关键词： Robotic surgery   children   UPJO   Lich Gregoire procedure   ICG fluorescence  

摘要： Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has represented the main innovation in the field of pediatric surgery and urology over the last 30 years. Pediatric MIS is a wide field, ranging from the standard laparoscopic surgery using 3-mm ports to robotics mainly adopted for pediatric urology indications. The aim of this paper was to summarize the current status of robotic surgery in pediatric urology and to evaluate possible future technical developments for this technique. In pediatric urology, many procedures are challenged by the narrow working space available in smaller children, the difficulty to perform complex and long suture lines to repair complex urinary malformations, and the challenge to remove renal or adrenal tumors. The main characteristic of robotic surgery is that the robotic instruments inserted into the abdominal cavity are remotely controlled by the surgeon, who is sitting at a console next to the patient or even far away, avoiding human tremor during complex suturing. Due to the magnification of the operative field view and the six degrees of freedom of the robotic instruments compared to conventional laparoscopic instruments, providing enhanced 3D vision and improved surgeon ergonomics, robot-assisted surgery appears to be beneficial over conventional MIS, especially in complex reconstructive procedures. Currently, there are two robotic systems available on the market and certified for robotic surgery in children: the DaVinci (Intuitive Surgical, since 2001) and Senhance (Transenterix, since 2020). However, almost the totality of papers published in the international literature are focused on robotic procedures using the DaVinci platform. Analyzing the current literature, there is no evidence about the indications where robotics are preferable to conventional MIS approaches. Currently, the main indications of robotic surgery in pediatric urology are: pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO), ureteral reimplantation according to Lich Greg

关键词： Parallel robot   Kinematic and dynamic uncertainty   Trajectory tracking   Adaptive control   Jacobian matrix   Regressor form  

摘要： One of the most challenging issues in adaptive control of robot manipulators with kinematic uncertainties is the requirement of inverse Jacobian matrix in regressor form. This requirement is inevitable in the case of the control of parallel robots, whose dynamics formulation are derived in the task space. In this paper, an adaptive controller is proposed for parallel robots based on representation of Jacobian matrix in regressor form with asymptotic trajectory tracking. The main idea of this paper is separation of determinant and adjugate of Jacobian matrix in order to represent them into a new regressor forms. Simulation and experimental results on a 2-DOF RPR and a 3-DOF redundant cable driven robot, respectively, verify promising performance of the proposed method in practice. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. One of the most challenging issues in adaptive control of robot manipulators with kinematic uncertainties is the requirement of inverse Jacobian matrix in regressor form. This requirement is inevitable in the case of the control of parallel robots, whose dynamics formulation are derived in the task space. In this paper, an adaptive controller is proposed for parallel robots based on representation of Jacobian matrix in regressor form with asymptotic trajectory tracking. The main idea of this paper is separation of determinant and adjugate of Jacobian matrix in order to represent them into a new regressor forms. Simulation and experimental results on a 2-DOF RPR and a 3-DOF redundant cable driven robot, respectively, verify promising performance of the proposed method in practice.

关键词： Precision Agriculture   PRI   Plant water potential   Proximal sensing   Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV)  

摘要： The purpose of this research is deploying a proximal sensing solution using non-invasive and cost-effective sensors onboard an Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) as a feasible way for building high-resolution maps of water potential in vineyards. The final objective is offering growers a practical system to make decisions about water management, especially for arid climatic conditions. The monitoring AGV was entirely developed within this research context, and as a result, it is a machine specifically designed to endure off-road conditions and harsh environments. The autonomous vehicle served as a massive, non-invasive, and on-the-go data collector robotic platform. The sensors used for measuring the relevant field variables were two spectral reflectance sensors (SRS), an infrared radiometer, and an on-board weather sensor. The collected data were displayed on comprehensible grid maps using the Local Tangent Plane (LTP) coordinate system. The proposed model has a coefficient of determination R-2 of 0.69, and results from combining six parameters: the canopy and air temperatures (as the temperature difference), the relative humidity, the altitude difference, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI). The strongest relationships found in this study were between the temperature difference and PRI, with an R-2 of 0.75, and the temperature difference with the leaf water potential with an R-2 of 0.61. The practical use of these high-resolution maps includes irrigation scheduling and harvest zoning for sorting grape quality, with a further use as inputs to complex artificial intelligence algorithms considering larger areas or complementing airborne data. Future improvements to make the models more robust and versatile will entail considering additional variables, locations, or grapevine cultivars, and even other crops grown in vertical trellis systems.

关键词： Cochlear implant   Residual hearing   Robotics  

摘要： Objectives: Recent advancements in robotics have set forth a growing body of evidence for the clinical application of the robotic cochlear implantation (RCI), with many potential benefits. This review aims to summarize these efforts, provide the latest developments in this exciting field, and explore the challenges associated with the clinical implementation of RCI. Data Sources: MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases. Study Selection: A search was conducted using the keywords "robotics otolaryngology," "robotic cochlear implant," "minimally-invasive cochlear implantation," "minimally-invasive mastoidectomy," and "percutaneous cochlear implant" with all of their synonyms. Literature selection criteria included articles published in English, and articles from 1970 to present. Results: The use of robotics in neurotology is a relatively new endeavor that continues to evolve. Robotics is being explored by various groups to facilitate in the various steps of cochlear implant surgery, including drilling a keyhole approach to the middle ear for implants, inner ear access, and electrode insertion into the cochlea. Initial clinical trials have successfully implanted selected subjects using robotics. Conclusions: The use of robotics in cochlear implants remains in its very early stages. It is hoped that robotics will improve clinical outcomes. Although successful implants with robots are reported in the literature, there are some challenges that need to be addressed before this approach can become an acceptable option for the conventional cochlear implant surgery, such as safety, time, efficiency, and cost. However, it is hoped that further advancements in robotic technology will help in overcoming these barriers leading to successful implementation for clinical utility.

关键词： educational robotics   STEAM education  

摘要： In recent years we have observed a clear trend for the transformation and evolution of teaching practices using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and in particular educational robotics. As modern society gives great importance to scientific and technological literacy and new technologies, the educational process must play a central role in the development of the respective skills. Thus, the training of future teachers in corresponding fields is especially important. In this paper, we present the curriculum design of a course named "S.T.E.A.M Teaching Scenarios using Educational Robotics" implemented for undergraduate pre-service teachers at the Elementary Education Department of the University of Western Macedonia in Florina, Greece. The objectives of the course include the development of critical and computational thinking, familiarity with robots, and the process of their integration in curricula focusing on interdisciplinary practices facilitated by embodied learning affordances.

关键词： PD   Robotics   Technology integration   Science curriculum   Mathematics curriculum  

摘要： This study describes a professional development (PD) program designed to support middle school teachers in effectively integrating robotics in science and mathematics classrooms. The PD program encouraged the teachers to develop their own science and mathematics lessons, aligned with national standards, infused with robotic activities. A multi-week summer PD and sustained academic year follow-up imparted to the teachers the technical knowledge and skills of robotics as well as an understanding of when and how to use robotics in science and mathematics teaching. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of the robotics-integrated PD program through the changes of teachers' technological-pedagogical-and-content knowledge self-efficacy, the improvement in their content knowledge of robotics in the context of science and mathematics teaching, and their reflections on the PD. The 41 participants consisted of 20 mathematics and 20 science teachers and one teacher who teaches both subjects. Three instruments were administered to the teachers during the PD, and follow-up interviews were conducted to further examine benefits and possible impacts on their teaching resulting from the PD. The data were analyzed by both statistical and qualitative methods to identify the effectiveness of the PD. The findings of the study indicate that the PD program was effective in increasing participants' robotics content knowledge and confidence and outcome expectancy while integrating robotics in their teaching practices. Based on teacher reflections and follow-up interviews, this study offers guidelines for future development of technology-integrated science and mathematics teaching.

关键词： Soft robotics   Robot organisms   Biodegradable robots   Avogadro's number of robots  

摘要： Soft Robotics has come to the fore in the last decade as a new way of conceptualising, designing and fabricating robots. Soft materials empower robots with locomotion, manipulation, and adaptability capabilities beyond those possible with conventional rigid robots. Soft robots can also be made from biological, biocompatible and biodegradable materials. This offers the tantalising possibility of bridging the gap between robots and organisms. Here, we discuss the properties of soft materials and soft systems that make them so attractive for future robots. In doing so, we consider how future robots can behave like, and have abilities akin to, biological organisms. These include huge numbers, finite lifetime, homeostasis and minimal-and even positive-environmental impact. This paves the way for future robots, not as machines, but as robotic organisms.

关键词： Robots   Educational robots   Mechanical engineering   Robot sensing systems   Education   Programming profession   Thermal engineering   Curriculum development   department of robotics   educational programs   STEM   undergraduate curricula  

摘要： Contribution: The information described in this study provides a starting point for discussing an effective robotics curriculum offered by any engineering university or institute. Background: Robotics is a multidisciplinary field that includes mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, and computer science. Several universities have established departments of robotics to teach their students robotics education;however, a comprehensive curriculum to deliver robotics education has not yet been fully developed. Research Questions: What are the significant component courses offered by existing departments of robotics? Methodology: This article investigates component courses among departments of robotics through a title-based aggregation of existing courses and textual analyses. Findings: From a title-based aggregation of robotics curricula from 19 departments established by 2018, control engineering, programming, technical drawing/design, and electronic engineering/electronic circuits were found to be the core courses. From textual analyses of the curricula, robotics departments' course titles were similar to those of mechanical engineering departments.

关键词： Honeybee vision   Flight guidance   Navigation   Optic flow   Perception   Cognition  

摘要： This review summarizes research carried out in the author's laboratory investigating the ways in which honeybees use vision to guide their flight and navigate in their environment, and describes how these principles have been used to design, build and test biologically-inspired systems for the guidance and navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles. It also outlines studies investigating the capacities of honeybees in the areas of visual perception, pattern recognition, and 'cognition'. Crown Copyright (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.