Tumbling and Hopping Locomotion Control for a Minor Body Exploration Robot

This paper presents the modeling and analysis of a novel moving mechanism "tumbling" for asteroid exploration. The system actuation is provided by an internal motor and torque wheel; elastic spring-mounted spikes are attached to the perimeter of a circular-shaped robot, protruding normal to the surface and distributed uniformly. Compared with the conventional motion mechanisms, this simple layout enhances the capability of the robot to traverse a diverse microgravity environment. Technical challenges involved in conventional moving mechanisms, such as uncertainty of moving direction and inability to traverse uneven asteroid surfaces, can now be solved. A tumbling locomotion approach demonstrates two beneficial characteristics in this environment. First, tumbling locomotion maintains contact between the rover spikes and the ground. This enables the robot to continually apply control adjustments to realize precise and controlled motion. Second, owing to the nature of the mechanical interaction of the spikes and potential uneven surface protrusions, the robot can traverse uneven surfaces. In this paper, we present the dynamics modeling of the robot and analyze the motion of the robot experimentally and via numerical simulations. The results of this study help establish a moving strategy to approach the desired locations on asteroid surfaces.2020 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), October 25, 2020 - January 24, 2021, Las Vegas, NV, USA （新型コロナ感染拡大に伴い、現地開催中止

Development of a non-invasive electrophysiological system for measuring the auditory capability of marine animals

Merged with duplicate record 10026.1/1293 on 27.02.2017 by CS (TIS)The following work describes the development and application of a neurological system to definitively profile the auditory responses of aquatic animals, presented as audiograms showing hearing threshold verses sound frequency. The accuracy of such information is essential for the optimisation of bio-technical devices such as the Acoustic Fish Deterrent (AFD) barrier deployed in the Illinois River to prevent the migration of non-indigenous Asian carp into Lake Michigan, and in the impact assessment of anthropogenic underwater sounds on the hearing of cetaceans and other marine animals. The ensuing Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) electrophysiological recording technique developed at the University of Plymouth and described in this thesis is classified by the UK Home Office as being non-invasive, yielding high quality data from vertebrates in the absence of anaesthetics or implanted electrodes. The ABR technique was further refined to allow for the recording of evoked potentials in response to either the sound pressure or particle motion component of an acoustic signal, from animals stationed both at and below the water surface and ranging in size from a few millimetres to nearly a meter in length. The electrophysiological studies have resulted in the publication of three peer reviewed manuscripts, one of which is the first to define hearing for any animal from the order Acipenseriform (sturgeons and paddlefish). In addition to the development of the electrophysiology system and protocols, the inner ear morphology of the animals tested in this work were studied at the ultrastructural level, along with detailed descriptions of the afferent nerve pathway from the ear to the brain. Current literature shows a paucity of information on consistent and meticulous removal of inner ear parts necessary to identify damage to the ultrastructure that is symptomatic of hearing loss. In order for the acquisition of concise and reliable data, the dissection and preparation technique for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was refined for each species investigated and has resulted in the publication of a further three peer reviewed manuscripts on inner ear morphology

Development and application of fluorescence lifetime imaging and super-resolution microscopy

This PhD thesis reports the development and application of fluorescence imaging technologies for studying biological processes on spatial scales below the diffraction limit. Two strategies were addressed: firstly fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) to study molecular processes, e.g. using Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) to read out protein interactions, and secondly direct imaging of nanostructure using super-resolution microscopy (SRM). For quantitative FRET readouts, the development and characterisation of an automated multiwell plate FLIM microscope for high content analysis (HCA) is described. Open source software was developed for the data acquisition and analysis, and approaches to improve the performance of time-gated imaging for FLIM were evaluated including different methods to despeckle the laser illumination and testing of an enhanced detector. This instrument was evaluated using standard fluorescent dye samples and cells expressing fluorescent protein-based FRET constructs. It was applied to an assay of live cells expressing a FRET biosensor and to FRET readouts of aggregation of a membrane receptor (DDR1) in fixed cells. A novel instrument, combining structured illumination microscopy (SIM) with FLIM, was developed to explore the combination of SRM and FLIM-FRET readouts. This enabled the simultaneous mapping of molecular readouts with FLIM and super-resolved imaging. The SIM+FLIM system was applied to image collagen-stimulated DDR1 aggregation in cells, to image DNA structures during the cell cycle and to explore interactions between cell organelles. A novel SRM approach based on a stimulated emission of depletion (STED) microscope incorporating a spatial light modulator (SLM) was developed to provide straightforward robust alignment with collinear excitation/depletion beams, aberration correction, an extended field of view and multiple beam scanning for faster STED image acquisition. The performance of easySLM-STED was evaluated by imaging bead samples, labelled vimentin in Vero cells and the synaptonemal complex in homologs of C. elegans germlines.Open Acces

Dynamics of a Vibration Driven Bristle Bot

Vibration driven robots utilize periodic forced vibration of an internal mass to achieve directed locomotion. Bristle bots are a class of vibration driven robots which are characterized by the presence of bristles or cilia on their surface and contain an internal mass that is driven to oscillate at a high frequency. Besides well-known applications in investigating swarming behaviour, such robots have potential applications in rescue operations in the rubble, inspections of pipes and other inaccessible confined areas and in medical devices where conventional means of locomotion is ineffective. Bristle bot or its commercially available variants such as hexbugs are popular toy robots. Despite the apparent simplicity of these robots, their dynamic behaviour is very complex. Vibration robots have attracted surprisingly few analytical models all which can only explain some regimes of locomotion. In this work, a wide range of motion dynamics of a bristlebot is explored using a mathematical model which accounts for the slip-stick motion of the bristles with the substrate. Analytical conditions for the system to exhibit a particular type of motion are formulated and the system of equations defining the motion are solved numerically using these conditions. The numerical simulations show transitions in the kinds of locomotion of a bristlebot as a function of the forcing frequency and amplitude. These different kinds of locomotion include stick-slip and pure slip motions along with the important phenomenon of the reversal of the direction of motion of the robot. In certain ranges of frequencies, the robot can lose contact with the ground and `jump\u27. These different regimes of locomotion are a result of the nonlinear vibrations of the robot and the friction between the robot\u27s bristles and the ground. The results of this work can potentially lead to more versatile vibration robots with predictable and controllable dynamics

単一運動性微生物の刺激応答計測のためのマイクロロボティックプラットホーム

九州工業大学博士学位論文 学位記番号:生工博甲第355号 学位授与年月日:令和元年9月20日1 Introduction|2 Observation Platform|3 Stimulation Platform|4 Application to Actual Motile Microorganisms|5 Conclusion九州工業大学令和元年

Ocular biomechanics modelling for visual fatigue assessment in virtual environments

The study objectively quantifies visual fatigue caused by immersion in virtual reality. Visual fatigue assessment is done through ocular biomechanics modelling and eye tracking to analyse eye movement and muscle forces into a visual fatigue index

Mechatronic Systems

Mechatronics, the synergistic blend of mechanics, electronics, and computer science, has evolved over the past twenty five years, leading to a novel stage of engineering design. By integrating the best design practices with the most advanced technologies, mechatronics aims at realizing high-quality products, guaranteeing at the same time a substantial reduction of time and costs of manufacturing. Mechatronic systems are manifold and range from machine components, motion generators, and power producing machines to more complex devices, such as robotic systems and transportation vehicles. With its twenty chapters, which collect contributions from many researchers worldwide, this book provides an excellent survey of recent work in the field of mechatronics with applications in various fields, like robotics, medical and assistive technology, human-machine interaction, unmanned vehicles, manufacturing, and education. We would like to thank all the authors who have invested a great deal of time to write such interesting chapters, which we are sure will be valuable to the readers. Chapters 1 to 6 deal with applications of mechatronics for the development of robotic systems. Medical and assistive technologies and human-machine interaction systems are the topic of chapters 7 to 13.Chapters 14 and 15 concern mechatronic systems for autonomous vehicles. Chapters 16-19 deal with mechatronics in manufacturing contexts. Chapter 20 concludes the book, describing a method for the installation of mechatronics education in schools