Visual Servoing of Humanoid Dual-Arm Robot with Neural Learning Enhanced Skill Transferring Control

This paper presents a novel combination of visual servoing (VS) control and neural network (NN) learning on humanoid dual-arm robot. A VS control system is built by using stereo vision to obtain the 3D point cloud of a target object. A least square-based method is proposed to reduce the stochastic error in workspace calibration. An NN controller is designed to compensate for the effect of uncertainties in payload and other parameters (both internal and external) during the tracking control. In contrast to the conventional NN controller, a deterministic learning technique is utilized in this work, to enable the learned neural knowledge to be reused before current dynamics changes. A skill transfer mechanism is also developed to apply the neural learned knowledge from one arm to the other, to increase the neural learning efficiency. Tracked trajectory of object is used to provide target position to the coordinated dual arms of a Baxter robot in the experimental study. Robotic implementations has demonstrated the efficiency of the developed VS control system and has verified the effectiveness of the proposed NN controller with knowledge-reuse and skill transfer features

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2016

This Research Report presents the FY16 research statistics and contributions of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management (EN) at AFIT. AFIT research interests and faculty expertise cover a broad spectrum of technical areas related to USAF needs, as reflected by the range of topics addressed in the faculty and student publications listed in this report. In most cases, the research work reported herein is directly sponsored by one or more USAF or DOD agencies. AFIT welcomes the opportunity to conduct research on additional topics of interest to the USAF, DOD, and other federal organizations when adequate manpower and financial resources are available and/or provided by a sponsor. In addition, AFIT provides research collaboration and technology transfer benefits to the public through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)

Digital Techniques for Documenting and Preserving Cultural Heritage

In this unique collection the authors present a wide range of interdisciplinary methods to study, document, and conserve material cultural heritage. The methods used serve as exemplars of best practice with a wide variety of cultural heritage objects having been recorded, examined, and visualised. The objects range in date, scale, materials, and state of preservation and so pose different research questions and challenges for digitization, conservation, and ontological representation of knowledge. Heritage science and specialist digital technologies are presented in a way approachable to non-scientists, while a separate technical section provides details of methods and techniques, alongside examples of notable applications of spatial and spectral documentation of material cultural heritage, with selected literature and identification of future research. This book is an outcome of interdisciplinary research and debates conducted by the participants of the COST Action TD1201, Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage, 2012–16 and is an Open Access publication available under a CC BY-NC-ND licence.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/mip_arc_cdh/1000/thumbnail.jp

Hybrid wheelchair controller for handicapped and quadriplegic patients

In this dissertation, a hybrid wheelchair controller for handicapped and quadriplegic patient is proposed. The system has two sub-controllers which are the voice controller and the head tilt controller. The system aims to help quadriplegic, handicapped, elderly and paralyzed patients to control a robotic wheelchair using voice commands and head movements instead of a traditional joystick controller. The multi-input design makes the system more flexible to adapt to the available body signals. The low-cost design is taken into consideration as it allows more patients to use this system