Force Estimation and Control in Vehicles and Robots

In this master thesis, it will be shown howto estimate the unknown environmental forces acting on different vehicular and robotic systems. As force sensors are expensive, complex and not suitable to operate in hazardous environments, we present an approach to force estimation using model based observers. Only position measurements are assumed to be available and it will be shown how to use this force estimation to build an improved velocity observer. A force estimator able to follow ramp environmental forces is also introduced. We will pay special attention to stability issues and noise considerations. Simulations will be done using Matlab and Simulink. A parameter identification and force estimation experiment will be done using an industrial robot ABB irb2000

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Experiences and Trends in Control Education: A HiOA/USN Perspective

Global trends in higher education including e-learning, massive open online courses, and new teaching methods have positively affected control education. Control course content has evolved due to changes in industrial practices and the increasing availability of affordable computer hardware and software. Continuous developments in virtual remote and real laboratories have made hands-on tasks more accessible and affordable. In this article, we share our experiences of undergraduate and graduate control education at the University College of Southeast Norway (USN), and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA). First, we present an overview of the course content at our institutions, and then, we give examples of the development of real and virtual laboratories, online course materials, new learning platforms, and teaching methods

Experiences and trends in control education: a HIOA/USN perspective

Global trends in higher education including e-learning, massive open online courses, and new teaching methods have positively affected control education. Control course content has evolved due to changes in industrial practices and the increasing availability of affordable computer hardware and software. Continuous developments in virtual remote and real laboratories have made hands-on tasks more accessible and affordable. In this article, we share our experiences of undergraduate and graduate control education at the University College of Southeast Norway (USN), and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences (HiOA). First, we present an overview of the course content at our institutions, and then, we give examples of the development of real and virtual laboratories, online course materials, new learning platforms, and teaching methods

Force Estimation and Control in Robot Manipulators

In this paper we present some results on model based force estimationand how these estimates can be integrated in a common robot force controlscheme. A generalization of the force estimation method proposed inHacksel and Salcudean (1994) is done and a force observerable to follow ramp environmental forces is introduced. Anextension of this method for robotic manipulators is also experimentallyverified for an industrial robot with an open control systemarchitecture during a force control task

Target Tracking of an Underwater Glider Using a Small Unmanned Surface Vessel

This paper proposes a methodology for target tracking of an underwater glider using an unmanned surface vessel (USV). The topside USV is assumed to have knowledge about the position of the underwater glider from an acoustic positioning system, which is exploited to track the planar motions of the submerged vehicle from the surface. We propose a target tracking method for the purpose of glider localization using unmanned systems to reduce the operational costs and potential hazards. A guidance law is implemented on the topside vehicle to track the submerged vehicle when the latter performs generic glider manoeuvres. A numerical simulation environment of the two vehicles is presented to validate the target-tracking scheme.publishedVersio

Force Estimation and Control in Robot Manipulators

In this paper we present some results on model based force estimation and how these estimates can be integrated in a common robot force control scheme. A generalization of the force estimation method proposed in [Hacksel and Salcudean, 1994] is done and a force observer able to follow ramp environmental forces is introduced. An extension of this method for robotic manipulators is also experimentally verified using an industrial robot with an open control system architecture during a force control task

The Ictineu 3 project: A modern manned submersible for scientific research and intervention.

This paper describes the current state of Ictineu 3, the first project of Ictineu Submarins S.L., which aims at designing, building and operating a modern manned submersible for scientific research and intervention at a maximum depth of 1200m. This will be the first manned scientific submersible to be built and operated in the Iberian peninsula since the Ictíneo of Narcís Monturiol, and will help reduce the gap in our ocean exploration and intervention capabilities as well as pay a tribute to its old ancestor. This new submersible will employ state of the art technologies in areas such as material engineering, energy storage, navigation, control, and communication systems. Its main applications will range from deep seabed research, science dissemination, environmental protection, and archaeology to salvage operations and support to the offshore industry. The first sea trials are scheduled for the second half of 2010