关键词： soft robotics   molecular motors   tissue engineering   bioinspired design   biomimetics   skeletal muscle   cardiac muscle  

摘要： In nature, nanometer-scale molecular motors are used to generate force within cells for diverse processes from transcription and transport to muscle contraction. This adaptability and scalability across wide temporal, spatial, and force regimes have spurred the development of biological soft robotic systems that seek to mimic and extend these capabilities. This review describes how molecular motors are hierarchically organized into larger-scale structures in order to provide a basic understanding of how these systems work in nature and the complexity and functionality we hope to replicate in biological soft robotics. These span the subcellular scale to macroscale, and this article focuses on the integration of biological components with synthetic materials, coupled with bioinspired robotic design. Key examples include nanoscale molecular motor-powered actuators, microscale bacteria-controlled devices, and macroscale muscle-powered robots that grasp, walk, and swim. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in the field are addressed.

关键词： 自由漂浮   并联机器人   广义雅可比矩阵   路径规划  

摘要： 随着空间技术的不断发展,通过空间机器人进行在轨服务的意义和作用日益凸显。应用空间机器人可节省成本、提高工作效率,自由漂浮空间并联机器人是空间机器人的一种类型,因其耗能低且寿命长,在空间在轨服务中有广阔的应用前景。自由漂浮空间并联机器人中机器人的载体是卫星,抓取目标时位姿处于自由漂浮状态。本文研究了自由漂浮空间并联机器人的一些特性,具体研究内容如下:根据并联机构基础知识及空间机器人特性,建立了自由漂浮空间并联机器人运动学方程,研究了基座在固定以及自由漂浮条件下运动学的不同之处,以6-SPS并联机器人为例,应用得到的方程进行计算与软件仿真,以此证明理论的正确性。编制了自由漂浮空间并联机器人运动学可视化仿真,以此直观展示空间并联机器人的运动学特性。采用Lagrange法并结合推导的运动学理论建立了自由漂浮空间并联机器人在惯性系下的动力学方程。运用动力学分析软件对实例分别进行重力与自由漂浮环境下的动力学仿真,分析了自由漂浮状态下机器人的动力学特性,同时找出两种环境下动力学的差异。针对自由漂浮空间并联机器人交会路径问题,提出了安全接近交会路径规划,能够实现空间机器人以自由漂浮状态安全无碰撞地接近空间目标。同时对上平台执行器规划了运动路径,使执行器在机器人工作空间范围内到达抓取点处完成抓取目标工作。针对被捕捉空间目标的停靠问题,提出了自由漂浮空间并联机器人基于遗传算法的返回路径规划,可使空间目标到达指定位置的同时载体的姿态也回复到期望状态。

关键词： Force feedback   Glioma   Haptic warning   Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging   Robot-assisted microsurgery   Virtual fixture  

摘要： Background: The treatment of glioma remains a significant challenge with high recurrence rates, morbidity, and mortality. Merging image guided robotic technology with microsurgery adds a new dimension as they relate to surgical ergonomics, patient safety, precision, and accuracy. Methods: An image-guided robot, called neuroArm, has been integrated into the neurosurgical operating room, and used to augment the surgical treatment of glioma in 18 patients. A case study illustrates the specialized technical features of a teleoperated robotic system that could well enhance the performance of surgery. Furthermore, unique positional and force information of the bipolar forceps during surgery were recorded and analyzed. Results: The workspace of the bipolar forceps in this robot-assisted glioma resection was found to be 25 × 50 × 50 mm. Maximum values of the force components were 1.37, 1.84, and 2.01 N along x, y, and z axes, respectively. The maximum total force was 2.45 N. The results indicate that the majority of the applied forces were less than 0.6 N. Conclusion: Robotic surgical systems can potentially increase safety and performance of surgical operation via novel features such as virtual fixtures, augmented force feedback, and haptic high-force warning system. The case study using neuroArm robot to resect a glioma, for the first time, showed the positional information of surgeon′s hand movement and tool-tissue interaction forces. © 2015 Ene1 CI.

关键词： Biomechanics  

摘要： Background: Robots are very useful tools in orthopedic research. They can provide force/torque controlled specimen motion with high repeatability and precision. A method to analyze dissipative energy outcome in an entire joint was developed in our group. In a previous study, a sheep knee was flexed while axial load remained constant during the measurement of dissipated energy. We intend to apply this method for the investigation of osteoarthritis. Additionally, the method should be improved by simulation of in vivo knee dynamics. Thus, a new biomechanical testing tool will be developed for analyzing in vitro joint properties after different treatments. Methods: Discretization of passive knee flexion was used to construct a complex flexion movement by a robot and simulate altering axial load similar to in vivo sheep knee dynamics described in a previous experimental study. Results: The robot applied an in vivo like axial force profile with high reproducibility during the corresponding knee flexion (total standard deviation of 0.025 body weight (BW)). A total residual error between the in vivo and simulated axial force was 0.16 BW. Posterior-anterior and medio-lateral forces were detected by the robot as a backlash of joint structures. Their curve forms were similar to curve forms of corresponding in vivo measured forces, but in contrast to the axial force, they showed higher total standard deviation of 0.118 and 0.203 BW and higher total residual error of 0.79 and 0.21 BW for posterior-anterior and medio-lateral forces respectively. Conclusions: We developed and evaluated an algorithm for the robotic simulation of complex in vivo joint dynamics using a joint specimen. This should be a new biomechanical testing tool for analyzing joint properties after different treatments.

关键词： SPECIAL issues of periodicals   REHABILITATION   ROBOTICS   HUMAN-robot interaction   SENSORIMOTOR integration   PLASTICITY  

摘要： The demand for motor rehabilitation is growing apace with the graying of the population. The utilization of robotic devices in sensorimotor rehabilitation therapy has received increased attention during the last decade. Despite the growing interest in using robotic devices for rehabilitation of sensorimotor function, their widespread use remains somewhat limited by a number of factors, including the assessment of the true cost-to-benefit ratio relative to other types of rehabilitation approaches and parameters that would optimize their long-term efficacy. Understanding human sensorimotor control and brain plasticity can provide insight into the design of robot hardware and controllers with the appropriate reference or desired output. On the other hand, the control of the physical interaction of the therapeutic device with the subject to effectively accelerate recovery is of paramount importance. This special issue focuses on the current state of knowledge about sensorimotor control and brain plasticity, models of sensorimotor functional recovery, and use of intelligent robot controllers to provide robotic-assisted therapy for motor rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

关键词： ROBOTICS   MANIPULATORS (Machinery)   STABILITY (Mechanics)   RESEARCH & development   DISASTER relief  

关键词： 机器人学实验   Sim   Mechanics仿真   实验教学   实物实验  

摘要： 机器人学课程实验涉及内容多、知识面宽,能锻炼和提高学生的动手能力。提出利用Sim Mechanics对机器人实验中的运动学反解、轨迹规划等环节进行充分的仿真分析,再通过实物实验加以验证的实验教学方法。利用该方法进行实验教学增加了学生对知识的理解,取得了良好的效果。

关键词： 机器人工程   机器人教学   社团建设   机器人竞赛   兴趣小组   教学效果   课堂教学   共同兴趣   学业压力   小学教师教育  

摘要： 初中机器人教学是一门新兴学科,其发展速度极为迅猛,自20世纪末至21世纪初短短十几年的时间,全世界掀起了一股机器人竞赛的热潮。由于初中生的兴趣爱好不同,常规课堂教学很难达到理想的效果。虽然以机器人竞赛为载体的机器人兴趣小组所涉及的人员比较少,教学效果好,但教师是把精力集中在几个学生身上,因此也不利于扩大机器人教学所涉及的面。

关键词： 机器人模型   分层结构   行为   计算   机器人技术   机器人学   机器学习   神经科学  

摘要： 行为分层结构是研究机器人学的一种基本方法和手段。行为分层结构之所以越来越受到人们的重视，一方面是因为机器学习以及机器人技术代表了今后解决复杂任务的一个重要方向。而另一方面，心理学和神经科学有越来越多的证据表明，模块化和层次结构是行为和大脑的关键组织准则。本书几乎涵盖了本领域所有的重要模型，在此基础上着重介绍了行为分层结构的模型计算和机器人技术。

关键词： IoT   Robots   Robotics Applications   IoT security   Semantic consensus  

摘要： The ongoing revolution of Internet of Things (IoT), together with the growing diffusion of robots in many activities of every day life, makes IoT-aided robotics applications a tangible reality of our upcoming future. Accordingly, new advanced services, based on the interplay between robots and "things", are being conceived in assisting humans. Nevertheless, the path to a mature development of IoT-aided robotics applications requires several pivotal issues to be solved, design methodologies to be consolidated, and strong architectural choices to be discussed. This paper discusses technological implications, open issues, and target applications in the IoT-aided robotics domain. In particular, the present contribution is four-folded. First, it provides a solid state of the art on the main topics related to IoT-aided robotics services: communication networks, robotics applications in distributed and pervasive environments, semantic-oriented approaches to consensus, and network security. Second, it highlights the most important research challenges to be faced. Third, it describes the technological tools available nowadays. Fourth, it summarizes lessons learned to foster a joint scientific investigation among research teams with complementary skills. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.