Are the surgeon’s movements repeatable? An analysis of the feasibility and expediency of implementing support procedures guiding the surgical tools and increasing motion accuracy during the performance of stereotypical movements by the surgeon

The developments in surgical robotics suggest that it will be possible to entrust surgical robots with a wider range of tasks. So far, it has not been possible to automate the surgery procedures related to soft tissue. Thus, the objective of the conducted studies was to confirm the hypothesis that the surgery telemanipulator can be equipped with certain routines supporting the surgeon in leading the surgical tools and increasing motion accuracy during stereotypical movements. As the first step in facilitating the surgery, an algorithm will be developed which will concurrently provide automation and allow the surgeon to maintain full control over the slave robot. The algorithm will assist the surgeon in performing typical movement sequences. This kind of support must, however, be preceded by determining the reference points for accurately defining the position of the stitched tissue. It is in relation to these points that the tool’s trajectory will be created, along which the master manipulator will guide the surgeon’s hand. The paper presents the first stage, concerning the selection of movements for which the support algorithm will be used. The work also contains an analysis of surgical movement repeatability. The suturing movement was investigated in detail by experimental research in order to determine motion repeatability and verify the position of the stitched tissue. Tool trajectory was determined by a motion capture stereovision system. The study has demonstrated that the suturing movement could be considered as repeatable; however, the trajectories performed by different surgeons exhibit some individual characteristics.Rozwój robotów chirurgicznych wskazuje, że będzie można powierzać im coraz większą gamę zadań. W chirurgii miękkiej do tej pory nie było możliwe automatyzowanie procesów chirurgicznych. Dlatego też prowadzone badania miały na celu potwierdzenie tezy, że telemanipulatory chirurgiczne mogą zostać wyposażone w pewne procedury wspomagające chirurga. Pierwszym krokiem w celu ułatwienia pracy chirurga będzie stworzenie takiego algorytmu sterowania, który potrafiłby jednocześnie zapewnić automatyzację i utrzymać pełną kontrolę chirurga nad manipulatorem. Algorytm ten będzie polegał na wspomaganiu operatorów telemanipulatorów podczas wykonywania typowych sekwencji ruchów. Takie sekwencje można nazwać stereotypami ruchowymi. Wspomaganie to musi być jednak poprzedzone etapem definiowania punktów referencyjnych określających dokładnie położenie operowanego (szytego) fragmentu. To względem tych punktów zostanie następnie określona trajektoria, po której zadajnik telemanipulatora będzie prowadził rękę chirurga. Artykuł przedstawia pierwszy etap prac polegający na wytypowaniu ruchów, dla których będzie zastosowany algorytm. Została również zamieszczona analiza ruchów chirurgicznych pod kątem ich powtarzalności. Dla ruchu szycia zostały przeprowadzone szczegółowe badania eksperymentalne umożliwiające określenie powtarzalności ruchu oraz weryfikujące sposób określenia położenia tkanki szytej. Trajektoria narzędzia była określana metodą stereowizji. Badania pokazują, że ruch szycia może być uznany za powtarzalny, chociaż trajektoria realizowana przez różnych chirurgów wykazuje pewne cechy indywidualne. Badania dodatkowo wskazały na możliwość wykorzystania opracowywanych procedur do procesu nauczania chirurgów

Legal Aspects of the Admission of Autonomous Cars to Traffic – A Task for the Polish Legislator. Outline of the Problem

The development of technology aims to introduce to the market autonomous vehicles, meaning vehicles able to drive without the influence of a human operator. Solving technical and construction problems is as important as preparing the legal system for the use of autonomous cars. The first regulations were created in some states of the United States. After presenting the chosen statutes, the article will define the motion of an autonomous vehicle and its operator, as well as presenting the attitude of state legislators towards the issue. Those considerations will constitute the basis for indicating specific issues that require the intervention of Polish lawmakers. First, we should define the technical conditions for legalizing autonomous cars as well as the categories of people authorized to operate them. Then, the rules of tort liability for accidents caused by those cars should be created. Lastly, the legislator should define the conditions of penal responsibility for road crimes and infractions.Rozwój technologii zmierza w kierunku wprowadzenia do obrotu pojazdów autonomicznych, to znaczy zdolnych do poruszania się bez udziału kierowcy. Rozwiązanie problemów technicznych oraz konstrukcyjnych jest równie istotne jak przygotowanie na ruch takich pojazdów systemu prawnego. Pierwsze uregulowania prawne pojawiają się w poszczególnych stanach Stanów Zjednoczonych. Na podstawie wybranych z nich w artykule zostanie zdefiniowany pojazd autonomiczny, jak i jego operatororaz zostanie przedstawione podejście prawodawców stanowych do omawianej materii. Z kolei nastąpi przełożenie tych rozważań na grunt prawa polskiego ze wskazaniem kwestii szczegółowych, które wymagają reakcji polskiego ustawodawcy. Przede wszystkim należy określić: warunki techniczne dopuszczenia pojazdów autonomicznych do ruchu oraz kategorie osób uprawnionych do ich prowadzenia, zasady odpowiedzialności odszkodowawczej za wypadki spowodowane przed pojazdy autonomiczne oraz zasady odpowiedzialności karnej za przestępstwa i wykroczenia drogowe

Legal Aspects of the Admission of Autonomous Cars to Traffic – a Task for the Polish Legislator. Outline of the Problem

The development of technology aims to introduce to the market autonomous vehicles, meaning vehicles able to drive without the influence of a human operator. Solving technical and construction problems is as important as preparing the legal system for the use of autonomous cars. The first regulations were created in some states of the United States. After presenting the chosen statutes, the article will define the motion of an autonomous vehicle and its operator, as well as presenting the attitude of state legislators towards the issue. Those considerations will constitute the basis for indicating specific issues that require the intervention of Polish lawmakers. First, we should define the technical conditions for legalizing autonomous cars as well as the categories of people authorized to operate them. Then, the rules of tort liability for accidents caused by those cars should be created. Lastly, the legislator should define the conditions of penal responsibility for road crimes and infractions.Rozwój technologii zmierza w kierunku wprowadzenia do obrotu pojazdów autonomicznych, to znaczy zdolnych do poruszania się bez udziału kierowcy. Rozwiązanie problemów technicznych oraz konstrukcyjnych jest równie istotne jak przygotowanie na ruch takich pojazdów systemu prawnego. Pierwsze uregulowania prawne pojawiają się w poszczególnych stanach Stanów Zjednoczonych. Na podstawie wybranych z nich w artykule zostanie zdefiniowany pojazd autonomiczny, jak i jego operatororaz zostanie przedstawione podejście prawodawców stanowych do omawianej materii. Z kolei nastąpi przełożenie tych rozważań na grunt prawa polskiego ze wskazaniem kwestii szczegółowych, które wymagają reakcji polskiego ustawodawcy. Przede wszystkim należy określić: warunki techniczne dopuszczenia pojazdów autonomicznych do ruchu oraz kategorie osób uprawnionych do ich prowadzenia, zasady odpowiedzialności odszkodowawczej za wypadki spowodowane przed pojazdy autonomiczne oraz zasady odpowiedzialności karnej za przestępstwa i wykroczenia drogowe

Influence of Kind of Weft Yarn on Properties of the Seersucker Woven Fabrics

Seersucker woven fabrics create a unique 3D woven structure. Such 3D structure is usually received on loom by an application of two warps of different tension. However, a kind of the weft yarn also significantly influences the structure and properties of the seersucker woven fabric. The paper presents an investigation of the seersucker fabrics made of the same set of warps and different weft yarns. The mechanical properties of the investigated fabrics were measured by means of the standardized testing methods. The structure of the fabric was assessed using the 3D laser scanning

Influence of the Structure of Seersucker Woven Fabrics on their Friction Properties

Friction is defined as a force resisting a relative motion between two bodies in contact. The friction of a fabric on itself or on another fabric influences significantly a fabric’s performance and user’s utility comfort, especially the so-called sensorial comfort. Generally, the coefficient of friction is determined for a given pair of materials. The aim of the present work was to investigate the influence of the structure of the seersucker woven fabrics on their frictional properties. Three variants of the seersucker woven fabrics of different repeat of the seersucker effect were the objects of the investigations. Three measuring elements were applied: made of aluminum and steel and covered with silicone. The obtained results confirmed the influence of the pattern of the seersucker effect on the values of friction coefficient. It was also stated that there are differences between the friction coefficients measured in the warp and weft directions of the seersucker woven fabrics. Values of friction coefficient between the seersucker woven fabrics and measuring elements were the highest for the measuring element covered by silicone. These values were several times higher than the values of friction coefficient measured using the measuring elements made of aluminum and steel

Long-range snake-like robot powered by pneumatic McKibben muscles

Contemporary research on mobile robotics aims at designing robots that will be able to traverse an extremely varied environment. One of the most universal modes of locomotion is the serpentine movement. A majority of modern snake-like robots use electric drives. This study presents a snake-like robot made out of McKibben muscles. Using a pneumatic cable with muscles arranged in series, it is possible to create a robot of any length, limited only by the length of the muscle cables. Because the control system and the body of the robot are separate, the robot can be used for rescue missions involving high risk of explosion of flammable substances and for missions taking place on extremely difficult terrain

Badania współczynnika tarcia tkanin gofrowanych

At present, seersucker woven fabrics are increasingly used for the manufacturing of clothing. These fabrics are created in the weaving process as a result of the different tension of two sets of warp threads: basic and puckering. Seersucker woven fabrics applied in properly designed clothing have an ability to massage the body while wearing such clothing. In order to conduct a detailed analysis of the massaging process during the clothing usage, it is necessary to examine the phenomena occurring during the massaging. Friction is one of the most important phenomena influencing the massaging process. Due to the nature of seersucker woven fabrics, measurement of the friction coefficient is difficult. This paper presents the problems related to measurement of the coefficient of friction for an exemplary seersucker fabric. The work contains a description of the measurement method proposed and the consequences resulting from its application.Obecnie coraz więcej tkanin gofrowanych jest wykorzystywanych do produkcji odzieży. Tkaniny te powstają w procesie tkania w wyniku różnego napięcia dwóch zestawów nitek osnowowych. Tkaniny gofrowane, stosowane w odpowiednio zaprojektowanej odzieży, mają zdolność masażu ciała podczas użytkowania odzieży. Tarcie jest jednym z najważniejszych zjawisk wpływających na proces masażu. Ze względu na charakter tkanin gofrowanych, pomiar współczynnika tarcia jest trudny. W artykule przedstawiono problemy związane z pomiarem współczynnika tarcia dla przykładowej tkaniny gofrowanej. Praca zawiera opis proponowanej metody pomiaru oraz konsekwencje wynikające z jej zastosowania

Parameterization of Seersucker Woven Fabrics Using Laser Techniques

Seersucker woven fabrics are increasingly used in the textile industry. Unfortunately, their popularity is limited due to the lack of standards and parameterization of their structure. Thus, the designer of the finished product (clothing, bedding, or decorative items) has problems with ordering a fabric with a specific structure and properties. In this context, it is necessary to parameterize them. This paper presents a method for measuring the surface geometry of seersucker woven fabrics using laser techniques. The surface geometry of the seersucker woven fabric was determined using adapted roughness parameters, such as Wz, Ra, and Rz, as well as by using a hypsometric map

Radial fan controlled with impeller movable blades - CFD investigations

Od 2003 nazwa instytucji sprawczej : Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of the Polish Academy of Sciences.Modern classical power generation systems, based on power plants in Poland, where coal (hard bituminous coal or lignite) is the primary energy source, operate under variable loading conditions. Thus, all machines working in the technological system of the power generation unit are required to be adapted to variable loading, and, consequently, to operate beyond the design point of their performance characteristics. High efficiency of the process requires the efficiency of individual devices to be high, beyond the design point, as well. For both air and exhaust gases fans, an effective control system is needed to attain a high level of efficiency. As a result of cooperation between two institutes from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Lodz University of Technology, and the Vibroson company, a new design of the radial fan with impeller movable blades, which allows for controlling the device operation within a wide range, has been developed. This new design and determination the performance characteristics for two geometrical variants of blades with computational fluid dynamics methods are presented. The obtained results have been compared to the results of the measurements of fan performance curves conducted on the test stand