An Analysis of Power Consumption of Fluid-Driven Robotic Arms Using Isotropy Index: A Proof-of-Concept Simulation-Based Study

The manipulability of a robotic arm may be defined based on ease of motion in different directions or ease of applying force/torque. In this study, we use manipulability measures to investigate how the kinematics of robots can be employed to calculate the optimal power required to drive the actuation systems of their arms. We hypothesize that the isotropy measure is related to the power consumption of the robotic arm. In addition to theoretical aspects, we consider practical applications that can minimize power consumption in robotic systems. Since the method is simple to implement and has no assumption on the robot’s work environment or dependence on information on the main power supply, manipulability measures can be used as a tool to predict the power consumption of robotic manipulators.</p

Nonparametric Bootstrap Technique to Improve Positional Accuracy in Mobile Robots With Differential Drive Mechanism

Wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) inevitably experience positional inaccuracy, which is caused by a number of factors including design imperfections, problems with component fabrication, sensor errors, and electromechanical malfunction. We have previously proposed an odometry-based technique that reduces positional inaccuracy in WMRs driven with standard wheels. This technique combines high sampling rates and short-term accuracy, and calculates necessary lateral and longitudinal corrections by using linear regression to model the relationship between positional inaccuracy and angular velocities of the robot's wheels. This technique can do so without the precision of measurement required by other techniques. In this paper, we discuss how a nonparametric bootstrap approach can be used to find both interval and point estimates of the modified angular velocities required to alleviate the positional inaccuracy of the WMR. First, the robot travels along a path recommended by the odometry-based error reduction technique. Then, the positional and angular errors of the robot at the stop point are measured. Next, these measurements are used to estimate angular velocities, providing the necessary confidence intervals (prediction). Results from these calculations could be incorporated into the robot program to modify the movement along a given path (validation). To show viability, the bootstrap technique was applied to a prototype mobile robot while the robot was programmed to move along an unseen trajectory. Results indicate that, for this typical unseen path, the bootstrap technique is capable of improving real-time positional systematic and non-systematic inaccuracy with acceptable levels of precision compared to the linear regression technique under the normality assumption. The bootstrap technique exhibited better efficacy than the linear regression, therefore, it may be a useful tool to conduct real-time calibration of differential drive WMRs.</p

A Historical Review of Medical Robotic Platforms

This paper provides a brief history of medical robotic systems. Since the first use of robots in medical procedures, there have been countless companies competing to developed robotic systems in hopes to dominate a field. Many companies have succeeded, and many have failed. This review paper shows the timeline history of some of the old and most successful medical robots and new robotic systems. As the patents of the most successful system, i.e., Da Vinci® Surgical System, have expired or are expiring soon, this paper can provide some insights for new designers and manufacturers to explore new opportunities in this field. </p

A Brief Review on Challenges in Design and Development of Nanorobots for Medical Applications

Robotics is a rapidly growing field, and the innovative idea to scale down the size of robots to the nanometer level has paved a new way of treating human health. Nanorobots have become the focus of many researchers aiming to explore their many potential applications in medicine. This paper focuses on manufacturing techniques involved in the fabrication of nanorobots and their associated challenges in terms of design architecture, sensors, actuators, powering, navigation, data transmission, followed by challenges in applications. In addition, an overview of various nanorobotic systems addresses different architectures of a nanorobot. Moreover, multiple medical applications, such as oncology, drug delivery, and surgery, are reviewed and summarized.</p

An Application-Based Review of Haptics Technology

Recent technological development has led to the invention of different designs of haptic devices, electromechanical devices that mediate communication between the user and the computer and allow users to manipulate objects in a virtual environment while receiving tactile feedback. The main criteria behind providing an interactive interface are to generate kinesthetic feedback and relay information actively from the haptic device. Sensors and feedback control apparatus are of paramount importance in designing and manufacturing a haptic device. In general, haptic technology can be implemented in different applications such as gaming, teleoperation, medical surgeries, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) devices. This paper classifies the application of haptic devices based on the construction and functionality in various fields, followed by addressing major limitations related to haptics technology and discussing prospects of this technology. </p

Visual servoing of continuum robots: Methods, challenges, and prospects

Background Recent advancements in continuum robotics have accentuated developing efficient and stable controllers to handle shape deformation and compliance. The control of continuum robots (CRs) using physical sensors attached to the robot, particularly in confined spaces, is difficult due to their limited accuracy in three-dimensional deflections and challenging localisation. Therefore, using non-contact imaging sensors finds noticeable importance, particularly in medical scenarios. Accordingly, given the need for direct control of the robot tip and notable uncertainties in the kinematics and dynamics of CRs, many papers have focussed on the visual servoing (VS) of CRs in recent years. Methods The significance of this research towards safe human-robot interaction has fuelled our survey on the previous methods, current challenges, and future opportunities. Results Beginning with actuation modalities and modelling approaches, the paper investigates VS methods in medical and non-medical scenarios. Conclusions Finally, challenges and prospects of VS for CRs are discussed, followed by concluding remarks.</p

Image-Based Force Estimation in Medical Applications: A Review

Minimally invasive robotic interventions have highlighted the need to develop efficient techniques to measure forces applied to the soft tissues. Since the last decade, many scholars have focused on micro-scale and macro-scale robotic manipulations. Early articles used the model of soft tissue mathematically and tracked the displacement of the contour of the object in the vision system to provide the corresponding force to the user. Lack of knowledge of different materials and the computational complexity led to a transition from model-based to learning-based approaches to interpret the relation between object deformations, extracted from the vision system, and the real forces applied to the object. The dramatic growth of machine learning techniques and its integration with computer vision has brought novel learning-based visual data processing methods to the area. The application of the image-based force estimation methods in a controlled medical intervention has also received significant attention in the last five years. A decent number of surveys have been published on micromanipulation in recent years, especially for cell microinjection. However, the state of the art in meso- and macro-scale medical robotic interventions has not been reviewed. The aim and contribution of this paper are to fill the stated gap by reviewing the recent advances in image-based force estimation in robotic interventions. The survey shows that learning-based force estimation methods are growing significantly by using deep learning-based methods. The survey will encourage researchers and surgeons to apply learning-based algorithms to real-time medical and health-related operations.</p

Roboethics principles and policies in Europe and North America

Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing all spheres of human life. From industrial processes to graphic design, the implementation of automated intelligent systems is changing how industries work. The spread of robots and AI systems has triggered academic institutions to closely examine how these technologies may affect the humanity—this is how the fields of roboethics and AI ethics have been born. The identification of ethical issues for robotics and AI and creation of ethical frameworks were the first steps to creating a regulatory environment for these technologies. In this paper, we focus on regulatory efforts in Europe and North America to create enforceable regulation for AI and robotics. We describe and compare ethical principles, policies, and regulations that have been proposed by government organizations for the design and use of robots and AI. We also discuss proposed international regulation for robotics and AI. This paper tries to highlight the need for a comprehensive, enforceable, and agile policy to ethically regulate technology today and in the future. Through reviewing existing policies, we conclude that the European Unition currently leads the way in defining roboethics and AI ethical principles and implementing them into policy. Our findings suggest that governments in Europe and North America are aware of the ethical risks that robotics and AI pose, and are engaged in policymaking to create regulatory policies for these new technologies.  </p

RoboEthics in COVID-19: A Case Study in Dentistry

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic effects on the healthcare system, businesses, and education. In many countries, businesses were shut down, universities and schools had to cancel in-person classes, and many workers had to work remotely and socially distance in order to prevent the spread of the virus. These measures opened the door for technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence to play an important role in minimizing the negative effects of such closures. There have been many efforts in the design and development of robotic systems for applications such as disinfection and eldercare. Healthcare education has seen a lot of potential in simulation robots, which offer valuable opportunities for remote learning during the pandemic. However, there are ethical considerations that need to be deliberated in the design and development of such systems. In this paper, we discuss the principles of roboethics and how these can be applied in the new era of COVID-19. We focus on identifying the most relevant ethical principles and apply them to a case study in dentistry education. DenTeach was developed as a portable device that uses sensors and computer simulation to make dental education more efficient. DenTeach makes remote instruction possible by allowing students to learn and practice dental procedures from home. We evaluate DenTeach on the principles of data, common good, and safety, and highlight the importance of roboethics in Canada. The principles identified in this paper can inform researchers and educational institutions considering implementing robots in their curriculum.  </p

CageView: A Smart Food Control and Monitoring System for Phenotypical Research In Vivo

The present work introduces an automated and smart system (named CageView) used to monitor a mouse, detect motion, and control access to food in accordance with experimental schedules. We describe the components of the CageView platform and give a summarized description on how we employed a convolutional neural network to detect and recognize a mouse in real time before presenting the results of a case study. In particular, CageView is a programmable and remotely operable system such that (1) an experimenter at a remote workstation may set up a feeding and fasting schedule that allows feeding and fasting without requiring the physical presence of a staff member, (2) the experimenter can control access to food in real time regardless of the preset schedule, (3) the experimenter has real-time access to a live video feed to assess the mouse, (4) an artificial intelligence system tracks the mouse’s location and physical activity, and (5) a record is kept of activity, which can be displayed as a 2D representation of mouse movement or a histogram showing mouse movement in 15-min blocks for the duration of the experiment.</p