关键词： Robots   Cloud computing   Quality of service   Task analysis   Resource management   Optimization   Energy consumption   Networked cloud robotics   robotic streaming workflow   quality of service   computation offloading  

摘要： Computation offloading for cloud robotics is receiving considerable attention in academic and industrial communities. However, current solutions face challenges: 1) traditional approaches do not consider the characteristics of networked cloud robotics (NCR) (e.g., heterogeneity and robotic cooperation);2) they fail to capture the characteristics of tasks in a robotic streaming workflow (RSW) (e.g., strict latency requirements and varying task semantics);and 3) they do not consider quality-of-service (QoS) issues for cloud robotics. In this paper, we address these issues by proposing a QoS-aware RSW allocation algorithm for NCR with joint optimization of latency, energy efficiency, and cost, while considering the characteristics of both RSW and NCR. We first propose a novel framework that combines individual robots, robot clusters, and a remote cloud for computation offloading. We then formulate the joint QoS optimization problem for RSW allocation in NCR while considering latency, energy consumption, and operating cost, and show that the problem is NP-hard. Next, we construct a data flow graph based on the characteristics of RSW and NCR, and transform the RSW allocation problem into a mixed-integer linear programming problem. To obtain a near-optimal solution in reasonable time, we also develop a heuristic algorithm. Experiments comparing our approach with others demonstrate significant performance gains, with improved QoS and reduced execution times.

关键词： Catastrophic forgetting   State primitives   Robotics   Continual learning  

摘要： People can learn continuously a wide range of tasks without catastrophic forgetting. To mimic this functioning of continual learning, current methods mainly focus on studying a one-step supervised learning problem, e.g., image classification. They aim to retain the performance of previous image classification results when neural networks are sequentially trained on new images. In this paper, we concentrate on solving multi-step robotic tasks sequentially with the proposed architecture called state primitive learning. By projecting the original state space into a low-dimensional representation, meaningful state primitives can be generated to describe tasks. Under two kinds of different constraints on the generation of state primitives, control signals corresponding to different robotic tasks can be separately addressed only with an efficient linear regression. Experiments on several robotic manipulation tasks demonstrate the new method efficacy to learn control signals under the scenario of continual learning, delivering substantially improved performance over the other comparison methods.

关键词： Within-firm labor dynamics   Industrial robots   Job creation and destruction  

摘要： Unlike studies that analyze the impact of robotics technology on overall employment at the industry or firm level, this study investigated cross-division employment adjustment within a firm in an industry with greater diffusion and penetration of robotics technology. By examining changes in the composition of employment, we measured job creation and destruction at the division level and explored whether robotics technology, as a leading example of automation, not only displaces workers but also introduces new jobs in favor of labor. We made use of unique, division-level employment data for Japan's manufacturing firms, together with industry-level data on the installation of industrial robots. We found that industry-level adoption of robots positively affects the firm-level job creation rate and the job destruction rate. Because the magnitude of the impact is larger for job destruction, robot adoption has an overall negative impact on firms' net employment growth. Our findings suggest that the labor displacement effect of robotics technology and the emergence of new jobs due to technological change coexist even at the firm level.

关键词： Medical systems   COVID-19   Robot sensing systems   Robot kinematics   Vaccines   Pandemics   Medical robotics   Digital systems  

摘要： The use of robotics in health care has seen a recent rise in interest due to its potential for use during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The transmission rate of COVID-19 has meant that health-care workers are under increasing pressure, risks, and workload to manage the requirements of personal protective equipment, strict disinfection procedures, and the heightened medical needs of patients. Patients are suffering from isolation, and not just in hospitals: higher-risk individuals must shelter, meaning social interactions, particularly in care homes, are limited. Robots can help by providing disinfection and logistics services that support patients and health-care professionals, by acting as devices to be used for rehabilitation at home (for both pre-existing conditions and for COVID-19-related treatment), and via interventional systems that can widely distribute future vaccinations.

关键词： magnetic bioinspired micromanipulation   magnetic drug delivery   magnetic microrobots   magnetically guided capsule endoscopy   magnetotactic bacteria  

摘要： In recent years, magnetism has gained an enormous amount of interest among researchers for actuating different sizes and types of bio/soft robots, which can be via an electromagnetic-coil system, or a system of moving permanent magnets. Different actuation strategies are used in robots with magnetic actuation having a number of advantages in possible realization of microscale robots such as bioinspired microrobots, tetherless microrobots, cellular microrobots, or even normal size soft robots such as electromagnetic soft robots and medical robots. This review provides a summary of recent research in magnetically actuated bio/soft robots, discussing fabrication processes and actuation methods together with relevant applications in biomedical area and discusses future prospects of this way of actuation for possible improvements in performance of different types of bio/soft robots.

关键词： Soft robotics   Computational modeling   Large-scale systems   Numerical models   Stability analysis   Trajectory tracking   Large-scale systems   model-order reduction   robust control   soft robotics  

摘要： This article presents new results to control process modeled through linear large-scale systems. Numerical methods are widely used to model physical systems, and the finite-element method is one of the most common methods. However, for this method to be precise, it requires a precise spatial mesh of the process. Large-scale dynamical systems arise from this spatial discretization. We propose a methodology to design an observer-based output feedback controller. First, a model reduction step is used to get a system of acceptable dimension. Based on this low-order system, two linear matrix inequality problems provide us, respectively, with the observer and controller gains. In both the cases, model and reduction errors are taken into account in the computations. This provides robustness with respect to the reduction step and guarantees the stability of the original large-scale system. Finally, the proposed method is applied to a physical setup-a soft robotics platform-to show its feasibility.

关键词： Swarm Robotics   multi-robot systems   robotics   Swarm Intelligence  

摘要： Known as an artificial intelligence subarea, Swarm Robotics is a developing study field investigating bio-inspired collaborative control approaches and integrates a huge collection of agents, reasonably plain robots, in a distributed and decentralized manner. It offers an inspiring essential platform for new researchers to be engaged and share new knowledge to examine their concepts in analytical and heuristic strategies. This paper introduces an overview of current activities in Swarm Robotics and examines the present literature in this area to establish to approach between a realistic swarm robotic system and real-world enforcements. First, we review several Swarm Intelligence concepts to define Swarm Robotics systems, reporting their essential qualities and features and contrast them to generic multi-robotic systems. Second, we report a review of the principal projects that allow realistic study of Swarm Robotics. We demonstrate knowledge regarding current hardware platforms and multi-robot simulators. Finally, the forthcoming promissory applications and the troubles to surpass with a view to achieving them have been described and analyzed.

关键词： Robotics training   Creativity   Learning   Students   Physics  

摘要： The ever-increasing advances in technology have made it necessary to make use of new educational methods in educational systems. Therefore, in this study, the effects of robotics training on students' creativity and learning physics were investigated. The research design was pretest posttest quasi-experimental, including one control and one treatment groups. The participants of the study included 120 males and females from 11th grade, studying at different schools in Tehran, Iran (members of the robotic schools training plan) in the educational year 2016-17. They were selected and studied through multistage random cluster sampling. After an eight-session treatment period, the data were collected through employing the Torrance Creativity Questionnaire (1979) including four dimensions namely fluidity, flexibility, innovation, and detailed explanation in the format of 60 items, a test of 10 learning points, and a package of training on robotic constructs in physics. For data analysis, Covariance analysis was employed. The findings indicated that Robotics training influenced and improved creativity and learning in physics among the participants.

关键词： Ambient assisted living technologies   Dementia   Elderly care   Internet-of-things security   Social robotics  

摘要： Nowadays, longevity studies have become a distinguished multidisciplinary field merging with cutting-edge computer science technologies to outline innovative ideas to cater to the needs of seniors. Since the global geriatric population is anticipated to rise, the number of people seeking to obtain caregiving services and wishing to be more actively engaged in life will be more apparent. Therefore, seniors aspiring day-to-day special care in home settings, interested in improving their living standards can likewise benefit from an amiable companion. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and selected databases were looked through with relevant keywords. This scoping review qualitatively examines the literature on the use of companion robots, including both pet-like and humanoid robots, and Internet-of-Things (IoT) security, coupled with the new 5G technology for the home-based elder care. From 355 full-text articles that were found, 90 articles were selected to be investigated respectively. In order to ascertain their operation in the future, we discuss remaining challenges, unused opportunities, security risks and suggested remedies and suggest a dementia-centred concept and an implementation framework.

关键词： robotics   robotic surgical procedures   TORS   head and neck neoplasms   haptics   costs  

摘要： Simple Summary The means of therapy in oncologic diseases have been developing continuously over the past years, intending to improve the overall survival and quality of life of affected patients. In head and neck oncology the surgical therapy is one of the key pillars in curative treatment. The standardized surgical techniques are supplemented and improved by the application of technical devices. The ambition is the reduction in peri- and postoperative morbidity, hospitalization time, and the enhancement of functional outcome. In other surgical specialties, the application of robotics is widely seen as standard. The purpose of this review is to outline the current status of robotics in head and neck surgery in the context of the present literature, to demonstrate reasonable application fields, and to discuss the expenditure of the usage of such tools. Furthermore, this review offers an overview of current research in this field. Background. In the past few years, surgical robots have recently entered the medical field, particularly in urology, gynecology, and general surgery. However, the clinical effectiveness and safety of robot-assisted surgery (RAS) in the field of head and neck surgery has not been clearly established. In this review, we evaluate to what extent RAS can potentially be applied in head and neck surgery, in which fields it is already daily routine and what advantages can be seen in comparison to conventional surgery. Data sources. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of trials published between 2000 and 2021, as well as currently ongoing trials registered in ***. The results were structured according to anatomical regions, for the topics "Costs," "current clinical trials," and "robotic research" we added separate sections for the sake of clarity. Results. Our findings show a lack of large-scale systematic randomized trials on the use of robots in head and neck surgery. Most studies include small case series or lack a c