Locomotion strategy selection for a legged wheeled hybrid quadruped using depth images

Three fundamental locomotion configurations recognized commonly are legged, wheeled, and articulated mechanisms using which a mobile robot can navigate terrains. Hybrid configurations enable execution of different locomotion types separately and in combinations. Such advantage usually implies complexity and necessity in a robust supervisory controller capable of terrain recognition and locomotion strategy selection. We developed the Nazarbayev University (NU) Hybrid Quadruped (Fig. 1) - mobile robot with four legs and wheels. Project's major novelty is the implementation of the supervisory controller which selects a locomotion mode associated with particular terrain types based on its terrain recognizer input data

Stretchable Dual-Capacitor Multi-Sensor for Touch-Curvature-Pressure-Strain Sensing

We introduce a new type of multi-functional capacitive sensor that can sense several different external stimuli. It is fabricated only with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films and silver nanowire electrodes by using selective oxygen plasma treatment method without photolithography and etching processes. Differently from the conventional single-capacitor multi-functional sensors, our new multifunctional sensor is composed of two vertically-stacked capacitors (dual-capacitor). The unique dual-capacitor structure can detect the type and strength of external stimuli including curvature, pressure, strain, and touch with clear distinction, and it can also detect the surface-normal directionality of curvature, pressure, and touch. Meanwhile, the conventional single-capacitor sensor has ambiguity in distinguishing curvature and pressure and it can detect only the strength of external stimulus. The type, directionality, and strength of external stimulus can be determined based on the relative capacitance changes of the two stacked capacitors. Additionally, the logical flow reflected on a tree structure with its branches reaching the direction and strength of the corresponding external stimulus unambiguously is devised. This logical flow can be readily implemented in the sensor driving circuit if the dual-capacitor sensor is commercialized actually in the future

Research on flexible display at ulsan national institute of science and technology

Displays represent information visually, so they have become the fundamental building block to visualize the data of current electronics including smartphones. Recently, electronics have been advanced toward flexible and wearable electronics that can be bent, folded, or stretched while maintaining their performance under various deformations. Here, recent advances in research to demonstrate flexible and wearable displays are reviewed. We introduce these results by dividing them into several categories according to the components of the display: active-matrix backplane, touch screen panel, light sources, integrated circuit for fingerprint touch screen panel, and characterization tests; and we also present mechanical tests in nano-meter scale and visual ergonomics research

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH: AN EXPLORATORY LOOK AT SINGLE-AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS BY YOUNG RESEARCHERS IN MARKETING’S TOP JOURNALS

Given the fierce competition for limited space in marketing’s top journals, how likely is a young researcher to succeed as an independent researcher and to reap the reward of publication in a top-tier journal? That is the question addressed here. This study examines the frequency of single-author publications in marketing’s top three journals to assess the level of contribution by young researchers