercial device (Motion Control electric terminal service with a one degree-of-freedom pinching mechanism) using two existing hand function tests: the first quantified the device's speed in picking and placing small blocks and the second evaluated a person's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). The PJTD prototype performed slightly slower than its commercial counterpart in the first test. While both participants successfully completed all the ADLs with both devices in the second test, the commercial device scored marginally higher. Results suggested that PJTD can have potential benefits over existing terminal devices, such as providing the capability to firmly grasp tools due to the ability of PJTD to conform to arbitrary surfaces and reducing compensatory shoulder movements due to its axisymmetric design. Some downsides were that users reported fatigue while operating the PJTD, as most operations require pushing the PJTD against target objects to adequately conform to them. The greatest drawback for the PJTD is also a major roadblock preventing a number of soft robotic research projects from making an impact in real-world applications: pneumatic technology required for operating the PJTD is currently too large and heavy to enable compact untethered operation.

Robotic Automation in Computer Controlled Polishing

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, D. D.; Yu, G.; Bibby, M.; Dunn, C.; Li, H.; Wu, Y.; Zheng, X.; Zhang, P.

2016-02-01

We first present a Case Study - the manufacture of 1.4 m prototype mirror-segments for the European Extremely Large Telescope, undertaken by the National Facility for Ultra Precision Surfaces, at the OpTIC facility operated by Glyndwr University. Scale-up to serial-manufacture demands delivery of a 1.4 m off-axis aspheric hexagonal segment with surface precision robots and computer numerically controlled ('CNC') polishing machines for optical fabrication. The objective was not to assess which is superior. Rather, it was to understand for the first time their complementary properties, leading us to operate them together as a unit, integrated in hardware and software. Three key areas are reported. First is the novel use of robots to automate currently-manual operations on CNC polishing machines, to improve work-throughput, mitigate risk of damage to parts, and reduce dependence on highly-skilled staff. Second is the use of robots to pre-process surfaces prior to CNC polishing, to reduce total process time. The third draws the threads together, describing our vision of the automated manufacturing cell, where the operator interacts at cell rather than machine level. This promises to deliver a step-change in end-to-end manufacturing times and costs, compared with either platform used on its own or, indeed, the state-of-the-art used elsewhere.

Design of a robotized workstation making use of the integration of CAD models and Robotic Simulation software as way of pairing and comparing real and virtual environments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Velíšek Karol

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last years, there has been an increasing tendency and pressure on the faster implementation robotic devices and systems in manufacturing. Such transition involves several disciplines starting with the prototyping of CAD models itself. The paper addresses the creation of CAD models and is mainly aimed at their integration in a given simulation environment according to the conception and guidelines of Industry 4.0, where the part itself becomes the entity carrying most of the needed information at any time of a production process. The creation of such CAD models is key for the further and better customization of simulations. In other to better exemplify all this, the paper describes the whole process of “virtual to real life implementation” of a given robotized workplace needed to be developed at the Institute. The design of such robotized workplace included the use of an ABB IRB 120 robot and several other devices which were all designed, simulated and analyzed in a virtual environment before the final development and implementation. This paper helped demonstrating the importance of having exactly the same model (real and virtual with respect to the success of the offline simulations.

Transfer system development for a remote inspection robot in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mizuno, M.; Ohnuma, M.; Hamada, K.; Mizutani, T.; Shimada, A.; Segawa, M.; Kubo, K.

1984-01-01

A remote operated robot system has been developed for inspection inside the primary containment vessel (PCV) of nuclear power plants. This system consists of an inspection vehicle, a monorail driving system, a signal transmission system, a power supply system and an operator console.. The system has two main features. First is that the operator can transfer the vehicle at any time from outside the PCV to inside or vice versa through a personnel airlock. The second feature is that the vehicle can be transported from one inspection route to another route at junction points. A prototype inspection robot system was fabricated on a trial basis. Running and inspection performances were confirmed utilizing actual size test apparatus

The Relationship between Anthropometric Characteristics and Crawl and Breaststroke Performance in Adolescent Girl Swimmers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirin Yazdani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anthropometric characteristics and crawl and breaststroke performance in adolescent girl swimmers with an emphasis on ratio of length and width of limbs to the height of subjects. Methods: Twenty adolescent female swimmers voluntarily participated in this study. Anthropometric variables, including height , length of thigh, leg, foot, arm, forearm and hand , arm span, widths of pelvic, shoulders, knees, wrists and ankles were measured using a tape measure and caliper. Then the ratio of length and width of limbs to the height of subjects was calculated. Pearson correlation test at a significance level of 0.05 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Significant relationship were found between crawl record and subjects’ height, thigh, arm and forearm lengths, arm span, shoulder width, the ratios of arm, palm and foot length to the height and ratio of arm span to height (p<0.05. Also, the relationship between breaststroke record and subjects’ height, arm and thigh lengths, arm span, shoulder and palm widths, the ratios of forearm and thigh lengths to the height, ratio of shoulder girdle width to height and ratio of shoulder girdle to pelvic width were all found to be significant (p<0.05. Conclusion: In addition to the effect of anthropometric characteristics such as height, arm, forearm, thigh lengths, arm span, palm and shoulder girdle widths on the performance of adolescent girl swimmers, the ratios of limb lengths and widths to the height and ratio of shoulder girdle to pelvic width were positively related with swimming record. Thus, it is recommended that to achieve better results in swimming talent, coaches consider the ratio of limbs to the height.

To Glide or Not to Glide.... Response to Havriluk's Comment on "Arm Coordination and Performance Level in the 400-m Front Crawl"

Science.gov (United States)

Schnitzler, Christophe; Seifert, Ludovic; Chollet, Didier

2012-01-01

We recently published an article on arm coordination and performance level in 400-m front-crawl swimming in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (Schnitzler, Seifert, & Chollet, 2011). The index of coordination (IdC) was used to quantify interarm coordination. Our results showed that expert swimmers exhibited lower IdC than recreational…

Design of the Dual Offset Active Caster Wheel for Holonomic Omni-Directional Mobile Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Woojin Chung

2010-12-01

Full Text Available It is shown how a holonomic and omni-directional mobile robot is designed towards indoor public services. Dual offset steerable wheels with orthogonal velocity components are proposed. The proposed wheel provides precise positioning and reliable navigation performance as well as durability. A fabricated prototype is introduced, then, an experiment is carried out.

System overview and walking dynamics of a passive dynamic walking robot with flat feet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinyu Liu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of “passive dynamic walking robot” refers to the robot that can walk down a shallow slope stably without any actuation and control which shows a limit cycle during walking. By adding actuation at some joints, the passive dynamic walking robot can walk stably on level ground and exhibit more versatile gaits than fully passive robot, namely, the “limit cycle walker.” In this article, we present the mechanical structures and control system design for a passive dynamic walking robot with series elastic actuators at hip joint and ankle joints. We built a walking model that consisted of an upper body, knee joints, and flat feet and derived its walking dynamics that involve double stance phases in a walking cycle based on virtual power principle. The instant just before impact was chosen as the start of one step to reduce the number of independent state variables. A numerical simulation was implemented by using MATLAB, in which the proposed passive dynamic walking model could walk stably down a shallow slope, which proves that the derived walking dynamics are correct. A physical passive robot prototype was built finally, and the experiment results show that by only simple control scheme the passive dynamic robot could walk stably on level ground.

TACIT: An open-source text analysis, crawling, and interpretation tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghani, Morteza; Johnson, Kate M; Garten, Justin; Boghrati, Reihane; Hoover, Joe; Balasubramanian, Vijayan; Singh, Anurag; Shankar, Yuvarani; Pulickal, Linda; Rajkumar, Aswin; Parmar, Niki Jitendra

2017-04-01

As human activity and interaction increasingly take place online, the digital residues of these activities provide a valuable window into a range of psychological and social processes. A great deal of progress has been made toward utilizing these opportunities; however, the complexity of managing and analyzing the quantities of data currently available has limited both the types of analysis used and the number of researchers able to make use of these data. Although fields such as computer science have developed a range of techniques and methods for handling these difficulties, making use of those tools has often required specialized knowledge and programming experience. The Text Analysis, Crawling, and Interpretation Tool (TACIT) is designed to bridge this gap by providing an intuitive tool and interface for making use of state-of-the-art methods in text analysis and large-scale data management. Furthermore, TACIT is implemented as an open, extensible, plugin-driven architecture, which will allow other researchers to extend and expand these capabilities as new methods become available.

Influence of part orientation on the geometric accuracy in robot-based incremental sheet metal forming

Science.gov (United States)

Störkle, Denis Daniel; Seim, Patrick; Thyssen, Lars; Kuhlenkötter, Bernd

2016-10-01

This article describes new developments in an incremental, robot-based sheet metal forming process (`Roboforming') for the production of sheet metal components for small lot sizes and prototypes. The dieless kinematic-based generation of the shape is implemented by means of two industrial robots, which are interconnected to a cooperating robot system. Compared to other incremental sheet metal forming (ISF) machines, this system offers high geometrical form flexibility without the need of any part-dependent tools. The industrial application of ISF is still limited by certain constraints, e.g. the low geometrical accuracy. Responding to these constraints, the authors present the influence of the part orientation and the forming sequence on the geometric accuracy. Their influence is illustrated with the help of various experimental results shown and interpreted within this article.

Design of a robotic gait trainer using spring over muscle actuators for ankle stroke rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bharadwaj, Kartik; Sugar, Thomas G; Koeneman, James B; Koeneman, Edward J

2005-11-01

Repetitive task training is an effective form of rehabilitation for people suffering from debilitating injuries of stroke. We present the design and working concept of a robotic gait trainer (RGT), an ankle rehabilitation device for assisting stroke patients during gait. Structurally based on a tripod mechanism, the device is a parallel robot that incorporates two pneumatically powered, double-acting, compliant, spring over muscle actuators as actuation links which move the ankle in dorsiflex ion/plantarflexion and inversion/eversion. A unique feature in the tripod design is that the human anatomy is part of the robot, the first fixed link being the patient's leg. The kinematics and workspace of the tripod device have been analyzed determining its range of motion. Experimental gait data from an able-bodied person wearing the working RGT prototype are presented.

Is Ethics of Robotics about Robots? Philosophy of Robotics Beyond Realism and Individualilsm.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coeckelbergh, Mark

2011-01-01

If we are doing ethics of robotics, what exactly is the object of our inquiry? This paper challenges 'individualist' robot ontology and 'individualist' social philosophy of robots. It is argued that ethics of robotics should not study and evaluate robotics exclusively in terms of individual

Design and Nonlinear Control of a 2-DOF Flexible Parallel Humanoid Arm Joint Robot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leijie Jiang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper focuses on the design and nonlinear control of the humanoid wrist/shoulder joint based on the cable-driven parallel mechanism which can realize roll and pitch movement. In view of the existence of the flexible parts in the mechanism, it is necessary to solve the vibration control of the flexible wrist/shoulder joint. In this paper, a cable-driven parallel robot platform is developed for the experiment study of the humanoid wrist/shoulder joint. And the dynamic model of the mechanism is formulated by using the coupling theory of the flexible body’s large global motion and small flexible deformation. Based on derived dynamics, antivibration control of the joint robot is studied with a nonlinear control method. Finally, simulations and experiments were performed to validate the feasibility of the developed parallel robot prototype and the proposed control scheme.

On the development a pneumatic four-legged mechanism autonomous vertical wall climbing robot

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamad Shukri Zainal Abidin; Shamsudin H.M. Amin . shukri@suria.fke.utm.my

1999-01-01

The paper describes the design of a prototype legged mechanism together with suction mechanism, the mechanical design, on-board controller and an initial performance test. The design is implemented in the form of a pneumatically powered multi-legged robot equipped with suction pads at the sole of the feet for wall climbing purpose. The whole mechanism and suction system is controlled by controller which is housed on-board the robot. The gait of the motion depended on the logic control patterns as dictated by the controller. The robot is equipped with sensors both at the front and rear ends that function as an obstacle avoidance facility. Once objects are detected, signals are sent to the controller to start an evasive action that is to move in the opposite direction. The mechanism has been tested and initial results have shown promising potential for an autonomous mobile. (Author)

Exploratorium: Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, Judith, Ed.

2002-01-01

This issue of Exploratorium Magazine focuses on the topic robotics. It explains how to make a vibrating robotic bug and features articles on robots. Contents include: (1) "Where Robot Mice and Robot Men Run Round in Robot Towns" (Ray Bradbury); (2) "Robots at Work" (Jake Widman); (3) "Make a Vibrating Robotic Bug" (Modesto Tamez); (4) "The Robot…

An Introduction to the Nuclear Document Crawling System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tae, Jae Woong; Yoon, Sung Ho; Shin, Dong Hoon

2016-01-01

The NSG(Nuclear Suppliers Group) guidelines state that controls on 'technology' transfer do not apply to information 'in the public domain' or to 'basic scientific research'. According to the guidelines, 'basic scientific research' is an experimental or theoretical work undertaken principally to acquire new knowledge of the fundamental principles of phenomena and observable facts, not primarily directed towards a specific practical aim or objective. 'Technology in the public domain' means 'technology' or 'software' that has been made available without restrictions upon its further dissemination. It is a difficult problem to determine whether a document is in the public domain or it is a basic scientific research because its criteria are ambiguous and unclear. In this paper, we introduce an approach using documents on the web and a system to manage electronic documents on the web. In this paper, we proposed an approach to determine whether a document is open to public or it is a basic scientific research and we developed the document crawling system to collect open documents on the web. We can take open documents into a review process in a new way. It supports to prevent reviewers from classifying an open document into a strategic technology. It is expected to improve reliability of classification results

Unsteady computational fluid dynamics in front crawl swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Samson, Mathias; Bernard, Anthony; Monnet, Tony; Lacouture, Patrick; David, Laurent

2017-05-01

The development of codes and power calculations currently allows the simulation of increasingly complex flows, especially in the turbulent regime. Swimming research should benefit from these technological advances to try to better understand the dynamic mechanisms involved in swimming. An unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study is conducted in crawl, in order to analyse the propulsive forces generated by the hand and forearm. The k-ω SST turbulence model and an overset grid method have been used. The main objectives are to analyse the evolution of the hand-forearm propulsive forces and to explain this relative to the arm kinematics parameters. In order to validate our simulation model, the calculated forces and pressures were compared with several other experimental and numerical studies. A good agreement is found between our results and those of other studies. The hand is the segment that generates the most propulsive forces during the aquatic stroke. As the pressure component is the main source of force, the orientation of the hand-forearm in the absolute coordinate system is an important kinematic parameter in the swimming performance. The propulsive forces are biggest when the angles of attack are high. CFD appears as a very valuable tool to better analyze the mechanisms of swimming performance and offers some promising developments, especially for optimizing the performance from a parametric study.

An Introduction to the Nuclear Document Crawling System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tae, Jae Woong; Yoon, Sung Ho; Shin, Dong Hoon [Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The NSG(Nuclear Suppliers Group) guidelines state that controls on 'technology' transfer do not apply to information 'in the public domain' or to 'basic scientific research'. According to the guidelines, 'basic scientific research' is an experimental or theoretical work undertaken principally to acquire new knowledge of the fundamental principles of phenomena and observable facts, not primarily directed towards a specific practical aim or objective. 'Technology in the public domain' means 'technology' or 'software' that has been made available without restrictions upon its further dissemination. It is a difficult problem to determine whether a document is in the public domain or it is a basic scientific research because its criteria are ambiguous and unclear. In this paper, we introduce an approach using documents on the web and a system to manage electronic documents on the web. In this paper, we proposed an approach to determine whether a document is open to public or it is a basic scientific research and we developed the document crawling system to collect open documents on the web. We can take open documents into a review process in a new way. It supports to prevent reviewers from classifying an open document into a strategic technology. It is expected to improve reliability of classification results.

Robotic and Human-Tended Collaborative Drilling Automation for Subsurface Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Brian; Cannon, Howard; Stoker, Carol; Davis, Kiel

2005-01-01

Future in-situ lunar/martian resource utilization and characterization, as well as the scientific search for life on Mars, will require access to the subsurface and hence drilling. Drilling on Earth is hard - an art form more than an engineering discipline. Human operators listen and feel drill string vibrations coming from kilometers underground. Abundant mass and energy make it possible for terrestrial drilling to employ brute-force approaches to failure recovery and system performance issues. Space drilling will require intelligent and autonomous systems for robotic exploration and to support human exploration. Eventual in-situ resource utilization will require deep drilling with probable human-tended operation of large-bore drills, but initial lunar subsurface exploration and near-term ISRU will be accomplished with lightweight, rover-deployable or standalone drills capable of penetrating a few tens of meters in depth. These lightweight exploration drills have a direct counterpart in terrestrial prospecting and ore-body location, and will be designed to operate either human-tended or automated. NASA and industry now are acquiring experience in developing and building low-mass automated planetary prototype drills to design and build a pre-flight lunar prototype targeted for 2011-12 flight opportunities. A successful system will include development of drilling hardware, and automated control software to operate it safely and effectively. This includes control of the drilling hardware, state estimation of both the hardware and the lithography being drilled and state of the hole, and potentially planning and scheduling software suitable for uncertain situations such as drilling. Given that Humans on the Moon or Mars are unlikely to be able to spend protracted EVA periods at a drill site, both human-tended and robotic access to planetary subsurfaces will require some degree of standalone, autonomous drilling capability. Human-robotic coordination will be important

The CI-ROB project: real time monitoring for a robotic prostate curietherapy; Projet CI-ROB: surveillance en temps reel pour curietherapie robotisee de prostate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liem, X.; Lartigau, E. [Centre Oscar-Lambret, 59 - Lille (France); Coelen, V.; Merzouki, R. [Polytech-Lille, 59 - Lille (France)

2010-10-15

The authors present a project which is still at the proto-typing stage and for which hardware and software are still being developed, and which aims at developing a full line for a robotic curietherapy. It comprises an articulated robotic arm with six degree of freedom, and is based on an auto-regulated loop with real time monitoring and control. An echographic probe acquires the prostate images in real time. An adaptive detection defines the prostate contour. This is performed in a virtual environment which comprises the prostate phantom, the robot and the intervention table. The target is defined in the virtual environment (image coordinates) and coordinates are transmitted to the robot controller which defines the robot movements by using the inverse geometric model. Short communication

Bio-inspired grasp control in a robotic hand with massive sensorial input.

Science.gov (United States)

Ascari, Luca; Bertocchi, Ulisse; Corradi, Paolo; Laschi, Cecilia; Dario, Paolo

2009-02-01

The capability of grasping and lifting an object in a suitable, stable and controlled way is an outstanding feature for a robot, and thus far, one of the major problems to be solved in robotics. No robotic tools able to perform an advanced control of the grasp as, for instance, the human hand does, have been demonstrated to date. Due to its capital importance in science and in many applications, namely from biomedics to manufacturing, the issue has been matter of deep scientific investigations in both the field of neurophysiology and robotics. While the former is contributing with a profound understanding of the dynamics of real-time control of the slippage and grasp force in the human hand, the latter tries more and more to reproduce, or take inspiration by, the nature's approach, by means of hardware and software technology. On this regard, one of the major constraints robotics has to overcome is the real-time processing of a large amounts of data generated by the tactile sensors while grasping, which poses serious problems to the available computational power. In this paper a bio-inspired approach to tactile data processing has been followed in order to design and test a hardware-software robotic architecture that works on the parallel processing of a large amount of tactile sensing signals. The working principle of the architecture bases on the cellular nonlinear/neural network (CNN) paradigm, while using both hand shape and spatial-temporal features obtained from an array of microfabricated force sensors, in order to control the sensory-motor coordination of the robotic system. Prototypical grasping tasks were selected to measure the system performances applied to a computer-interfaced robotic hand. Successful grasps of several objects, completely unknown to the robot, e.g. soft and deformable objects like plastic bottles, soft balls, and Japanese tofu, have been demonstrated.

Design and Control of Compliant Tensegrity Robots Through Simulation and Hardware Validation

Science.gov (United States)

Caluwaerts, Ken; Despraz, Jeremie; Iscen, Atil; Sabelhaus, Andrew P.; Bruce, Jonathan; Schrauwen, Benjamin; Sunspiral, Vytas

2014-01-01

To better understand the role of tensegrity structures in biological systems and their application to robotics, the Dynamic Tensegrity Robotics Lab at NASA Ames Research Center has developed and validated two different software environments for the analysis, simulation, and design of tensegrity robots. These tools, along with new control methodologies and the modular hardware components developed to validate them, are presented as a system for the design of actuated tensegrity structures. As evidenced from their appearance in many biological systems, tensegrity ("tensile-integrity") structures have unique physical properties which make them ideal for interaction with uncertain environments. Yet these characteristics, such as variable structural compliance, and global multi-path load distribution through the tension network, make design and control of bio-inspired tensegrity robots extremely challenging. This work presents the progress in using these two tools in tackling the design and control challenges. The results of this analysis includes multiple novel control approaches for mobility and terrain interaction of spherical tensegrity structures. The current hardware prototype of a six-bar tensegrity, code-named ReCTeR, is presented in the context of this validation.

Underwater floating robot-fish: a comparative analysis of the results of mathematical modelling and full-scale tests of the prototype

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jatsun Sergey

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents a comparative analysis of the results of computer mathematical modelling of the motion of the underwater robot-fish implemented by using the MATLAB / Simulink package and fullscale tests of an experimental model developed in the laboratory of mechatronics and robotics of the SouthWest State University.

Robotics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheide, A.W.

1983-01-01

This article reviews some of the technical areas and history associated with robotics, provides information relative to the formation of a Robotics Industry Committee within the Industry Applications Society (IAS), and describes how all activities relating to robotics will be coordinated within the IEEE. Industrial robots are being used for material handling, processes such as coating and arc welding, and some mechanical and electronics assembly. An industrial robot is defined as a programmable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for a variety of tasks. The initial focus of the Robotics Industry Committee will be on the application of robotics systems to the various industries that are represented within the IAS

A multichannel-near-infrared-spectroscopy-triggered robotic hand rehabilitation system for stroke patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jongseung; Mukae, Nobutaka; Arata, Jumpei; Iwata, Hiroyuki; Iramina, Keiji; Iihara, Koji; Hashizume, Makoto

2017-07-01

There is a demand for a new neurorehabilitation modality with a brain-computer interface for stroke patients with insufficient or no remaining hand motor function. We previously developed a robotic hand rehabilitation system triggered by multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to address this demand. In a preliminary prototype system, a robotic hand orthosis, providing one degree-of-freedom motion for a hand's closing and opening, is triggered by a wireless command from a NIRS system, capturing a subject's motor cortex activation. To examine the feasibility of the prototype, we conducted a preliminary test involving six neurologically intact participants. The test comprised a series of evaluations for two aspects of neurorehabilitation training in a real-time manner: classification accuracy and execution time. The effects of classification-related factors, namely the algorithm, signal type, and number of NIRS channels, were investigated. In the comparison of algorithms, linear discrimination analysis performed better than the support vector machine in terms of both accuracy and training time. The oxyhemoglobin versus deoxyhemoglobin comparison revealed that the two concentrations almost equally contribute to the hand motion estimation. The relationship between the number of NIRS channels and accuracy indicated that a certain number of channels are needed and suggested a need for a method of selecting informative channels. The computation time of 5.84 ms was acceptable for our purpose. Overall, the preliminary prototype showed sufficient feasibility for further development and clinical testing with stroke patients.

Architectures of prototypes and architectural prototyping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Marius; Christensen, Michael; Sandvad, Elmer

1998-01-01

together as a team, but developed a prototype that more than fulfilled the expectations of the shipping company. The prototype should: - complete the first major phase within 10 weeks, - be highly vertical illustrating future work practice, - continuously live up to new requirements from prototyping......This paper reports from experience obtained through development of a prototype of a global customer service system in a project involving a large shipping company and a university research group. The research group had no previous knowledge of the complex business of shipping and had never worked...... sessions with users, - evolve over a long period of time to contain more functionality - allow for 6-7 developers working intensively in parallel. Explicit focus on the software architecture and letting the architecture evolve with the prototype played a major role in resolving these conflicting...

Two-Armed, Mobile, Sensate Research Robot

Science.gov (United States)

Engelberger, J. F.; Roberts, W. Nelson; Ryan, David J.; Silverthorne, Andrew

2004-01-01

The Anthropomorphic Robotic Testbed (ART) is an experimental prototype of a partly anthropomorphic, humanoid-size, mobile robot. The basic ART design concept provides for a combination of two-armed coordination, tactility, stereoscopic vision, mobility with navigation and avoidance of obstacles, and natural-language communication, so that the ART could emulate humans in many activities. The ART could be developed into a variety of highly capable robotic assistants for general or specific applications. There is especially great potential for the development of ART-based robots as substitutes for live-in health-care aides for home-bound persons who are aged, infirm, or physically handicapped; these robots could greatly reduce the cost of home health care and extend the term of independent living. The ART is a fully autonomous and untethered system. It includes a mobile base on which is mounted an extensible torso topped by a head, shoulders, and two arms. All subsystems of the ART are powered by a rechargeable, removable battery pack. The mobile base is a differentially- driven, nonholonomic vehicle capable of a speed >1 m/s and can handle a payload >100 kg. The base can be controlled manually, in forward/backward and/or simultaneous rotational motion, by use of a joystick. Alternatively, the motion of the base can be controlled autonomously by an onboard navigational computer. By retraction or extension of the torso, the head height of the ART can be adjusted from 5 ft (1.5 m) to 6 1/2 ft (2 m), so that the arms can reach either the floor or high shelves, or some ceilings. The arms are symmetrical. Each arm (including the wrist) has a total of six rotary axes like those of the human shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. The arms are actuated by electric motors in combination with brakes and gas-spring assists on the shoulder and elbow joints. The arms are operated under closed-loop digital control. A receptacle for an end effector is mounted on the tip of the wrist and

Collaborative Prototyping

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bogers, Marcel; Horst, Willem

2014-01-01

of the prototyping process, the actual prototype was used as a tool for communication or development, thus serving as a platform for the cross-fertilization of knowledge. In this way, collaborative prototyping leads to a better balance between functionality and usability; it translates usability problems into design......This paper presents an inductive study that shows how collaborative prototyping across functional, hierarchical, and organizational boundaries can improve the overall prototyping process. Our combined action research and case study approach provides new insights into how collaborative prototyping...... can provide a platform for prototype-driven problem solving in early new product development (NPD). Our findings have important implications for how to facilitate multistakeholder collaboration in prototyping and problem solving, and more generally for how to organize collaborative and open innovation...

Wake topology of under-actuated rajiform batoid robots

Science.gov (United States)

Valdivia Y Alvarado, Pablo; Weymouth, Gabriel; Thekoodan, Dilip; Patrikalakis, Nicholas

2011-11-01

Under-actuated continuous soft robots are designed to have modes of vibration that match desired body motions using minimal actuation. The desired modes of vibration are enabled by flexible continuous bodies with heterogenous material distributions. Errors or intentional approximations in the manufactured material distributions alter the achieved body motions and influence the resulting locomotion performance. An under-actuated continuous soft robot designed to mimic rajiform batoids such as stingrays is used to investigate the influence that fin kinematics variations have on wake topology, and the trade-offs that simplifying the body material structure has on achievable swimming performance. Pectoral fin kinematics in rajiform batoids are defined by traveling waves along the fin cord with particular amplitude envelopes along both the fin cord and span. Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) analysis of a prototype's wake structure and immersed-boundary numerical simulations are used to clarify the role of traveling wave wavelength, fin flapping frequency, and amplitude envelope characteristics on the resulting wake topology and swimming performance.

[The advancement of robotic surgery--successes, failures, challenges].

Science.gov (United States)

Haidegger, Tamás

2010-10-10

Computer-integrated robotic surgery systems appeared more than twenty years ago and since then hundreds of different prototypes have been developed. Only a fraction of them have been commercialized, mostly to support neurosurgical and orthopaedic procedures.Unquestionably, the most successful one is the da Vinci surgical system, primarily deployed in urology and general laparoscopic surgery. It is developed and marketed by Intuitive Surgical Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), the only profitable company of the segment. The da Vinci made robotic surgery is known and acknowledged throughout the world, and the great results delivered convinced most of the former critics of the technology. Success derived from the well chosen business development strategy, proficiency of the developers, appropriate timing and a huge pot of luck. This article presents the most important features of the da Vinci system, the history of development along with its medical, economical and financial aspects, and seeks the answer why this particular system became successful.

Architectural setup for online monitoring and control of process parameters in robot-based ISF

Science.gov (United States)

Störkle, Denis Daniel; Thyssen, Lars; Kuhlenkötter, Bernd

2017-10-01

This article describes new developments in an incremental, robot-based sheet metal forming process (Roboforming) for the production of sheet metal components for small lot sizes and prototypes. The dieless kinematic-based generation of the shape is implemented by means of two industrial robots, which are interconnected to a cooperating robot system. Compared to other incremental sheet forming (ISF) machines, this system offers high geometrical design flexibility without the need of any part-dependent tools. However, the industrial application of ISF is still limited by certain constraints, e.g. the low geometrical accuracy. Responding to these constraints, the authors introduce a new architectural setup extending the current one by a superordinate process control. This sophisticated control consists of two modules, i.e. the compensation of the two industrial robots' low structural stiffness as well as a combined force/torque control. It is assumed that this contribution will lead to future research and development projects in which the authors will thoroughly investigate ISF process parameters influencing the geometric accuracy of the forming results.

Automated Robot Movement in the Mapped Area Using Fuzzy Logic for Wheel Chair Application

Science.gov (United States)

Siregar, B.; Efendi, S.; Ramadhana, H.; Andayani, U.; Fahmi, F.

2018-03-01

The difficulties of the disabled to move make them unable to live independently. People with disabilities need supporting device to move from place to place. For that, we proposed a solution that can help people with disabilities to move from one room to another automatically. This study aims to create a wheelchair prototype in the form of a wheeled robot as a means to learn the automatic mobilization. The fuzzy logic algorithm was used to determine motion direction based on initial position, ultrasonic sensors reading in avoiding obstacles, infrared sensors reading as a black line reader for the wheeled robot to move smooth and smartphone as a mobile controller. As a result, smartphones with the Android operating system can control the robot using Bluetooth. Here Bluetooth technology can be used to control the robot from a maximum distance of 15 meters. The proposed algorithm was able to work stable for automatic motion determination based on initial position, and also able to modernize the wheelchair movement from one room to another automatically.

Functional Evaluation of Asibot: A New Approach on Portable Robotic System for Disabled People

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Jardón

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this work, an innovative robotic solution for human care and assistance is presented. Our main objective is to develop a new concept of portable robot able to support the elderly and those people with different levels of disability during the execution of daily tasks, such as washing their face or hands, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, eating, drinking, and bringing objects closer, among others. Our prototype, ASIBOT, is a five degrees of freedom (DOF self-contained manipulator that includes the control system and electronic equipment on board. The main advantages of the robot are its light weight, about 11 kg for a 1.3 m reach, its autonomy, and its ability to move between different points (docking stations of the room or from the environment to a wheelchair and vice versa, which facilitates its supportive functions. The functional evaluation of ASIBOT is addressed in this paper. For this purpose the robotic arm is tested in different experiments with disabled people, gathering and discussing the results according to a methodology that allows us to assess users' satisfaction.

Understanding the Uncanny: Both Atypical Features and Category Ambiguity Provoke Aversion toward Humanlike Robots

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Megan K. Strait

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Robots intended for social contexts are often designed with explicit humanlike attributes in order to facilitate their reception by (and communication with people. However, observation of an “uncanny valley”—a phenomenon in which highly humanlike entities provoke aversion in human observers—has lead some to caution against this practice. Both of these contrasting perspectives on the anthropomorphic design of social robots find some support in empirical investigations to date. Yet, owing to outstanding empirical limitations and theoretical disputes, the uncanny valley and its implications for human-robot interaction remains poorly understood. We thus explored the relationship between human similarity and people's aversion toward humanlike robots via manipulation of the agents' appearances. To that end, we employed a picture-viewing task (Nagents = 60 to conduct an experimental test (Nparticipants = 72 of the uncanny valley's existence and the visual features that cause certain humanlike robots to be unnerving. Across the levels of human similarity, we further manipulated agent appearance on two dimensions, typicality (prototypic, atypical, and ambiguous and agent identity (robot, person, and measured participants' aversion using both subjective and behavioral indices. Our findings were as follows: (1 Further substantiating its existence, the data show a clear and consistent uncanny valley in the current design space of humanoid robots. (2 Both category ambiguity, and more so, atypicalities provoke aversive responding, thus shedding light on the visual factors that drive people's discomfort. (3 Use of the Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale did not reveal any significant relationships between people's pre-existing attitudes toward humanlike robots and their aversive responding—suggesting positive exposure and/or additional experience with robots is unlikely to affect the occurrence of an uncanny valley effect in humanoid robotics

Understanding the Uncanny: Both Atypical Features and Category Ambiguity Provoke Aversion toward Humanlike Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Strait, Megan K; Floerke, Victoria A; Ju, Wendy; Maddox, Keith; Remedios, Jessica D; Jung, Malte F; Urry, Heather L

2017-01-01

Robots intended for social contexts are often designed with explicit humanlike attributes in order to facilitate their reception by (and communication with) people. However, observation of an "uncanny valley"-a phenomenon in which highly humanlike entities provoke aversion in human observers-has lead some to caution against this practice. Both of these contrasting perspectives on the anthropomorphic design of social robots find some support in empirical investigations to date. Yet, owing to outstanding empirical limitations and theoretical disputes, the uncanny valley and its implications for human-robot interaction remains poorly understood. We thus explored the relationship between human similarity and people's aversion toward humanlike robots via manipulation of the agents' appearances. To that end, we employed a picture-viewing task ( N agents = 60) to conduct an experimental test ( N participants = 72) of the uncanny valley's existence and the visual features that cause certain humanlike robots to be unnerving. Across the levels of human similarity, we further manipulated agent appearance on two dimensions, typicality (prototypic, atypical, and ambiguous) and agent identity (robot, person), and measured participants' aversion using both subjective and behavioral indices. Our findings were as follows: (1) Further substantiating its existence, the data show a clear and consistent uncanny valley in the current design space of humanoid robots. (2) Both category ambiguity, and more so, atypicalities provoke aversive responding, thus shedding light on the visual factors that drive people's discomfort. (3) Use of the Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale did not reveal any significant relationships between people's pre-existing attitudes toward humanlike robots and their aversive responding-suggesting positive exposure and/or additional experience with robots is unlikely to affect the occurrence of an uncanny valley effect in humanoid robotics. This work furthers

A Car Transportation System in Cooperation by Multiple Mobile Robots for Each Wheel: iCART II

Science.gov (United States)

Kashiwazaki, Koshi; Yonezawa, Naoaki; Kosuge, Kazuhiro; Sugahara, Yusuke; Hirata, Yasuhisa; Endo, Mitsuru; Kanbayashi, Takashi; Shinozuka, Hiroyuki; Suzuki, Koki; Ono, Yuki

The authors proposed a car transportation system, iCART (intelligent Cooperative Autonomous Robot Transporters), for automation of mechanical parking systems by two mobile robots. However, it was difficult to downsize the mobile robot because the length of it requires at least the wheelbase of a car. This paper proposes a new car transportation system, iCART II (iCART - type II), based on “a-robot-for-a-wheel” concept. A prototype system, MRWheel (a Mobile Robot for a Wheel), is designed and downsized less than half the conventional robot. First, a method for lifting up a wheel by MRWheel is described. In general, it is very difficult for mobile robots such as MRWheel to move to desired positions without motion errors caused by slipping, etc. Therefore, we propose a follower's motion error estimation algorithm based on the internal force applied to each follower by extending a conventional leader-follower type decentralized control algorithm for cooperative object transportation. The proposed algorithm enables followers to estimate their motion errors and enables the robots to transport a car to a desired position. In addition, we analyze and prove the stability and convergence of the resultant system with the proposed algorithm. In order to extract only the internal force from the force applied to each robot, we also propose a model-based external force compensation method. Finally, proposed methods are applied to the car transportation system, the experimental results confirm their validity.

FY 1999 project on the development of new industry support type international standards. Standardization of a method to evaluate the performance of open robot use communication interface in production system, etc.; 1999 nendo shinki sangyo shiengata kokusai hyojun kaihatsu jigyo seika hokokusho. Seisan system nado ni okeru open robot yo tsushin interface no hyojunka

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

For the purpose of standardizing the communication interface system between personal computers and robots, the R and D were conducted on ORiN (Open Robot Interface for the Network), and the FY 1999 results were summed up. ORiN is composed of the provider part, kernel part and application logic part. The provider absorbs differences in expression and protocols of robot controller data of each company and conveys them to the kernel part. The kernel part is composed of RAO and RDF. RAO adopts the disperse object model DCOM technology and supplies the network transparency and common access method to robot. RDF supplies files with expansion of robot structure models using XML. By this, ORiN was made adoptable for future, permitting differences in each robot. In the International Robot Exhibition held in October 26-29, 1999, the prototype of ORiN was jointly demonstrated by each company. (NEDO)

Distributed Web-Scale Infrastructure For Crawling, Indexing And Search With Semantic Support

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Dlugolinsky

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe our work in progress in the scope of web-scale informationextraction and information retrieval utilizing distributed computing. Wepresent a distributed architecture built on top of the MapReduce paradigm forinformation retrieval, information processing and intelligent search supportedby spatial capabilities. Proposed architecture is focused on crawling documentsin several different formats, information extraction, lightweight semantic annotationof the extracted information, indexing of extracted information andfinally on indexing of documents based on the geo-spatial information foundin a document. We demonstrate the architecture on two use cases, where thefirst is search in job offers retrieved from the LinkedIn portal and the second issearch in BBC news feeds and discuss several problems we had to face duringthe implementation. We also discuss spatial search applications for both casesbecause both LinkedIn job offer pages and BBC news feeds contain a lot of spatialinformation to extract and process.

Design and Dynamics Analysis of a Bio-Inspired Intermittent Hopping Robot for Planetary Surface Exploration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Bai

2012-10-01

Full Text Available A small, bio-inspired and minimally actuated intermittent hopping robot for planetary surface exploration is proposed in this paper. The robot uses a combined-geared six-bar linkage/spring mechanism, which has a possible rich trajectory and metamorphic characteristics and, due to this, the robot is able to recharge, lock/release and jump by using just a micro-power motor as the actuator. Since the robotic system has a closed-chain structure and employs underactuated redundant motion, the constrained multi-body dynamics are derived with time-varying driving parameters and ground unilateral constraint both taken into consideration. In addition, the established dynamics equations, mixed of higher order differential and algebraic expressions, are solved by the immediate integration algorithm. A prototype is implemented and experiments are carried out. The results show that the robot, using a micro-power motor as the actuator and solar cells as the power supply, can achieve a biomimetic multi-body hopping stance and a nonlinearly increasing driving force. Typically, the robot can jump a horizontal distance of about 1 m and a vertical height of about 0.3 m, with its trunk and foot moving stably during takeoff. In addition, the computational and experimental results are consistent as regards the hopping performance of the robot, which suggests that the proposed dynamics model and its solution have general applicability to motion prediction and the performance analysis of intermittent hopping robots.

Obstacle negotiation control for a mobile robot suspended on overhead ground wires by optoelectronic sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Li; Yi, Ruan

2009-11-01

Power line inspection and maintenance already benefit from developments in mobile robotics. This paper presents mobile robots capable of crossing obstacles on overhead ground wires. A teleoperated robot realizes inspection and maintenance tasks on power transmission line equipment. The inspection robot is driven by 11 motor with two arms, two wheels and two claws. The inspection robot is designed to realize the function of observation, grasp, walk, rolling, turn, rise, and decline. This paper is oriented toward 100% reliable obstacle detection and identification, and sensor fusion to increase the autonomy level. An embedded computer based on PC/104 bus is chosen as the core of control system. Visible light camera and thermal infrared Camera are both installed in a programmable pan-and-tilt camera (PPTC) unit. High-quality visual feedback rapidly becomes crucial for human-in-the-loop control and effective teleoperation. The communication system between the robot and the ground station is based on Mesh wireless networks by 700 MHz bands. An expert system programmed with Visual C++ is developed to implement the automatic control. Optoelectronic laser sensors and laser range scanner were installed in robot for obstacle-navigation control to grasp the overhead ground wires. A novel prototype with careful considerations on mobility was designed to inspect the 500KV power transmission lines. Results of experiments demonstrate that the robot can be applied to execute the navigation and inspection tasks.

Diseño e implementación de un prototipo de robot asistente para personas con discapacidad motriz y adultos mayores, basado en inteligencia artificial

OpenAIRE

Valencia Redrován, David Patricio; González Delgado, Luis Enrique

2014-01-01

El documento consiste en el diseño, construcción, ensamblaje y programación de un prototipo de robot asistente que sirve para el apoyo a apersonas adultas mayores y personas con discapacidad motriz. La construcción del robot se realizó 100% en el Ecuador y para su elaboración se usó una impresora 3D. El prototipo cuenta con algoritmos de inteligencia artificial. The document consist in the design, construction, assembly and programming of a prototype robot assistant that provides support t...

Rethink! prototyping transdisciplinary concepts of prototyping

CERN Document Server

Nagy, Emilia; Stark, Rainer

2016-01-01

In this book, the authors describe the findings derived from interaction and cooperation between scientific actors employing diverse practices. They reflect on distinct prototyping concepts and examine the transformation of development culture in their fusion to hybrid approaches and solutions. The products of tomorrow are going to be multifunctional, interactive systems – and already are to some degree today. Collaboration across multiple disciplines is the only way to grasp their complexity in design concepts. This underscores the importance of reconsidering the prototyping process for the development of these systems, particularly in transdisciplinary research teams. “Rethinking Prototyping – new hybrid concepts for prototyping” was a transdisciplinary project that took up this challenge. The aim of this programmatic rethinking was to come up with a general concept of prototyping by combining innovative prototyping concepts, which had been researched and developed in three sub-projects: “Hybrid P...

Towards Versatile Robots Through Open Heterogeneous Modular Robots

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyder, Andreas

arises, a new robot can be assembled rapidly from the existing modules, in contrast to conventional robots, which require a time consuming and expensive development process. In this thesis we define a modular robot to be a robot consisting of dynamically reconfigurable modules. The goal of this thesis......Robots are important tools in our everyday life. Both in industry and at the consumer level they serve the purpose of increasing our scope and extending our capabilities. Modular robots take the next step, allowing us to easily create and build various robots from a set of modules. If a problem...... is to increase the versatility and practical usability of modular robots by introducing new conceptual designs. Until now modular robots have been based on a pre-specified set of modules, and thus, their functionality is limited. We propose an open heterogeneous design concept, which allows a modular robot...

A mobile robot with parallel kinematics constructed under requirements for assembling and machining of the ITER vacuum vessel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pessi, P.; Huapeng Wu; Handroos, H.; Jones, L.

2006-01-01

the robot have also been investigated, which include edge cutting, smoothing and defect points milling. The kinematic design of the robot has been optimised for ITER access. A virtual prototype of the parallel robot is built. Parts of the robot are studied separately by finite element analysis. Important parts from view of deformation are studied separately by FE-software. The weight and deflections are most important factors in the carriage design. Small deformations of carriage will multiply to the robot's end-effector. A dynamical behaviour of the whole robot is studied by multi-body system simulation. Flexible parts in addition to rigid parts are used in the MBS model. The virtual prototype contains hydraulic components also. (author)

Technology for an intelligent, free-flying robot for crew and equipment retrieval in space

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, J. D.; Reuter, G. J.; Healey, Kathleen J.; Phinney, D. E.

1990-01-01

Crew rescue and equipment retrieval is a Space Station Freedom requirement. During Freedom's lifetime, there is a high probability that a number of objects will accidently become separated. Members of the crew, replacement units, and key tools are examples. Retrieval of these objects within a short time is essential. Systems engineering studies were conducted to identify system requirements and candidate approaches. One such approach, based on a voice-supervised, intelligent, free-flying robot was selected for further analysis. A ground-based technology demonstration, now in its second phase, was designed to provide an integrated robotic hardware and software testbed supporting design of a space-borne system. The ground system, known as the EVA Retriever, is examining the problem of autonomously planning and executing a target rendezvous, grapple, and return to base while avoiding stationary and moving obstacles. The current prototype is an anthropomorphic manipulator unit with dexterous arms and hands attached to a robot body and latched in a manned maneuvering unit. A precision air-bearing floor is used to simulate space. Sensor data include two vision systems and force/proximity/tactile sensors on the hands and arms. Planning for a shuttle file experiment is underway. A set of scenarios and strawman requirements were defined to support conceptual development. Initial design activities are expected to begin in late 1989 with the flight occurring in 1994. The flight hardware and software will be based on lessons learned from both the ground prototype and computer simulations.

A Self-Organizing Interaction and Synchronization Method between a Wearable Device and Mobile Robot.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min Su; Lee, Jae Geun; Kang, Soon Ju

2016-06-08

In the near future, we can expect to see robots naturally following or going ahead of humans, similar to pet behavior. We call this type of robots "Pet-Bot". To implement this function in a robot, in this paper we introduce a self-organizing interaction and synchronization method between wearable devices and Pet-Bots. First, the Pet-Bot opportunistically identifies its owner without any human intervention, which means that the robot self-identifies the owner's approach on its own. Second, Pet-Bot's activity is synchronized with the owner's behavior. Lastly, the robot frequently encounters uncertain situations (e.g., when the robot goes ahead of the owner but meets a situation where it cannot make a decision, or the owner wants to stop the Pet-Bot synchronization mode to relax). In this case, we have adopted a gesture recognition function that uses a 3-D accelerometer in the wearable device. In order to achieve the interaction and synchronization in real-time, we use two wireless communication protocols: 125 kHz low-frequency (LF) and 2.4 GHz Bluetooth low energy (BLE). We conducted experiments using a prototype Pet-Bot and wearable devices to verify their motion recognition of and synchronization with humans in real-time. The results showed a guaranteed level of accuracy of at least 94%. A trajectory test was also performed to demonstrate the robot's control performance when following or leading a human in real-time.

Modeling locomotion of a soft-bodied arthropod using inverse dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, Frank; Trimmer, Barry A; Rife, Jason

2011-01-01

Most bio-inspired robots have been based on animals with jointed, stiff skeletons. There is now an increasing interest in mimicking the robust performance of animals in natural environments by incorporating compliant materials into the locomotory system. However, the mechanics of moving, highly conformable structures are particularly difficult to predict. This paper proposes a planar, extensible-link model for the soft-bodied tobacco hornworm caterpillar, Manduca sexta, to provide insight for biologists and engineers studying locomotion by highly deformable animals and caterpillar-like robots. Using inverse dynamics to process experimentally acquired point-tracking data, ground reaction forces and internal forces were determined for a crawling caterpillar. Computed ground reaction forces were compared to experimental data to validate the model. The results show that a system of linked extendable joints can faithfully describe the general form and magnitude of the contact forces produced by a crawling caterpillar. Furthermore, the model can be used to compute internal forces that cannot be measured experimentally. It is predicted that between different body segments in stance phase the body is mostly kept in tension and that compression only occurs during the swing phase when the prolegs release their grip. This finding supports a recently proposed mechanism for locomotion by soft animals in which the substrate transfers compressive forces from one part of the body to another (the environmental skeleton) thereby minimizing the need for hydrostatic stiffening. The model also provides a new means to characterize and test control strategies used in caterpillar crawling and soft robot locomotion.

The evolution of the application of mobile robotics to nuclear facility operations and maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlton, R.E.; Bartholet, S.J.

1987-01-01

Application of the concept of mobile robotics to the operation and maintenance of nuclear facilities has evolved over the last four years due, in part, to the efforts of Odetics in the creation of the teleoperated legged transporter. The first step in this evolutionary process was the demonstration of the legged transporter technology, which was accomplished with the design, fabrication and testing of the Odex I functionoid. A second generation ODEX, delivered to the Robotics Technology Group at Savannah River Laboratories, represents the experimental phase of the process. This machine consists of a basic ODEX I transporter body with a unique manipulator arm mounted on a service turret. Currently, the prototype phase of the mobile robotic development effort is underway with the design of the ODEX III which includes enhanced mobility and dexterity, increased intelligence and greater strength in the manipulator arm and transporter

Empowering Older Patients to Engage in Self Care: Designing an Interactive Robotic Device

Science.gov (United States)

Tiwari, Priyadarshi; Warren, Jim; Day, Karen

2011-01-01

Objectives: To develop and test an interactive robot mounted computing device to support medication management as an example of a complex self-care task in older adults. Method: A Grounded Theory (GT), Participatory Design (PD) approach was used within three Action Research (AR) cycles to understand design requirements and test the design configuration addressing the unique task requirements. Results: At the end of the first cycle a conceptual framework was evolved. The second cycle informed architecture and interface design. By the end of third cycle residents successfully interacted with the dialogue system and were generally satisfied with the robot. The results informed further refinement of the prototype. Conclusion: An interactive, touch screen based, robot-mounted information tool can be developed to support healthcare needs of older people. Qualitative methods such as the hybrid GT-PD-AR approach may be particularly helpful for innovating and articulating design requirements in challenging situations. PMID:22195203

Development and Physical Control Research on Prototype Artificial Leg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fei Li

2016-03-01

Full Text Available To provide an ideal platform for research on intelligent bionic leg (IBL, this paper proposes a model of a biped robot with heterogeneous legs (BRHL. A prototype of an artificial leg is developed based on biological structure and motion principle analysis of human lower extremities. With regard to the driving sources, servomotors are chosen for the hip joint and ankle joint, while pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs are chosen for the knee joint. The control system of the bionic artificial leg is designed and a physical experimental platform is established. The physical control experiments are done based on proportional-integral-derivative (PID control strategy. The experimental results show that such a system can realize the expected goals.

Octopus-inspired multi-arm robotic swimming.

Science.gov (United States)

Sfakiotakis, M; Kazakidi, A; Tsakiris, D P

2015-05-13

The outstanding locomotor and manipulation characteristics of the octopus have recently inspired the development, by our group, of multi-functional robotic swimmers, featuring both manipulation and locomotion capabilities, which could be of significant engineering interest in underwater applications. During its little-studied arm-swimming behavior, as opposed to the better known jetting via the siphon, the animal appears to generate considerable propulsive thrust and rapid acceleration, predominantly employing movements of its arms. In this work, we capture the fundamental characteristics of the corresponding complex pattern of arm motion by a sculling profile, involving a fast power stroke and a slow recovery stroke. We investigate the propulsive capabilities of a multi-arm robotic system under various swimming gaits, namely patterns of arm coordination, which achieve the generation of forward, as well as backward, propulsion and turning. A lumped-element model of the robotic swimmer, which considers arm compliance and the interaction with the aquatic environment, was used to study the characteristics of these gaits, the effect of various kinematic parameters on propulsion, and the generation of complex trajectories. This investigation focuses on relatively high-stiffness arms. Experiments employing a compliant-body robotic prototype swimmer with eight compliant arms, all made of polyurethane, inside a water tank, successfully demonstrated this novel mode of underwater propulsion. Speeds of up to 0.26 body lengths per second (approximately 100 mm s(-1)), and propulsive forces of up to 3.5 N were achieved, with a non-dimensional cost of transport of 1.42 with all eight arms and of 0.9 with only two active arms. The experiments confirmed the computational results and verified the multi-arm maneuverability and simultaneous object grasping capability of such systems.

Socially intelligent robots: dimensions of human-robot interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dautenhahn, Kerstin

2007-04-29

Social intelligence in robots has a quite recent history in artificial intelligence and robotics. However, it has become increasingly apparent that social and interactive skills are necessary requirements in many application areas and contexts where robots need to interact and collaborate with other robots or humans. Research on human-robot interaction (HRI) poses many challenges regarding the nature of interactivity and 'social behaviour' in robot and humans. The first part of this paper addresses dimensions of HRI, discussing requirements on social skills for robots and introducing the conceptual space of HRI studies. In order to illustrate these concepts, two examples of HRI research are presented. First, research is surveyed which investigates the development of a cognitive robot companion. The aim of this work is to develop social rules for robot behaviour (a 'robotiquette') that is comfortable and acceptable to humans. Second, robots are discussed as possible educational or therapeutic toys for children with autism. The concept of interactive emergence in human-child interactions is highlighted. Different types of play among children are discussed in the light of their potential investigation in human-robot experiments. The paper concludes by examining different paradigms regarding 'social relationships' of robots and people interacting with them.

Using Arm and Hand Gestures to Command Robots during Stealth Operations

Science.gov (United States)

Stoica, Adrian; Assad, Chris; Wolf, Michael; You, Ki Sung; Pavone, Marco; Huntsberger, Terry; Iwashita, Yumi

2012-01-01

Command of support robots by the warfighter requires intuitive interfaces to quickly communicate high degree-of-freedom (DOF) information while leaving the hands unencumbered. Stealth operations rule out voice commands and vision-based gesture interpretation techniques, as they often entail silent operations at night or in other low visibility conditions. Targeted at using bio-signal inputs to set navigation and manipulation goals for the robot (say, simply by pointing), we developed a system based on an electromyography (EMG) "BioSleeve", a high density sensor array for robust, practical signal collection from forearm muscles. The EMG sensor array data is fused with inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. This paper describes the BioSleeve system and presents initial results of decoding robot commands from the EMG and IMU data using a BioSleeve prototype with up to sixteen bipolar surface EMG sensors. The BioSleeve is demonstrated on the recognition of static hand positions (e.g. palm facing front, fingers upwards) and on dynamic gestures (e.g. hand wave). In preliminary experiments, over 90% correct recognition was achieved on five static and nine dynamic gestures. We use the BioSleeve to control a team of five LANdroid robots in individual and group/squad behaviors. We define a gesture composition mechanism that allows the specification of complex robot behaviors with only a small vocabulary of gestures/commands, and we illustrate it with a set of complex orders.

Supervision and atuomatic control of robotics systems in nuclear environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benner, J.; Leinemann, K.

1992-01-01

The paper describes new developments in controlling remote handling systems for nuclear applications. The main emphasis is to use robotic equipment and methods for reaching a high degree of system autonomy. A remote handling workstation concept is described, supporting various stages of mission planning and supervision by means of suited geometrical, procedural and functional models. The presented control system enables easy switching between semi-autonomous and manual task execution and sensor data integration. Some experimental results of a prototypic implementation are also described

Supervision and automatic control of robotic systems in nuclear environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benner, J.; Leinemann, K.

1992-01-01

This paper describes new developments in controlling remote handling systems for nuclear applications. The main emphasis is to use robotic equipment and methods for reaching a high degree of system autonomy. A remote handling workstation concept is described, supporting various stages of mission planning and supervision by means of suited geometrical, procedural and functional models. The presented control system enables easy switching between semi-autonomous and manual task execution and sensor data integration. Some experimental results of a prototypic implementation are also described

The Minimally Invasive Manipulator: an ergonomic and economic non-robotic alternative for endoscopy?

Science.gov (United States)

Bosma, Jesse; Aarts, Sanne; Jaspers, Joris

2015-02-01

Since the da Vinci robotic system was introduced, it has been reported to have ergonomic advantages over conventional laparoscopy (COV). High investments associated with this system challenged us to design a more economical, mechanical alternative for improvement of laparoscopic ergonomics: the Minimally Invasive Manipulator (MIM). An earlier reported MIM prototype was investigated. Its shortcomings were input for the establishment of design criteria for a new prototype. A new prototype was developed, aiming at improved intuitiveness and ergonomics. The handle and instrument tip were redesigned and the parallelogram mechanism was converted from linear moving parts to mainly rotating parts. The new prototype was tested by a panel of experts and novices during an indicative ergonomic experiment. A major advantage of the MIM seems to be the possibility to perform laparoscopic surgery in a sitting position, in line with the working axis, instead of standing at the side of the patient. At an estimated cost level of 10% of the da Vinci system, the MIM can be an economical alternative for the enhancement of laparoscopy ergonomics. However, further development for clinical feasibility is necessary.

Kinematic modelling of a five-DOFs spatial manipulator used in robot-assisted surgery