关键词： arthropods   locomotion   bio-inspired robots   aquatic environment  

摘要： Many bio-inspired robots have been developed so far after careful investigation of animals' locomotion. To successfully apply the locomotion of natural counterparts to robots for efficient and improved mobility, it is essential to understand their principles. Although a lot of research has studied either animals' locomotion or bio-inspired robots, there have only been a few attempts to broadly review both of them in a single article. Among the millions of animal species, this article reviewed various forms of aquatic locomotion in arthropods including relevant bio-inspired robots. Despite some previous robotics research inspired by aquatic arthropods, we found that many less-investigated or even unexplored areas are still present. Therefore, this article has been prepared to identify what types of new robotics research can be carried out after drawing inspiration from the aquatic locomotion of arthropods and to provide fruitful insights that may lead us to develop an agile and efficient aquatic robot.

关键词： robotics   health care   sociotechnical  

摘要： Background: The emergence of robotics is transforming industries around the world. Robot technologies are evolving exponentially, particularly as they converge with other functionalities such as artificial intelligence to learn from their environment, from each other, and from humans. Objective: The goal of the research was to understand the emerging role of robotics in health care and identify existing and likely future challenges to maximize the benefits associated with robotics and related convergent technologies. Methods: We conducted qualitative semistructured one-to-one interviews exploring the role of robotic applications in health care contexts. Using purposive sampling, we identified a diverse range of stakeholders involved in conceiving, procuring, developing, and using robotics in a range of national and international health care settings. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically, supported by NVivo 10 (QSR International) software. Theoretically, this work was informed by the sociotechnical perspective, where social and technical systems are understood as being interdependent. Results: We conducted 21 interviews and these accounts suggested that there are significant opportunities for improving the safety, quality, and efficiency of health care through robotics, but our analysis identified 4 major barriers that need to be effectively negotiated to realize these: (1) no clear pull from professionals and patients, (2) appearance of robots and associated expectations and concerns, (3) disruption of the way work is organized and distributed, and (4) new ethical and legal challenges requiring flexible liability and ethical frameworks. Conclusions: Sociotechnical challenges associated with the effective integration of robotic applications in health care settings are likely to be significant, particularly for patient-facing functions. These need to be identified and addressed for effective innovation and adoption.

关键词： rolling   spherical robot   motion planning  

摘要： This paper deals with the dynamics and motion planning for a spherical rolling robot with a pendulum actuated by two motors. First, kinematic and dynamic models for the rolling robot are introduced. In general, not all feasible kinematic trajectories of the rolling carrier are dynamically realizable. A notable exception is when the contact trajectories on the sphere and on the plane are geodesic lines. Based on this consideration, a motion planning strategy for complete reconfiguration of the rolling robot is proposed. The strategy consists of two trivial movements and a nontrivial maneuver that is based on tracing multiple spherical triangles. To compute the sizes and the number of triangles, a reachability diagram is constructed. To define the control torques realizing the rest-to-rest motion along the geodesic lines, a geometric phase-based approach has been employed and tested under simulation. Compared with the minimum effort optimal control, the proposed technique is less computationally expensive while providing similar system performance, and thus it is more suitable for real-time applications.

关键词： open innovation   aerospace   automotive   robot   joint patent application  

摘要： With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Korean industrial environment has been rapidly changing. As a result, several industries are facing different innovation conditions, including: the automotive industry, which is a traditional manufacturing industry in Korea;the aerospace industry, which has been vertically integrated, and has been led by a single large company-Korea Aerospace Industries-since Korea went through an economic crisis in the 1990s;and the robotics industry, which is currently emerging. This study used parameters related to patents originating from the automobile, robotics, and aerospace fields. The patents subjected to analysis were those registered in Korea from 2001 to 2014, and included those that were applied for, jointly applied for, or registered by Korean companies. This study analyzed the differences caused by the effect of open innovation in the three industries. According to our results, first, the three industries experienced different effects of open innovation. Second, when large companies controlled a given industry, open innovation either worked a little or did not work at all. According to this research result, the Korean robotics industry, which has a weak dominance of large companies, experienced a strong effect of open innovation, in that joint patent applications led to economic gains from the patents and an increase in technology transfer and technology value. The aerospace industry of Korea, which has the highest dominance of large companies, experienced a slight effect of open innovation, as the effect of joint patent application only improved the technology value. Finally, the automotive industry of Korea had an intermediate level of open innovation, between the aerospace and robotics sectors.

关键词： motor skills   neurological rehabilitation   proprioception   robotics   sensory feedback   traumatic brain injuries  

摘要： Objective: To investigate the use of a robotic assessment tool to quantify sensorimotor, visuospatial attention, and executive function impairments in individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Setting: Foothills Hospital (Calgary, Canada). Participants: Twenty-three subjects with first-time TBI in the subacute to chronic phase participated in this study. Normative data were collected from 275 to 494 neurologically intact control subjects for each robotic task. Design: A prospective observational case series. Subjects with TBI completed brief clinical cognitive and motor assessments followed by robotic assessments of upper limb reaching, position sense, bimanual motor ability, attention, and visuospatial skills. Scores of subjects with TBI were compared with normative data. Main Measures: Robotic task performance was computed for each subject on each task, as well as performance on specific task parameters. Clinical assessments included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Fugl-Meyer upper extremity assessment, and Purdue Peg Board. Results: Subjects with TBI demonstrated a variety of deficits on robotic tasks. The proportion of TBI subjects who were significantly different from controls ranged from 36% (dominant arm reaching) to 60% (bimanual object hitting task). Conclusion: Robotic measures allowed us to quantify a range of impairments specific to each subject, and offer an objective tool with which to examine these abilities after TBI.

关键词： Capacitive sensing   electrode matrix   distance measuring   parallel motion tracking   profile recognition   regression model   SVM  

摘要： This paper presents a multi-functional capacitive sensor that is developed to improve the worker safety during the industrial human-robot interactions. The sensor is to be mounted on the worker and used to maintain a safe distance between the workers and robots or automotive parts moved by the robots. The response of a capacitive proximity sensor is a function of the distance to an object as well as the dielectric/conductance and geometry properties of the object. This uncertainty can lead to a wrong distance estimation or possibly a missed detection. The presented approach alleviates this issue by implementing three sensing capabilities including distance measurement, motion tracking, and profile recognition in a single platform. The presented sensor employs a capacitive sensing element coupled to reprogrammable interface electronics. The sensing element features a matrix of electrodes that can be reconfigured to various arrangements at run-time by controlling the interface electronics to obtain a more detailed perception of the ambient environment. Quantitative regression models are built to seek out distances while an adaptive classification tool based on support vector machines is employed to recognize the surface profiles. The performance of the sensing modalities has been experimentally assessed. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate that the system is able to detect a metallic object at distances of up to 18 cm with high resolutions, track its motion, and provide an estimate for its shape.

摘要： While the other cops huddled behind their patrol cars, Warren crossed the red-and-bluelit no-mans-land and tried the front door of the physics lab. " "All robotic laws are instilled by the prime programming, and every law is superseded by the one lower than it on the number line. [...]what does that make the infinith law?" The robot spread its hands and said: "That is what all robots, roboticists and philosophers work to figure out.

关键词： smart materials   polymer films   surface patterning and modification   soft robotics   multiresponsive kinematics  

摘要： Soft robots, sensors, and energy harvesters require materials that are capable of converting external stimuli to visible deformations, especially when shape-programmable deformations are desired. Herein, we develop a polymer film that can reversibly respond to humidity, heating, and acetone vapors with the generation of shape-programmable large deformations. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) film, capable of providing acetone responsiveness, is designed with microchannel patterns created on its one side by using templates, and the microchannels-patterned side is then treated with hygroscopic 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to give humidity/heating-responsive elements. The APTES-modified microchannels lead to anisotropic flexural modulus and hygroscopicity in the film, resulting in the shape-programmed kinematics depending on the orientations of surface microchannels. As the microchannels align at oblique/right angles with respect to the long axis of the film strips, the coiling/curling motions can be generated in response to the stimuli, and the better motion performances are found in humidity- and heating-driven systems. This material utilized in self-adaptive soft robots exhibits prominent toughness, powerful strength, and long endurance for converting humidity and heat to mechanical works including transportation of lightweight objects, automatic sensing cap, and mimicking crawling in nature. We thus believe that this material with shape-programmable multisensing capability might be suitable for soft machines and robotics.

关键词： 便携式自主水下机器人   动力学建模   计算流体力学   非线性最优化辨识  

摘要： 针对50 kg级便携式自主水下机器人(AUV)的精确控制和研究,介绍了一种基于计算流体力学(CFD)和非线性最优化辨识的动力学建模方法,着重推导了便携式AUV动力学模型,并使用计算流体力学方法代替水池实验获取辨识所需数据和通过非线性最优化方法获得合适的模型结构和模型参数。最终建立了便携式AUV数学模型,并通过对仿真数据与实验数据的对比,证明了该模型及方法的有效性。