关键词： Walking rehabilitation   Inverse dynamics   Power assist  

摘要： This paper describes a gait training algorithm based on the inverse dynamics of DDgo Pro, an end-effector-type walking rehabilitation robot. As a major feature, a gait training algorithm with high responsiveness and flexibility was achieved by analyzing the inverse dynamics of the five-link mechanism with a foothold attached to the end of the mechanism and compensating for the required torque for the link motion and the patient's weight during gait training. To this end, inverse dynamics was solved using Newton Euler's method, and three training modes were proposed. First, passive mode training performs three tasks: motion compensation of the five-link mechanism for the given constant walking speed through the inverse dynamics, patient's weight compensation, and tracking of the gait trajectory of the foothold using PD control to practice the normal walking pattern and restore muscle strength for standing. Second, Active-assisted mode training was implemented for the patient to receive muscle assistance from an electric motor in proportion to the patient's walking intention in addition to the reduced compensations of the motion of the five-link mechanism and patient's weight. Third, active mode training was implemented so that the patient can perform gait training while feeling their own weight with the time-varying motion compensation of the five-link mechanism. Finally, the performance of each gait training mode was experimentally verified, and the muscle activity was measured using EMG sensors to compare the muscle assistance performances of the training modes. Furthermore, the correction of the gait motion of the affected leg according to the motor assistance in active-assisted mode was also verified.

关键词： image-based sensor systems   object detection systems   safety of autonomous agriculture machines   test stand   humanoid test target  

摘要： As an essential part for the development of autonomous agricultural robotics, the functional safety of autonomous agricultural machines is largely based on the functionality and robustness of non-contact sensor systems for human protection. This article presents a new step in the development of autonomous agricultural machine with a concept and the realization of a novel test method using a dynamic test stand on an agricultural farm in outdoor areas. With this test method, commercially available sensor systems are tested in a long-term test around the clock for 365 days a year and 24 h a day on a dynamic test stand in continuous outdoor use. A test over a longer period of time is needed to test as much as possible all occurring environmental conditions. This test is determined by the naturally occurring environmental conditions. This fact corresponds to the reality of unpredictable/determinable environmental conditions in the field and makes the test method and test stand so unique. The focus of the developed test methods is on creating own real environment detection areas (REDAs) for each sensor system, which can be used to compare and evaluate the autonomous human detection of the sensor systems for the functional safety of autonomous agricultural robots with a humanoid test target. Sensor manufacturers from industry and the automotive sector provide their sensor systems to have their sensors tested in cooperation with the TuV.

关键词： Programming   Sense-reason-act   Robotics   Computational thinking   Mathematics   Self-efficacy  

摘要： This study investigates the development of algorithmic thinking as a part of computational thinking skills and self-efficacy of primary school pupils using programmable robots in different instruction variants. Computational thinking is defined in the context of twenty-first century skills and describes processes involved in (re)formulating a problem in a way that a computer can process it. Programming robots offers specific affordances as it can be used to develop programs following a Sense-Reason-Act (SRA) cycle. The literature provides evidence that programming robots has the potential to enhance algorithmic thinking as a component of computational thinking. Specifically there are indications that pupils who use SRA-programming learn algorithmic skills better and achieve a higher level of self-efficacy in an open, scaffold learning environment than through direct instruction. In order to determine the influence of the instruction variant used, an experimental research design was made in which pupils solved algorithm-based mathematical problems (grid diagrams) in a preliminary measurement and their self-efficacy determined via a questionnaire. As an intervention, pupils learn to solve programming issues in pairs using "Lego NXT" robots and "Mindstorms" software in two instruction variants. The post-measurement consists of a Lego challenge, solving mathematical problems (grid diagrams), and a repeated self-efficacy questionnaire. This research shows an increase of our measures on algorithmic thinking dependent on the amount of SRA usage (though not significant). Programming using the SRA-cycle can be considered as the cause of the measured effect. The instruction variant used during the robotic intervention seems to play only a marginal role.

关键词： innovation   oropharyngeal carcinoma   robotic surgery   transoral endoscopic head and neck surgery  

摘要： Purpose of review As the molecular basis of head and neck cancer becomes more clearly defined, precision medicine has gradually refined the multidisciplinary treatment paradigm for patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Although precision medicine is often thought to refer to new molecular diagnostics or unique medical therapy, the recent adoption of robotic surgery has ushered in the era of 'precision' head and neck surgery. Recent findings Surgeons now routinely utilize a virtual reality environment to reduce the morbidity of head and neck surgical care and improve oncologic and functional outcomes. The development and subsequent FDA approval of the da Vinci SP system, a single-arm system with a flexible camera, has allowed for improved visualization and access to the deep oropharynx and larynx. Groups investigating anti-EGFR antibodies tagged with fluorescent dye as well as inherent autofluorescence differences between normal and cancerous mucosal tissues show promise for improving positive surgical margin rates. The evolution of robotics and visualization for oropharyngeal cancer represents a novel and innovative utilization of new technology to improve care. Further advancements in techniques, from refinement of the robotic platform itself, to novel real-time tumour imaging options will be critical to further advance precision care for these patients.

关键词： Dynamic Neural Field   Neural integrator   Assembly robot   Value-based decision making   Sequence learning  

摘要： Modern manufacturing and assembly environments are characterized by a high variability in the built process which challenges human-robot cooperation. To reduce the cognitive workload of the operator, the robot should not only be able to learn from experience but also to plan and decide autonomously. Here, we present an approach based on Dynamic Neural Fields that apply brain-like computations to endow a robot with these cognitive functions. A neural integrator is used to model the gradual accumulation of sensory and other evidence as time-varying persistent activity of neural populations. The decision to act is modeled by a competitive dynamics between neural populations linked to different motor behaviors. They receive the persistent activation pattern of the integrators as input. In the first experiment, a robot learns rapidly by observation the sequential order of object transfers between an assistant and an operator to subsequently substitute the assistant in the joint task. The results show that the robot is able to proactively plan the series of handovers in the correct order. In the second experiment, a mobile robot searches at two different workbenches for a specific object to deliver it to an operator. The object may appear at the two locations in a certain time period with independent probabilities unknown to the robot. The trial-by-trial decision under uncertainty is biased by the accumulated evidence of past successes and choices. The choice behavior over a longer period reveals that the robot achieves a high search efficiency in stationary as well as dynamic environments.

关键词： Secondary education   Spatial thinking   STEM   Educational robotics   Interactive learning environments  

摘要： Robotics technology has gained significance in educational environments in recent years. Educational robotics provide students with the opportunity to collaborate in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) oriented activities. This study aims to examine the effects of robotics training on children's spatial ability and attitude toward STEM. A one-group pretest-posttest design, a type of pre-experimental design, was used in the study. The participants were 39 elementary school students (34 boys and 5 girls aged 8-12) who participated in a long-term (31 weeks) robotics course. The course had four main learning objectives related to STEM fields: mechanical design, electronics, algorithms, and robotics programming. The spatial visualization and mental rotation tests were used to determine the children's spatial ability. The STEM attitude scale was used to reveal their attitudes toward science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and related twenty-first century skills. Data were analyzed using t-test and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. According to the findings, the children's spatial visualization and mental rotation test scores were significantly increased at the end of the course. Moreover, the children's attitudes toward STEM were significantly improved. The results showed that educational robotics may improve children's spatial ability and attitudes toward STEM. The implications of the study were discussed in detail.

关键词： Machine intelligence   Artificial intelligence   Neural networks  

摘要： Purpose For efficient trajectory control of industrial robots, a cumbersome computation for inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics is needed, which is usually developed using spatial transformation using Denavit-Hartenberg principle and Lagrangian or Newton-Euler methods, respectively. The model is highly non-linear and needs to deal with uncertainties because of lack of accurate measurement of mechanical parameters, noise and non-inclusion of joint friction, which results in some inaccuracies in predicting accurate torque trajectories. To get a guaranteed closed form solution, the robot designers normally follow Pieper's recommendation and compromise with the mechanical design. While this may be acceptable for the industrial robots where the aesthetic look is not that important, it is not for humanoid and social robots. To help solve this problem, this study aims to propose an alternative machine learning-based computational approach based on a multi-gated sequence model for finding appropriate mapping between Cartesian space to joint space and motion space to joint torque space. Design/methodology/approach First, the authors generate sufficient data required for the sequence model, using forward kinematics and forward dynamics by running N number of nested loops, where N is the number of joints of the robot. Subsequently, to develop a learning-based model based on sequence analysis, the authors propose to use long short-term memory (LSTM) and hence, train an LSTM model, the architecture details of which have been discussed in the paper. To make LSTM learning algorithms perform efficiently, the authors need to detect and eliminate redundant features from the data set, which the authors propose to do using an elegant statistical tool called Pearson coefficient. Findings To validate the proposed model, the authors have performed rigorous experiments using both hardware and simulation robots (Baxter/Anukul robot) available in their laboratory and KUKA simulation robo

关键词： 采摘机器人   动力学   仿真分析效果   VR技术   可视化   结构识别  

摘要： 在采摘机器人的设计时,为了提高其动力学设计的效果,将VR技术引入到了设计过程中,采用计算机软件创设虚拟环境,支持对采摘机器人动力学进行仿真,并具有数字化展示功能,可以更好的将产品的初步设计展示给设计者和客户,使产品具有更好的整体性和协调性。为了验证方法的可靠性,以采摘机器人底座的设计为例,对其设计效果以及设计耗时进行了测试。测试结果表明:采用VR技术可以成功的实现采摘机器人动力学设计,且仿真设计的周期较短,效率更高,还能获得更高的用户满意度,对于采摘机器人产品的可视化设计的研究具有重要的意义。

关键词： 康复机器人   服务机器人   机器人学   人体运动学   外骨骼   救援设备   科幻电影   突发性灾害  

摘要： 科幻电影《环太平洋》给了我设计灵感。我在《仿生服务机器人与医疗康复机器人》一书中了解到,人体拥有神奇的特性和功能,可以成为优良的仿肘爆W!合机器人学、人体运动学、控制际等进行了仿生臟。第一步,在保证安全的前提下,对建筑物坍塌等突发性灾害情况进行实地考察,弄清在突发情况下应急救援存在的问题。第二步,走访虚拟仿真实验研究室、防灾应急体验馆等,了解目前国内的救援设备,并采访工作人员,研究人体外骨骼的结构功能图,根据肩关节、肘关节、髋关节、膝关节的结构特点设计图纸,筛选项目所用的制作材料。

关键词： 爬壁机器人   动力学建模   旋量理论   Udwadia-Kalaba理论  

摘要： 针对爬壁机器人的动力学建模问题,通过构造虚拟机构将爬壁机器人转换为具有固定基的开链系统,基于旋量理论并借助传统的拉格朗日建模方法给出了爬壁机器人未受约束时的动力学方程。借助Udwadia-Kalaba理论的建模思想,获得了爬壁机器人在预定轨迹下的解析动力学方程,避免了传统拉格朗日方程对于拉格朗日算子的依赖。数值仿真结果证明了该方法的有效性。