13,554 research outputs found
Lunar Rover with Multiple Science Handling Capability
A rover design study was undertaken for exploration of the Moon. Rovers that have been
launched in the past carried a suite of science payload either onboard its body or on the
robotic arm’s end. No rover has so far been launched and tasked with “carrying and
deploying” a payload on an extraterrestrial surface. This paper describes a lunar rover
designed for deploying payload as well as carrying a suite of instruments onboard for
conventional science tasks. The main consideration during the rover design process was the
usage of existing, in-house technology for development of some rover systems. The
manipulation subsystem design was derived from the technology of Light Weight Robot, a
dexterous arm originally developed for terrestrial applications. Recent efforts have led to
definition of a mission architecture for exploration of the Moon with such a rover. An outline
of its design, the manipulating arm technology and the design decisions that were made has
been presented
Mobile Robot Lab Project to Introduce Engineering Students to Fault Diagnosis in Mechatronic Systems
This document is a self-archiving copy of the accepted version of the paper.
Please find the final published version in IEEEXplore: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TE.2014.2358551This paper proposes lab work for learning fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in mechatronic systems. These skills are important for engineering education because FDD is a key capability of competitive processes and products. The intended outcome of the lab work is that students become aware of the importance of faulty conditions and learn to design FDD strategies for a real system. To this end, the paper proposes a lab project where students are requested to develop a discrete event dynamic system (DEDS) diagnosis to cope with two faulty conditions in an autonomous mobile robot task. A sample solution is discussed for LEGO Mindstorms NXT robots with LabVIEW. This innovative practice is relevant to higher education engineering courses related to mechatronics, robotics, or DEDS. Results are also given of the application of this strategy as part of a postgraduate course on fault-tolerant mechatronic systems.This work was supported in part by the Spanish CICYT under Project DPI2011-22443
Optimal dimensional synthesis of force feedback lower arm exoskeletons
This paper presents multi-criteria design optimization of parallel mechanism based force feedback exoskeletons for human forearm and wrist. The optimized devices are aimed to be employed as a high fidelity haptic interfaces. Multiple design objectives are discussed and classified for the devices and the optimization problem to study the trade-offs between these criteria is formulated. Dimensional syntheses are performed for optimal global kinematic and dynamic performance, utilizing a Pareto front based framework, for two spherical parallel mechanisms that satisfy the ergonomic necessities of a human forearm and wrist. Two optimized mechanisms are compared and discussed in the light of multiple design criteria. Finally, kinematic structure and dimensions of an optimal exoskeleton are decided
Optical coherence tomography-based consensus definition for lamellar macular hole.
BackgroundA consensus on an optical coherence tomography definition of lamellar macular hole (LMH) and similar conditions is needed.MethodsThe panel reviewed relevant peer-reviewed literature to reach an accord on LMH definition and to differentiate LMH from other similar conditions.ResultsThe panel reached a consensus on the definition of three clinical entities: LMH, epiretinal membrane (ERM) foveoschisis and macular pseudohole (MPH). LMH definition is based on three mandatory criteria and three optional anatomical features. The three mandatory criteria are the presence of irregular foveal contour, the presence of a foveal cavity with undermined edges and the apparent loss of foveal tissue. Optional anatomical features include the presence of epiretinal proliferation, the presence of a central foveal bump and the disruption of the ellipsoid zone. ERM foveoschisis definition is based on two mandatory criteria: the presence of ERM and the presence of schisis at the level of Henle's fibre layer. Three optional anatomical features can also be present: the presence of microcystoid spaces in the inner nuclear layer (INL), an increase of retinal thickness and the presence of retinal wrinkling. MPH definition is based on three mandatory criteria and two optional anatomical features. Mandatory criteria include the presence of a foveal sparing ERM, the presence of a steepened foveal profile and an increased central retinal thickness. Optional anatomical features are the presence of microcystoid spaces in the INL and a normal retinal thickness.ConclusionsThe use of the proposed definitions may provide uniform language for clinicians and future research
Lightweight design and encoderless control of a miniature direct drive linear delta robot
This paper presents the design, integration and experimental validation of a miniature light-weight delta robot targeted to be used for a variety of applications including the pick-place operations, high speed precise positioning and haptic implementations. The improvements brought by the new design contain; the use of a novel light-weight joint type replacing the conventional and heavy bearing structures and realization of encoderless position measurement algorithm based on hall effect sensor outputs of direct drive linear motors. The description of mechanical, electrical and software based improvements are followed by the derivation of a sliding mode controller to handle tracking of planar closed curves represented by elliptic fourier descriptors (EFDs). The new robot is tested in experiments and the validity of the improvements are verified for practical implementation
An Open-Source 7-Axis, Robotic Platform to Enable Dexterous Procedures within CT Scanners
This paper describes the design, manufacture, and performance of a highly
dexterous, low-profile, 7 Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) robotic arm for CT-guided
percutaneous needle biopsy. Direct CT guidance allows physicians to localize
tumours quickly; however, needle insertion is still performed by hand. This
system is mounted to a fully active gantry superior to the patient's head and
teleoperated by a radiologist. Unlike other similar robots, this robot's fully
serial-link approach uses a unique combination of belt and cable drives for
high-transparency and minimal-backlash, allowing for an expansive working area
and numerous approach angles to targets all while maintaining a small in-bore
cross-section of less than . Simulations verified the system's
expansive collision free work-space and ability to hit targets across the
entire chest, as required for lung cancer biopsy. Targeting error is on average
on a teleoperated accuracy task, illustrating the system's sufficient
accuracy to perform biopsy procedures. The system is designed for lung biopsies
due to the large working volume that is required for reaching peripheral lung
lesions, though, with its large working volume and small in-bore
cross-sectional area, the robotic system is effectively a general-purpose
CT-compatible manipulation device for percutaneous procedures. Finally, with
the considerable development time undertaken in designing a precise and
flexible-use system and with the desire to reduce the burden of other
researchers in developing algorithms for image-guided surgery, this system
provides open-access, and to the best of our knowledge, is the first
open-hardware image-guided biopsy robot of its kind.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, final submission to IROS 201
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