Transformation to advanced mechatronics systems within new industrial revolution: A novel framework in Automation of Everything (AoE)

The recent advances in cyber-physical domains, cloud, cloudlet and edge platforms along with the evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, big data analytics and cutting-edge wireless communication technologies within the Industry 4.0 (4IR) are urging mechatronics designers, practitioners and educators to further review the ways in which mechatronics systems are perceived, designed, manufactured and advanced. Within this scope, we introduce the service-oriented cyber-physical advanced mechatronics systems (AMSs) along with current and future challenges. The objective in AMSs is to create remarkable intelligent autonomous products by 1) forging effective sensing, self-learning, Wisdom as a Service (WaaS), Information as a Service (InaaS), precise decision making and actuation using effective location-independent monitoring, control and management techniques with products, and 2) maintaining a competitive edge through better product performances via immediate and continuous learning, while the products are being used by customers and are being produced in factories within the cycle of Automation of Everything (AoE). With the advanced wireless communication techniques and improved battery technologies, AMSs are capable of getting independent and working with other massive AMSs to construct robust, customisable, energy-efficient, autonomous, intelligent and immersive platforms. In this regard, rather than providing technological details, this paper implements philosophical insights into 1) how mechatronics systems are being transformed into AMSs, 2) how robust AMSs can be developed by both exploiting the wisdom created within cyber-physical smart domains in the edge and cloud platforms, and incorporating all the stakeholders with diverse objectives into all phases of the product life-cycle, and 3) what essential common features AMSs should acquire to increase the efficacy of products and prolong their product life. Against this background, an AMS development framework is proposed in order to contextualize all the necessary phases of AMS development and direct all stakeholders to rivet high quality products and services within AoE

Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Teleoperated Master-Slave Surgical System for Breast Biopsy under Continuous MRI Guidance

The goal of this project is to design and develop a teleoperated master-slave surgical system that can potentially assist the physician in performing breast biopsy with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible robotic system. MRI provides superior soft-tissue contrast compared to other imaging modalities such as computed tomography or ultrasound and is used for both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The strong magnetic field and the limited space inside the MRI bore, however, restrict direct means of breast biopsy while performing real-time imaging. Therefore, current breast biopsy procedures employ a blind targeting approach based on magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained a priori. Due to possible patient involuntary motion or inaccurate insertion through the registration grid, such approach could lead to tool tip positioning errors thereby affecting diagnostic accuracy and leading to a long and painful process, if repeated procedures are required. Hence, it is desired to develop the aforementioned teleoperation system to take advantages of real-time MR imaging and avoid multiple biopsy needle insertions, improving the procedure accuracy as well as reducing the sampling errors. The design, implementation, and evaluation of the teleoperation system is presented in this dissertation. A MRI-compatible slave robot is implemented, which consists of a 1 degree of freedom (DOF) needle driver, a 3-DOF parallel mechanism, and a 2-DOF X-Y stage. This slave robot is actuated with pneumatic cylinders through long transmission lines except the 1-DOF needle driver is actuated with a piezo motor. Pneumatic actuation through long transmission lines is then investigated using proportional pressure valves and controllers based on sliding mode control are presented. A dedicated master robot is also developed, and the kinematic map between the master and the slave robot is established. The two robots are integrated into a teleoperation system and a graphical user interface is developed to provide visual feedback to the physician. MRI experiment shows that the slave robot is MRI-compatible, and the ex vivo test shows over 85%success rate in targeting with the MRI-compatible robotic system. The success in performing in vivo animal experiments further confirm the potential of further developing the proposed robotic system for clinical applications

Integrated Real-Virtuality System and Environments for Advanced Control System Developers and Machines Builders

The pace of technological change is increasing and sophisticated customer driven markets are forcing rapid machine evolution, increasing complexity and quality, and faster response. To survive and thrive in these markets, machine builders/suppliers require absolute customer and market orientation, focusing on .. rapid provision of solutions rather than products. Their production systems will need to accommodate unpredictable changes while maintaining financial and operational efficiency with short lead and delivery times. Real-Virtuality (R-V) systems are an innovative environment to address these requirements by facilitating enhanced support in machine system design utilising integrated real-virtual environments centred on concurrent machine system development and realization. This environment supports not only machine system design but also the development of the' control system at the same time. Utilising the Real-Virtual Mapping Environment (RVMI;:), 3-D simulation machine models can perform actual machine operations in real-time when coupled with the real machine controller. This provides a more understandable, reliable and transparent machine function and performance. The research study explores different types of controller verification methods and proposes a new method which employs the use of a control signal emulator. The research study has fomulated a novel technique for emulating quadrature encoder signals to provide virtual closed loop control of servomotors. The deployment of a control signal emulator technique makes the system unique and removes its dependency on specific hardware. Enabling the real-time data from the signal emulation environment eases the task of realising a real-time machine simulator. To evaluate the proposed architecture, three case studies were performed. The results have shown that it is possible to create verified and validated machine control programs with no modification needed when applied to the real machine. The migration from the virtual to the real world is totally seamless. The result from the ????study show that the virtual machine is able to operate and respond as a real machine in real-time. This opens up the unexplored potential of integrated 3-D virtual technology. The real-time 3-D simulation virtual machine will enable commissioning and training to be conducted '!-t an earlier stage in the design process (without having to wait for the real machine to be built). Furthermore, various test scenarios can also be developed and tested on the system which helps to provide a better lofriderstanding of the machine behaviours and responses. This research study has made an original contribution in the field of machine system development. It has contributed a novel approach of using emulated control signals to provide machine control programmers with a platform to test their application programs at machine level which involves both discrete digital signals and continuous signals. The real-time virtual environment extends the application domain for the use of simulation. The architecture proposed is generic; to be exact it is not constrained to a specific industrial control system or to a specific simulation vendor

Active vibration control of flexible beam incorporating recursive least square and neural network algorithms

In recent years, active vibration control (AVC) has emerged as an important area of scient ific study especially for vibrat ion suppression of flexible structures. Flexible structures offer great advantages in contrast to the conventional structures, but necessary action must be taken for cancelling the unwanted vibration. In this research, a simulation algorithm represent ing flexible beam with specific condit ions was derived from Euler Bernoulli beam theory. The proposed finite difference (FD) algorithm was developed in such way that it allows the disturbance excitat ion at various points. The predicted resonance frequencies were recorded and validated with theoretical and experimental values. Subsequent ly, flexible beam test rig was developed for collecting data to be used in system ident ificat ion (SI) and controller development. The experimental rig was also utilised for implementation and validat ion of controllers. In this research, parametric and nonparametric SI approaches were used for characterising the dynamic behaviour of a lightweight flexible beam using input - output data collected experimentally. Tradit ional recursive least square (RLS) method and several artificial neural network (ANN) architectures were utilised in emulat ing this highly nonlinear dynamic system here. Once the model of the system was obtained, it was validated through a number of validation tests and compared in terms of their performance in represent ing a real beam. Next, the development of several convent ional and intelligent control schemes with collocated and non-collocated actuator sensor configurat ion for flexible beam vibrat ion attenuation was carried out. The invest igat ion involves design of convent ional proportional-integral-derivat ive (PID) based, Inverse recursive least square active vibrat ion control (RLS-AVC), Inverse neuro active vibration control (Neuro-AVC), Inverse RLS-AVC with gain and Inverse Neuro-AVC with gain controllers. All the developed controllers were tested, verified and validated experimentally. A comprehensive comparat ive performance to highlight the advantages and drawbacks of each technique was invest igated analyt ically and experimentally. Experimental results obtained revealed the superiorit y of Inverse RLS-AVC with gain controller over convent ional method in reducing the crucial modes of vibration of flexible beam structure. Vibration attenuation achieved using proportional (P), proportional-integral (PI), Inverse RLS-AVC, Inverse Neuro- AVC, Inverse RLS-AVC with gain and Inverse Neuro-AVC with gain control strategies are 9.840 dB, 6.840 dB, 9.380 dB, 8.590 dB, 17.240 dB and 5.770 dB, respectively

Remote Access to a Prototyping Laboratory

There is a growing global demand for continuing adult higher education particularly in science and engineering subjects. New technologies are emerging which would enable the development of a Remote Access Laboratory for rapid prototyping of Artificial Intelligence, as a learning environment for mechatronic engineering, in which high precision electromechanical devices are designed to exhibit autonomous behaviour. Secondary research investigated the learning theories for a Remote Access Laboratory, and the current practices for distance learning, involving groupware in shared activity 'collaboratories'. Having determined that the laboratory would need a multi-user interactive environment architecture, with the requirement for adaptability to rapid developments,a distributed software architecture was selected. The laboratory design was subsequently argued to be best served by Intelligent Agents in a Multi-Agent system. The aims of the research were to establish the viability of a Remote Access Laboratory for mechatronic experimentation, and to evaluate the technologies required to implement such a laboratory environment for rapid prototyping. These were achieved by developing a novel user interface, based on a multi-functional screen layout, and a graphical specification facility to provide robotic navigation that is intuitive to use and does not require text-based programming. The research investigated the prototyping of robotic behaviour, which used Programming by Demonstration as an innovative technique to prototype robot navigation. The method of designing behaviours met an anticipated need to allow the robot to interact with an environment, to achieve goals under conditions of uncertainty, while requiring a level of abstraction in the behaviour design. The interface structured a composite of the designed behaviours into prototype Artificial Intelligence using a hierarchical behaviour architecture, which complied with the principles of Object Orientated programming. This was subsequently a new and original programming method to facilitate rapid prototyping of Artificial Intelligence design and structuring. Experimentation involved 20 participants attempting to accomplish a series of tasks which involved using the prototyped interface and an existing text-based robot programming system. The participants were profiled by their formal qualifications, knowledge and experience. The experimental data obtained were used to establish a comparative measure of the prototype interface success compared with an existing distance-learning, home experiment kit, in the form of a small controllable model vehicle. The data obtained provided strong evidence to support the hypothesis that a Programming by Demonstration based system for rapid prototyping is more flexible and easier to use than a previously existing distance learning text-based system. The Programming by Demonstration system showed great promise, being quicker for prototyping, and more intuitive. The learning interface design pioneered new techniques and technologies for rapid prototyping of Artificial Intelligence in a Mechatronics Remote Access Laboratory

Assessment of the Viability of using 3D printing for the Design and Prototyping of Historical Artifacts as Replicas

3D printing is now being used in many different applications.  Souvenir items and replicas of artifacts, which usually do not need to have high durability/strength, may be one of the possible applications of 3d printing.  In this study, the researchers tried to manufacture keychains, refrigerator magnets, and display items from historical artifacts in the province of Bataan. Three experts (1 from the tourism industry, 1 BS Tourism Faculty, and 1 expert in 3d printing) were tapped to assess the viability of using 3d printing in the production of souvenir items.  The items were particularly evaluated based on their quality, color, surface finish, cost, durability, authenticity, material, etc.  Important considerations were obtained from 3d printing as well as from the insights/evaluation provided by the experts.  Experts suggested modifying the thickness, color, and materials for added appeal. Reducing the price might also increase the market for souvenir items. Adding labels and descriptions has also been recommended. All these improvements will inspire different emotions, create impact and make the design more memorable

Soft pneumatic devices for blood circulation improvement

The research activity I am presenting in this thesis lies within the framework of a cooperation between the University of Cagliari (Applied Mechanics and Robotics lab, headed by professor Andrea Manuello Bertetto, and the research group of physicians referencing to professor Alberto Concu at the Laboratory of Sports Physiology, Department of Medical Sciences), and the Polytechnic of Turin (professor Carlo Ferraresi and his equipe at the Group of Automation and Robotics, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) This research was also funded by the Italian Ministry of Research (MIUR – PRIN 2009). My activity has been mainly carried on at the Department of Mechanics, Robotics lab under the supervision of prof. Manuello; I have also spent one year at the Control Lab of the School of Electrical Engineering at Aalto University (Helsinki, Finland). The tests on the patients were taken at the Laboratory of Sports Physiology, Cagliari. I will be describing the design, development and testing of some soft pneumatic flexible devices meant to apply an intermittent massage and to restore blood circulation in lower limbs in order to improve cardiac output and wellness in general. The choice of the actuators, as well as the pneumatic circuits and air distribution system and PLC control patterns will be outlined. The trial run of the devices have been field--‐tested as soon a prototype was ready, so as to tune its features step--‐by--‐ step. I am also giving a characterization of a commercial thin force sensor after briefly reviewing some other type of thin pressure transducer. It has been used to gauge the contact pressure between the actuator and the subject’s skin in order to correlate the level of discomfort to the supply pressure, and to feed this value back to regulate the supply air flow. In order for the massage to be still effective without causing pain or distress or any cutoff to the blood flow, some control objective have been set, consisting in the regulation of the contact force so that it comes to the constant set point smoothly and its value holds constant until unloading occurs. The targets of such mechatronic devices range from paraplegic patients lacking of muscle tone because of their spinal cord damage, to elite endurance athletes needing a circulation booster when resting from practicing after serious injuries leading to bed rest. Encouraging results have been attained for both these two categories, based on the monitored hemodynamic variables

Systematic strategies for 3-dimensional modular robots

Modular robots have been studied an classified from different perspectives, generally focusing on the mechatronics. But the geometric attributes and constraints are the ones that determine the self-reconfiguration strategies. In two dimensions, robots can be geometrically classified by the grid in which their units are arranged and the free cells required to move a unit to an edge-adjacent or vertex-adjacent cell. Since a similar analysis does not exist in three dimensions, we present here a systematic study of the geometric aspects of three-dimensional modular robots. We find relations among the different designs but there are no general models, except from the pivoting cube one, that lead to deterministic reconfiguration plans. In general the motion capabilities of a single module are very limited and its motion constraints are not simple. A widely used method for reducing the complexity and improving the speed of reconfiguration plans is the use of meta-modules. We present a robust and compact meta-module of M-TRAN and other similar robots that is able to perform the expand/contract operations of the Telecube units, for which efficient reconfiguration is possible. Our meta-modules also perform the scrunch/relax and transfer operations of Telecube meta-modules required by the known reconfiguration algorithms. These reduction proofs make it possible to apply efficient geometric reconfiguration algorithms to this type of robots