Practice of law in the provisioning of accessibility facilities for person with disabilities in Malaysia

Malaysia’s significant changes can be seen clearly through the improvement of social welfare of the disabled and people with disabilities. Although the governments has carried out various policies and provide facilities as well as provision for the disabled but there are still many obstacles encountered by people with disabilities, especially the legal and the accessibility of facilities and services. Therefore, this paper attempts to discuss the practice of law relating of legal procedure particularly for disabled users which affects the movement of these people from one destination to another. This paper discusses the practice of law adopted in the preparation of facilities for disabled people to help them make movement independently. The study was conducted by secondary data to the Malaysia legal and policies for disabled person by comparing with United Kingdom (UK). Malaysia has come out with a strong legal framework for disabled person through People with Disabilities Act 2008 (Act 685). There are several areas in the act that still can be improved to support disabled person

Performance of modified jatropha oil in combination with hexagonal boron nitride particles as a bio-based lubricant for green machining

This study evaluates the machining performance of newly developed modified jatropha oils (MJO1, MJO3 and MJO5), both with and without hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles (ranging between 0.05 and 0.5 wt%) during turning of AISI 1045 using minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). The experimental results indicated that, viscosity improved with the increase in MJOs molar ratio and hBN concentration. Excellent tribological behaviours is found to correlated with a better machining performance were achieved by MJO5a with 0.05 wt%. The MJO5a sample showed the lowest values of cutting force, cutting temperature and surface roughness, with a prolonged tool life and less tool wear, qualifying itself to be a potential alternative to the synthetic ester, with regard to the environmental concern

Measuring inefficiency in the rubber manufacturing industry

Malaysia is the fifth largest producer of natural rubber in the world after Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and China as well as producing rubber products exported to more than 190 countries worldwide. However, the slowdown in growth of major importers such as China, the European Union and the United States and the perception of stock surplus as output exceeds demand led to fluctuating rubber production performance over the period 2010 to 2016. Hence, this article aims at examining the level of technical efficiency (TE) and to analyze the determinants of the inefficiencies of the rubber manufacturing industry. The analysis was conducted using the latest 145 firms’ data obtained from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOS) and using the Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) method. The results showed that the overall TE level was high while the determinants such as the capital-labor ratio, wage rate and firm size had a negative and significant impact that could reduce industrial technical efficiencies. The policy implication is that the rubber manufacturing industry needs to focus on high technological production investment, increase employee motivation through wage increment and create more strategic cooperation with international industry

Active compliance control strategies for multifingered robot hand

Safety issues have to be enhanced when the robot hand is grasping objects of different shapes, sizes and stiffness. The inability to control the grasping force and finger stiffness can lead to unsafe grasping environment. Although many researches have been conducted to resolve the grasping issues, particularly for the object with different shape, size and stiffness, the grasping control still requires further improvement. Hence, the primary aim of this work is to assess and improve the safety of the robot hand. One of the methods that allows a safe grasping is by employing an active compliance control via the force and impedance control. The implementation of force control considers the proportional–integral–derivative (PID) controller. Meanwhile, the implementation of impedance control employs the integral slidingmode controller (ISMC) and adaptive controller. A series of experiments and simulations is used to demonstrate the fundamental principles of robot grasping. Objects with different shape, size and stiffness are tested using a 3-Finger Adaptive Robot Gripper. The work introduces the Modbus remote terminal unit [RTU] protocol, a low-cost force sensor and the Arduino IO Package for a real-time hardware setup. It is found that, the results of the force control via PID controller are feasible to maintain the grasped object at certain positions, depending on the desired grasping force (i.e., 1N and 8N). Meanwhile, the implementation of impedance control via ISMC and adaptive controller yields multiple stiffness levels for the robot fingers and able to reduce collision between the fingers and the object. However, it was found that the adaptive controller produces better impedance control results as compared to the ISMC, with a 33% efficiency improvement. This work lays important foundations for long-term related research, particularly in the field of active compliance control that can be beneficial to human–robot interaction (HRI)

Real-time robotic tasks for cyber-physical avatars

Although modern robots can perform complex tasks using sophisticated algorithms that are specialized to a particular task and environment, creating robots capable of completing tasks in unstructured environments without human guidance (e.g., through teleoperation) remains a challenge. In this research, we present a framework to meet this challenge for a "cyberphysical avatar," which is defined to be a semi-autonomous robotic system that adjusts to an unstructured environment and performs physical tasks subject to critical timing constraints while under human supervision. This thesis first realizes a cyberphysical avatar that integrates three key technologies: (1) whole body-compliant control, (2) skill acquisition from machine learning (neuroevolution methods and deep learning), and (3) vision-based control through visual servoing. Body-compliant control is essential for operator safety because avatars perform cooperative tasks in close proximity to humans; machine learning enables "programming" avatars such that they can be used by non-experts for a large array of tasks, some unforeseen, in an unstructured environment; the visual servoing technique is indispensable for facilitating feedback control in human avatar interaction. This thesis proposes and demonstrates a systematically incremental approach to automating robotic tasks by decomposing a non-trivial task into stages, each of which may be automated by integrating the aforementioned techniques. We design and implement the controllers for two semi-autonomous robots that integrate three key techniques for grasping and pick-and-place tasks. While a general theory is beyond reach, we present a study on the tradeoffs between three design metrics for robotic task systems: (1) the amount of training effort for the robots to perform the task, (2) the time available to complete the task when the command is given, and (3) the quality of the result of the performed task. The tradeoff study in this design space uses the imprecise computation model as a framework to evaluate specific types of tasks: (1) grasping an unknown object and (2) placing the object in a target position. We demonstrate the generality of our integration methodology by applying it to two different robots, Dreamer and Hoppy. Our approach is evaluated by the performance of the robots in trading off between task completion time, training time and task completion success rate, in an environment similar to those in the recent Amazon Picking Challenge.Computer Science

Bio-Inspired Robotics

Modern robotic technologies have enabled robots to operate in a variety of unstructured and dynamically-changing environments, in addition to traditional structured environments. Robots have, thus, become an important element in our everyday lives. One key approach to develop such intelligent and autonomous robots is to draw inspiration from biological systems. Biological structure, mechanisms, and underlying principles have the potential to provide new ideas to support the improvement of conventional robotic designs and control. Such biological principles usually originate from animal or even plant models, for robots, which can sense, think, walk, swim, crawl, jump or even fly. Thus, it is believed that these bio-inspired methods are becoming increasingly important in the face of complex applications. Bio-inspired robotics is leading to the study of innovative structures and computing with sensory–motor coordination and learning to achieve intelligence, flexibility, stability, and adaptation for emergent robotic applications, such as manipulation, learning, and control. This Special Issue invites original papers of innovative ideas and concepts, new discoveries and improvements, and novel applications and business models relevant to the selected topics of ``Bio-Inspired Robotics''. Bio-Inspired Robotics is a broad topic and an ongoing expanding field. This Special Issue collates 30 papers that address some of the important challenges and opportunities in this broad and expanding field

Human-robot interaction using a behavioural control strategy

PhD ThesisA topical and important aspect of robotics research is in the area of human-robot interaction (HRI), which addresses the issue of cooperation between a human and a robot to allow tasks to be shared in a safe and reliable manner. This thesis focuses on the design and development of an appropriate set of behaviour strategies for human-robot interactive control by first understanding how an equivalent human-human interaction (HHI) can be used to establish a framework for a robotic behaviour-based approach. To achieve the above goal, two preliminary HHI experimental investigations were initiated in this study. The first of which was designed to evaluate the human dynamic response using a one degree-of-freedom (DOF) HHI rectilinear test where the handler passes a compliant object to the receiver along a constrained horizontal path. The human dynamic response while executing the HHI rectilinear task has been investigated using a Box-Behnken design of experiments [Box and Hunter, 1957] and was based on the McRuer crossover model [McRuer et al. 1995]. To mimic a real-world human-human object handover task where the handler is able to pass an object to the receiver in a 3D workspace, a second more substantive one DOF HHI baton handover task has been developed. The HHI object handover tests were designed to understand the dynamic behavioural characteristics of the human participants, in which the handler was required to dexterously pass an object to the receiver in a timely and natural manner. The profiles of interactive forces between the handler and receiver were measured as a function of time, and how they are modulated whilst performing the tasks, was evaluated. Three key parameters were used to identify the physical characteristics of the human participants, including: peak interactive force (fmax), transfer time (Ttrf), and work done (W). These variables were subsequently used to design and develop an appropriate set of force and velocity control strategies for a six DOF Stäubli robot manipulator arm (TX60) working in a human-robot interactive environment. The optimal design of the software and hardware controller implementation for the robot system has been successfully established in keeping with a behaviour-based approach. External force control based on proportional plus integral (PI) and fuzzy logic control (FLC) algorithms were adopted to control the robot end effector velocity and interactive force in real-time. ii The results of interactive experiments with human-to-robot and robot-to-human handover tasks allowed a comparison of the PI and FLC control strategies. It can be concluded that the quantitative measurement of the performance of robot velocity and force control can be considered acceptable for human-robot interaction. These can provide effective performance during the robot-human object handover tasks, where the robot was able to successfully pass the object from/to the human in a safe, reliable and timely manner. However, after careful analysis with regard to human-robot handover test results, the FLC scheme was shown to be superior to PI control by actively compensating for the dynamics in the non-linear system and demonstrated better overall performance and stability. The FLC also shows superior performance in terms of improved sensitivity to small error changes compared to PI control, which is an advantage in establishing effective robot force control. The results of survey responses from the participants were in agreement with the parallel test outcomes, demonstrating significant satisfaction with the overall performance of the human-robot interactive system, as measured by an average rating of 4.06 on a five point scale. In brief, this research has contributed the foundations for long-term research, particularly in the development of an interactive real-time robot-force control system, which enables the robot manipulator arm to cooperate with a human to facilitate the dextrous transfer of objects in a safe and speedy manner.Thai government and Prince of Songkla University (PSU

Modelling and Interactional Control of a Multi-fingered Robotic Hand for Grasping and Manipulation.

PhDIn this thesis, the synthesis of a grasping and manipulation controller of the Barrett hand, which is an archetypal example of a multi-fingered robotic hand, is investigated in some detail. This synthesis involves not only the dynamic modelling of the robotic hand but also the control of the joint and workspace dynamics as well as the interaction of the hand with object it is grasping and the environment it is operating in. Grasping and manipulation of an object by a robotic hand is always challenging due to the uncertainties, associated with non-linearities of the robot dynamics, unknown location and stiffness parameters of the objects which are not structured in any sense and unknown contact mechanics during the interaction of the hand’s fingers and the object. To address these challenges, the fundamental task is to establish the mathematical model of the robot hand, model the body dynamics of the object and establish the contact mechanics between the hand and the object. A Lagrangian based mathematical model of the Barrett hand is developed for controller implementation. A physical SimMechanics based model of the Barrett hand is also developed in MATLAB/Simulink environment. A computed torque controller and an adaptive sliding model controller are designed for the hand and their performance is assessed both in the joint space and in the workspace. Stability analysis of the controllers are carried out before developing the control laws. The higher order sliding model controllers are developed for the position control assuming that the uncertainties are in place. Also, this controllers enhance the performance by reducing chattering of the control torques applied to the robot hand. A contact model is developed for the Barrett hand as its fingers grasp the object in the operating environment. The contact forces during the simulation of the interaction of the fingers with the object were monitored, for objects with different stiffness values. Position and force based impedance controllers are developed to optimise the contact force. To deal with the unknown stiffness of the environment, adaptation is implemented by identifying the impedance. An evolutionary algorithm is also used to estimate the desired impedance parameters of the dynamics of the coupled robot and compliant object. A Newton-Euler based model is developed for the rigid object body. A grasp map and a hand Jacobian are defined for the Barrett hand grasping an object. A fixed contact model with friction is considered for the grasping and the manipulation control. The compliant dynamics of Barrett hand and object is developed and the control problem is defined in terms of the contact force. An adaptive control framework is developed and implemented for different grasps and manipulation trajectories of the Barrett hand. The adaptive controller is developed in two stages: first, the unknown robot and object dynamics are estimated and second, the contact force is computed from the estimated dynamics. The stability of the controllers is ensured by applying Lyapunov’s direct method

Sensors for Robotic Hands: A Survey of State of the Art

Recent decades have seen significant progress in the field of artificial hands. Most of the surveys, which try to capture the latest developments in this field, focused on actuation and control systems of these devices. In this paper, our goal is to provide a comprehensive survey of the sensors for artificial hands. In order to present the evolution of the field, we cover five year periods starting at the turn of the millennium. At each period, we present the robot hands with a focus on their sensor systems dividing them into categories, such as prosthetics, research devices, and industrial end-effectors.We also cover the sensors developed for robot hand usage in each era. Finally, the period between 2010 and 2015 introduces the reader to the state of the art and also hints to the future directions in the sensor development for artificial hands

Planning and control of robotic manipulation actions for extreme environments

A large societal and economic need arises for advanced robotic capabilities, where we need to perform complex human-like tasks such as tool-use, in environments that are hazardous for human workers. This thesis addresses a collection of problems, which arise when robotic manipulators must perform complex tasks in cluttered and constrained environments. The work is illustrated by example scenarios of robotic tool use, grasping and manipulating, motivated by the challenges of dismantling operations in the extreme environments of nuclear decommissioning Contrary to popular assumptions, legacy nuclear facilities (which can date back three-quarters of a century in the UK) can be highly unstructured and uncertain environments, with insufficient a-priori information available for e.g. conventional pre-programming of robot tasks. Meanwhile, situational awareness and direct teleoperation can be extremely difficult for human operators working in a safe zone that is physically remote from the robot. This engenders a need for significant autonomous capabilities. Robots must use vision and sensory systems to perceive their environment, plan and execute complex actions on complex objects in cluttered and constrained environments. Significant radiation, of different types and intensities, provides further challenges in terms of sensor noise. Perception uncertainty can also result from e.g. vision systems observing shiny featureless metal structures. Robotic actions therefore need to be: i) planned in ways that are robust to uncertainties; and ii) controlled in ways which enable the robust reaction to disturbances. In particular, we investigate motion planning and control in tasks where the robot must: maintain contact while moving over arbitrarily shaped surfaces with end-effector tools; exert forces and withstand perturbations during forceful contact actions; while also avoiding collisions with obstacles; avoiding singularity configurations; and increasing robustness by maximising manipulability during task execution. Furthermore, we consider the issues of robust planning and control with respect to uncertain information, derived from noisy sensors in challenging environments. We explore the Riemannian geometry and robot's manipulability to yield path planners that produce paths for both fixed-based and floating-based robots, whose tools always stay in contact with the object's surface. Our planners overcome disturbances in the perception and account for robot/environment interactions that may demand unexpected forces. The task execution is entrusted to a hybrid force/motion controller whose motion space behaves with compliance to accommodate unexpected stiffness changes throughout the contact. We examine the problem of grasping a tool for performing a task. Firstly, we introduce a method for selecting the grasp candidate onto an object yielding collision-free motion for the robot in the post-grasp movements. Furthermore, we study the case of a dual-arm robot performing full-force tasks on an object and slippage on the grasping is allowed. We account for the slippage throughout the task execution using a novel controller based on the sliding mode controllers