Exploring the Design Space of Robot Appearance and Behavior in an Attention-Seeking Living Room Scenario for a Robot Companion

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A review of e-maintenance capabilities and challenges

Within the era of e-manufacturing and e-business, e-maintenance provides the opportunity for a new maintenance generation. E-maintenance integrates existing telemaintenance principles, with web-services and modern e-collaboration principles. Collaboration allows not only to share and exchange information but also knowledge and (e)-intelligence. This paper outlines the basic capabilities provided by e-maintenance to companies as well as describes emerging challenges to benefit from these new operational improvement opportunitie

Fast Manipulability Maximization Using Continuous-Time Trajectory Optimization

A significant challenge in manipulation motion planning is to ensure agility in the face of unpredictable changes during task execution. This requires the identification and possible modification of suitable joint-space trajectories, since the joint velocities required to achieve a specific endeffector motion vary with manipulator configuration. For a given manipulator configuration, the joint space-to-task space velocity mapping is characterized by a quantity known as the manipulability index. In contrast to previous control-based approaches, we examine the maximization of manipulability during planning as a way of achieving adaptable and safe joint space-to-task space motion mappings in various scenarios. By representing the manipulator trajectory as a continuous-time Gaussian process (GP), we are able to leverage recent advances in trajectory optimization to maximize the manipulability index during trajectory generation. Moreover, the sparsity of our chosen representation reduces the typically large computational cost associated with maximizing manipulability when additional constraints exist. Results from simulation studies and experiments with a real manipulator demonstrate increases in manipulability, while maintaining smooth trajectories with more dexterous (and therefore more agile) arm configurations.Comment: In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS'19), Macau, China, Nov. 4-8, 201

Silicon end-effectors for microgripping tasks.

International audienceMicromanipulation is a key task to perform serial assembly of MEMS. The two-fingered microgrippers are usable but require specific studies to be able to work in the microworld. In this paper, we propose a new microgripping system where actuators and the end-effectors of the gripper are fabricated separately. End-effectors can thus be adapted to the manipulated micro-objects without new design and/or fabrication of the actuator. The assembly of the end-effectors on our piezoelectric actuators guarantee a great modularity for the system. This paper focuses on the original design, development and experimentation of new silicon end-effectors, compatible with our piezoelectric actuator. These innovative end-effectors are realized with the well known DRIE process and are able to perform micromanipulation tasks of objects whose typical size is between 5 μm and 1 mm

Principle of a submerged freeze microgripper.

International audienceManipulating microscopic objects still remains a very challenging task. In this paper, we propose a freeze microgripper working in an innovative environment, i.e. liquid medium.We first review a comparative analyse of the influences of dry and liquid media on contact and non contact forces. It clearly shows the interest of the liquid medium. A survey of different microhandling systems based on the use of ice is also given. The proposed submerged microgripper exploits the liquid surroundings to generate an ice microvolume as an active end-effector. Its principle based on Peltier effect is described and the physical characteristics of the prototype are detailed. We present the results of the numerical modelling of the prototype developed. Experimentations validate the thermal principle. Using it for micromanipulation tasks is the purpose of further work

Model for long QT syndrome type 2 using human iPS cells demonstrates arrhythmogenic characteristics in cell culture

Peer reviewe

A submerged freeze microgripper for micromanipulations.

International audienceEfficient, reliable and flexible handling is still very challenging in micromanipulation and micro-assembly. In this paper, we propose an original thermally actuated gripper based on the use of ice to manipulate submerged artificial micro-objects sized under 100 µm. Manipulating in liquid surroundings can indeed be more interesting than in dry conditions. A comparative analysis on the impact of dry and liquid media on surface forces, contact forces and hydrodynamic forces shortly given first shows it. Concerning the use of ice for micromanipulation, cryogenic grippers are a flexible solution. Nevertheless, as they currently work in air, water must be provided by an external device and capillary force occurs during the release. Our submerged freeze microgripper takes advantages of the aqueous surroundings for the handling process as explained. Ther thermal principle, based on the Peltier effect, the characteristics of the microgripper prototype and the first micromanipulation tests are also presented

Dynamic modelling of a submerged freeze microgripper using a thermal network.

International audienceManipulating micro-objects whose typical size is under 100 µm becomes an interesting research topic for micro-assembly applications. A comparative analysis of dry and liquid media impacts on surface forces, contact forces and hydrodynamic forces showed that performing manipulation and assembly in liquid surroundings can indeed be more efficient than in dry conditions. We propose a thermal based micromanipulator designed to operate completely submerged in an aqueous medium. The handling principle and the advantages of our proposed submerged freeze microgripper against air working cryogenic grippers are first described. Then, the thermal principle based on Peltier effect, the characteristics of the prototype, and its first micromanipulation tests are reported. In order to manage the heat exchanges in the microgripper, a dynamic thermal model using electrical analogy has been developed for a 3D heat sink of the microgripper. Its validation is presented in the last section.Further works will be focused on the characterization of all parameters and its experimental validation

Submerged freeze gripper to manipulate Micro-objects.

International audienceManipulating microscopic objects with the necessary dexterity still remains a very challenging task. In this paper, we propose a freeze gripper able to manipulate micro-objects in an innovative way, i.e. in submerged surroundings. We first review the influences of dry and liquid media on contact forces and non contact forces. This comparative analyse clearly shows the interest of the liquid medium. A survey of different microhandling systems based on the use of ice is also given. Then submerged microgripper with frozen water as an active end-effector is porposed as a promising new approach for manipulating low thermal conductive micro-objects. A prototype using the Peltier effect has been numerically modeled and developed. It is described in the paper. Experimental results validate the cooling and warming of the freeze gripper. A generic micromanipulation task is the purpose of further work