Electroreflectance spectroscopy in self-assembled quantum dots: lens symmetry

Modulated electroreflectance spectroscopy $\Delta R/R$ of semiconductor self-assembled quantum dots is investigated. The structure is modeled as dots with lens shape geometry and circular cross section. A microscopic description of the electroreflectance spectrum and optical response in terms of an external electric field (${\bf F}$) and lens geometry have been considered. The field and lens symmetry dependence of all experimental parameters involved in the $\Delta R/R$ spectrum have been considered. Using the effective mass formalism the energies and the electronic states as a function of ${\bf F}$ and dot parameters are calculated. Also, in the framework of the strongly confined regime general expressions for the excitonic binding energies are reported. Optical selection rules are derived in the cases of the light wave vector perpendicular and parallel to $$. Detailed calculation of the Seraphin coefficients and electroreflectance spectrum are performed for the InAs and CdSe nanostructures. Calculations show good agreement with measurements recently performed on CdSe/ZnSe when statistical distribution on size is considered, explaining the main observed characteristic in the electroreflectance spectra

IS Pst9, an ISL3-like insertion sequence from Pseudomonas stutzeri AN10 involved in catabolic gene inactivation

A novel insertion sequence (IS), ISPst9, from Pseudomonas stutzeri AN10 was cloned and characterized. ISPst9 is a typical bacterial IS, consisting of a 2472-bp element flanked by 24-bp perfect inverted repeats that generates 8-bp AT-rich target duplications upon insertion. The sequence also contains a gene that encodes an active transposase (TnpA) with significant amino acid identity to members of the ISL3 family. Southern blot analysis of digested genomic DNA of strain AN10 and its 4-chlorosalicylate-degrading derivative strain AN142 demonstrated that native ISPst9 transposes in multiple copies, with one of them responsible for the nahH insertional inactivation observed in strain AN142. Precise excision of ISPst9 yielded NahH+ revertants of AN142 at high frequencies (up to 10-6). In vivo transposition, mainly in multiple copies, of an ISPst9 derivative containing a KmR cassette cloned into a suicide vector was also demonstrated. Hybridization experiments carried out with different strains of P. stutzeri and with 292 phylogenetically distinct environmental isolates suggested that the presence of an ISPst9-like IS occurs in diverse bacteria together with the presence of aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading determinants

Classifying Parkinson’s Disease Patients With Syntactic and Socio-emotional Verbal Measures

Frontostriatal disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), are characterized by progressive disruption of cortico-subcortical dopaminergic loops involved in diverse higher-order domains, including language. Indeed, syntactic and emotional language tasks have emerged as potential biomarkers of frontostriatal disturbances. However, relevant studies and models have typically considered these linguistic dimensions in isolation, overlooking the potential advantages of targeting multidimensional markers. Here, we examined whether patient classification can be improved through the joint assessment of both dimensions using sentential stimuli. We evaluated 31 early PD patients and 24 healthy controls via two syntactic measures (functional-role assignment, parsing of long-distance dependencies) and a verbal task tapping social emotions (envy, Schadenfreude) and compared their classification accuracy when analyzed in isolation and in combination. Complementarily, we replicated our approach to discriminate between patients on and off medication. Results showed that specific measures of each dimension were selectively impaired in PD. In particular, joint analysis of outcomes in functional-role assignment and Schadenfreude improved the classification accuracy of patients and controls, irrespective of their overall cognitive and affective state. These results suggest that multidimensional linguistic assessments may better capture the complexity and multi-functional impact of frontostriatal disruptions, highlighting their potential contributions in the ongoing quest for sensitive markers of PD.Fil: Baez, Sandra. Universidad de los Andes; ColombiaFil: Herrera, Eduar. Universidad Icesi; ColombiaFil: Trujillo, Catalina. Universidad del Valle; ColombiaFil: Cardona, Juan F.. Universidad del Valle; ColombiaFil: Diazgranados, Jesús A.. Centro Médico de Atención Neurológica Neurólogos de Occidente; ColombiaFil: Pino, Mariana. Universidad Autónoma del Caribe; ColombiaFil: Santamaria Garcia, Hernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Hospital Universitario San Ignacio; Colombia. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; ColombiaFil: Ibañez, Agustin Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Autónoma del Caribe; Colombia. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Universidad Adolfo Ibañez; Chile. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: García, Adolfo Martín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. University of California; Estados Unidos. Universidad Catolica de Cuyo. Facultad de Educacion.; Argentin

The exoskeleton for gait rehabilitation ALICE: dynamic analysis and control system evaluation using Hamilton quaternions

[EN] A robotic exoskeleton is an electromechanical device that can be worn by a person to increase its physical capacity, to assist locomotion or for gait rehabilitation processes. In the case of rehabilitation exoskeletons, the control system is required to be smooth and capable to match accurately with the patients’ evolution in order to optimize the eciency of their recovery, this implies the design of robust and precise controllers. In this paper, kinematic analysis, dynamic analysis and control system evaluation for ALICE rehabilitation exoskeleton is presented. Among the control techniques used are: the PD controller, adaptive PD, and the sliding mode controller. In addition, a stability analysis using the Lyapunov criterion is performed. To test the performance of the controllers, gait data obtained by the ONCE School of  Physiotherapy in Madrid, which correspond to healthy people and people with multiple sclerosis, are used. MATLAB as simulation software and programming language is used.[ES] Un exoesqueleto robótico es un dispositivo electromecánico utilizado para aumentar la capacidad física de una persona, como ayuda a la locomoción o para procesos de rehabilitación de la marcha. En el caso de los exoesqueletos de rehabilitación se requiere que el sistema de control sea capaz de adaptarse adecuadamente a la evolución del paciente con el fin de optimizar su recuperación, esto implica el diseño de controladores robustos y precisos. En este trabajo se presenta el análisis cinemático, análisis dinámico y evaluación del sistema de control del exoesqueleto de rehabilitación ALICE. Dentro de las técnicas de control presentadas se encuentran: el controlador PD, PD adaptativo, y el controlador en modo deslizante. Además, se realiza un análisis de estabilidad utilizando el criterio de Lyapunov. Para probar el rendimiento de los reguladores, se utiliza un conjunto de datos de la Escuela de Fisioterapia de la ONCE de Madrid, correspondiente a personas sanas y personas con esclerosis múltiple. Se utiliza MATLAB como software de simulación y lenguaje de programación.Manuel Cardona agradece a la Fundación Carolina y a la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, España, por el apoyo para la realización de esta investigación gracias a la beca de Doctorado otorgada en el marco del convenio con la Universidad Don Bosco, El Salvador.Cardona, M.; Serrano, F.; Martín, JA.; Rausell, E.; Saltaren, R.; García-Cena, C. (2020). El exoesqueleto de rehabilitación de la marcha ALICE: análisis dinámico y evaluación del sistema de control utilizando cuaternios de Hamilton. Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial. 18(1):48-57. https://doi.org/10.4995/riai.2020.12558OJS4857181Abolvafaei, M., Ganjefar, S., 2019. Maximum power extraction from a wind turbine using second-order fast terminal sliding mode control. Renewable Energy 139, 1437 - 1446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2019.03.044Arnold, E. M., Ward, S. R., Lieber, R. L., Delp, S. L., 2010. A model of the lower limb for analysis of human movement.Cardona, M., Destarac, M. A., García, C. E., Nov 2017. Exoskeleton robots for rehabilitation: State of the art and future trends. In: 2017 IEEE 37th Central America and Panama Convention (CONCAPAN XXXVII). pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/CONCAPAN.2017.8278480Cardona, M., García Cena, C. E., 2019a. Biomechanical analysis of the lower limb: A full-body musculoskeletal model for muscle-driven simulation. IEEE Access 7, 92709-92723. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2927515Cardona, M., García Cena, C. E., October 2019b. Musculoskeletal modeling as a tool for biomechanical analysis of normal and pathological gait. VIII Latin American Conference on Biomedical Engineering and XLII National Conference on Biomedical Engineering. CLAIB 2019. IFMBE Proceedings, Springer 75, 955-963. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30648-9_124Chong, L., Jianfeng, S., Linhong, J., 2013. Lower limb rehabilitation robots: A review. In: World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering. IFMBE Proceedings. Vol. 39. p. 2042-2045. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29305-4_536Eker, I., 2010. Second-order sliding mode control with experimental application. ISA Transactions 49 (3), 394 - 405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isatra.2010.03.010He, W., Li, Z., Dong, Y., Zhao, T., Jan 2019. Design and adaptive control for an upper limb robotic exoskeleton in presence of input saturation. IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems 30 (1), 97-108. DOI: 10.1109/TNNLS.2018.2828813 https://doi.org/10.1109/TNNLS.2018.2828813Kapandji, A., 2010. Fisiología Articular, 6th Edition. Vol. 2. Editorial Panamericana, France.Maciejasz, P., Eschweiler, J., Gerlach-Hahn, K., et.al., 2014. "A survey on robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation". https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-0003-11-3Proietti, T., Jarrasse, N., Roby-Brami, A., Morel, G., April 2015. Adaptive control of a robotic exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation. In: 2015 7th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER). pp. 803-806. https://doi.org/10.1109/NER.2015.7146745Reinkensmeyer, D. J., 2003. How to retrain movement after neurologic injury: a computational rationale for incorporating robot (or therapist) assistance. In: Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37439). Vol. 2. pp. 1479-1482 Vol.2.Reinkensmeyer, D. J., Aoyagi, D., Emken, J., Galvez, J., Ichinose W, W., etal, Aug-Sep 2006. Tools for understanding and optimizing robotic gait training. J Rehabil Res Dev 43 (5), 657-70. https://doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2005.04.0073Riener, R., Guidali, M., Keller, U., Duschau-Wicke, A., et.al., 2014. "a survey on robotic devices for upper limb rehabilitation".Serrano, F. E., Rossell, J. M., 2015. Complete kinematic analysis of the stewartgough platform by unit quaternions. Mechanics and Control (Vol, 34, no. 4), 59-69.Spong, M., Hutchinson, S., Vidyasagar, M., 2006. Robot Modeling and Control. John Wiley and Sons.Wang, J.-Y., Liang, H.-Z., Sun, Z.-W., Wu, S.-N., Zhang, S.-J., 2013. Relative motion coupled control based on dual quaternion. Aerospace Science and Technology 25 (1), 102 - 113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ast.2011.12.013Wu, Q., Chen, B., Wu, H., 2019. Rbfn-based adaptive backstepping sliding mode control of an upper-limb exoskeleton with dynamic uncertainties. IEEE Access 7, 134635-134646. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2941973Yakub, F., Khudzari, A., Mori, Y., March 2014. "recent trends for practical rehabilitation robotics, current challenges and the future". https://doi.org/10.1097/MRR.0000000000000035Yang, Z., Zhu, Y., Yang, X., Zhang, Y., Aug 2009. Impedance control of exoskeleton suit based on adaptive rbf neural network. In: 2009 International Conference on Intelligent Human-Machine Systems and Cybernetics. Vol. 1. pp. 182-187. https://doi.org/10.1109/IHMSC.2009.54Zhou, W., Chen, W., Liu, H., Li, X., 2015. A new forward kinematic algorithm for a general stewart platform. Mechanism and Machine Theory 87, 177 - 190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mechmachtheory.2015.01.002Özgur, E., Mezouar, Y., 2016. Kinematic modeling and control of a robot arm ¨ using unit dual quaternions. Robotics and Autonomous Systems 77, 66 - 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.robot.2015.12.005Ilyas Eker, 2010. Second-order sliding mode control with experimental application. ISA Transactions 49 (3), 394 - 405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isatra.2010.03.01

Varroa destructor parasitism and genetic variability at honey bee (Apis mellifera) drone congregation areas and their associations with environmental variables in Argentina

Varroa destructor is a serious ectoparasite of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, which negatively impacts on colonies health and survival worldwide. Drone-mediated movement and the presence of the mite in Drone Congregation Areas (DCA) may play a relevant role in Varroa dispersal. The objectives of this study were to characterize mite infestation levels and genetic diversity in DCAs and surrounding apiaries and to explore putative environmental variables associated to Varroa infestation in two eco-climatic regions of Argentina (temperate, and subtropical). Phoretic mite proportions in DCAs and apiaries were estimated during spring. Landscape, topographic, and climate variables were described using satellite image classifications and data from public databases. The genetic composition of drones at the DCAs and workers from the surrounding apiaries was assessed using mitochondrial markers. In total, eleven DCAs were identified in both regions during 2017 and 2018. The mean proportion of Varroa was ca. 3 in 1,000 (0.0028 ± 0.0046) at the apiaries, and ca. 2 in 100 (0.0168 ± 0.0227) at the DCAs. No statistical differences were observed between apiaries and DCAs or between ecoregions, but the proportion of infested males at the DCAs was positively correlated to the distance to the apiary and a trend was observed toward higher mite loads in DCAs. Landscape and topography were not determinant for Varroa infestation at the DCAs but relative humidity and precipitation in the previous week of sampling, positively influenced infestation. More haplotypic diversity was detected in the DCAs compared to the surrounding apiaries, particularly in the subtropical region. While in this region high prevalence of Africanized (A1, A4) mitochondrial lineages was detected, European lineages (C1, C2j) were mostly found in apiaries and DCA in the temperate region. Our results provide valuable information on the dynamics of Varroa parasitism in apiaries and DCAs, and highlight the role of drones in mite dispersion and genetic variability of new colonies. The study of DCAs emerges as a tool for investigating not only honey bee reproduction and conservation, but also the impact of the environment on bee epidemiology.Instituto de GenéticaFil: Galindo Cardona, Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Scannapieco, Alejandra Carla. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; Argentina.Fil: Russo, Romina María. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; ArgentinaFil: Escalante, Karen. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Geria, Martín. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Lepori, Nicolás. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Ayup, María Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina.Fil: Muntaabski, Irina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; Argentina.Fil: Liendo, María Clara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Genética; Argentina.Fil: Landi, Lucas. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Giray, Tugrul. Universidad de Puerto Rico. Departamento de Biología; Puerto RicoFil: Monmany-Garzia, A. Carolina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Galindo Cardona, Alberto. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina.Fil: Galindo Cardona, Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Scannapieco, Alejandra Carla. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ayup, María Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Muntaabski, Irina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Liendo, María Clara. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Anatomy of a high-silica eruption as observed by a local seismic network: the June 2011 Puyehue–Cordón Caulle event (southern Andes, Chile)

High-silica explosive eruptions are one of the most dangerous natural phenomena, yet it is unclear which processes are involved in this infrequent kind of event. We present the first systematic characterization of near-field seismicity associated with a large high-silica eruption analyzing data recorded before, during and after the 4 June 2011 rhyolitic eruption of Puyehue–Cordón Caulle Volcanic Complex (PCCVC). Results of a first-level data processing, developed by the Southern Andean Volcano Observatory (OVDAS) to monitor unrest and the evolution of the eruption, are complemented here with the relocation of hypocenters into a local 1D velocity model, the time series of the b value and the computation of the focal mechanism. This information allows us to define several phases before and after the onset of the eruption, describing details of the space–time evolution of seismicity, defining and characterizing the seismic sources, and identifying the structural control of the magmatic intrusion and stress variations during the eruption. Our results illuminate several underlying processes, with emphasis on the possible role that basement structures had on the storage, transport and evacuation of magma. Integrating our results with previous findings based on satellite geodesy and petrology of erupted materials, we discuss general conceptual models regarding destabilization of structurally controlled acidic magmatic systems, the pass from unrest to eruption, and changes in eruptive style and waning phases of eruptions, with broader implications for monitoring and forecast of violent silicic eruptions.</p

Ratones knock-out del receptor lpa1 de ácido lisofosfatídico presentan un acusado déficit de la isoenzima glutaminasa KGA (GLS) y una morfología alterada en las espinas dendríticas de hipocampo y corteza

Objectives: The objective of the present study was to utilize mice with knocked-down lysophosphatidic acid 1 (LPA1) receptor to ascertain changes in glutamatergic transmission that may help to explain part of the cognitive and memory deficits shown by these KO-LPA1 mice. Material & methods: A well characterized KO-LPA1 mouse strain was used as animal model and compared with wild-type (WT) and heterozygous animals. Expression studies were implemented by immunohistochemistry and Western analysis of mouse brain regions, real-time quantitative RT-PCR of GA isoforms, enzymatic analysis of regional GA activity and Golgi staining to assess dendritic spine morphology and density. Results: A strong reduction of KGA immunoreactivity was mostly revealed in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of KO-LPA1 mice versus WT and heterozygous animals. In contrast, neither mRNA levels nor enzyme activity were significantly altered in KO mice suggesting compensatory mechanisms for neurotransmitter Glu synthesis. Interestingly, Golgi staining of hippocampal and cortical neurons revealed a clear morphology change toward a less-mature undifferentiated spine phenotype, without changes in the total number of spines. Conclusions: The molecular mechanisms underlying KGA downregulation in null LPA1 mutant mice are unknown. However, LPA increases neuronal differentiation, arborization and neurite outgrowth of developing neurons, while Gln-derived Glu, through GA reaction, has been also involved in neuronal growth and differentiation. It is tempting to speculate that downregulation of KGA protein in KO-LPA1 mice induce morphological changes in dendritic spines of cortical and hippocampal neurons which, in turn, may account for memory and cognitive deficits shown by KO-LPA1 mice.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Acknowledgements: Red de Trastornos Adictivos, RTA, (RD12/0028/0013/) RETICS, ISCIII, y Consejería Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía (Proyecto de Excelencia CVI-6656)

Glutaminase and MMP-9 downregulation in cortex and hippocampus of LPA1 receptor null mice correlate with altered dendritic spine plasticity

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is an extracellular lipid mediator that regulates nervous system development and functions acting through G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Here we explore the crosstalk between LPA1 receptor and glutamatergic transmission by examining expression of glutaminase (GA) isoforms in different brain areas isolated from wild-type (WT) and KOLPA1 mice. Silencing of LPA1 receptor induced a severe down-regulation of Gls-encoded long glutaminase protein variant (KGA) (glutaminase gene encoding the kidney-type isoforms, GLS) protein expression in several brain regions, particularly in brain cortex and hippocampus. Immunohistochemical assessment of protein levels for the second type of glutaminase (GA) isoform, glutaminase gene encoding the liver-type isoforms (GLS2), did not detect substantial differences with regard to WT animals. The regional mRNA levels of GLS were determined by real time RT-PCR and did not show significant variations, except for prefrontal and motor cortex values which clearly diminished in KO mice. Total GA activity was also significantly reduced in prefrontal and motor cortex, but remained essentially unchanged in the hippocampus and rest of brain regions examined, suggesting activation of genetic compensatory mechanisms and/or post-translational modifications to compensate for KGA protein deficit. Remarkably, Golgi staining of hippocampal regions showed an altered morphology of glutamatergic pyramidal cells dendritic spines towards a less mature filopodia-like phenotype, as compared with WT littermates. This structural change correlated with a strong decrease of active matrix-metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of KOLPA1 mice. Taken together, these results demonstrate that LPA signaling through LPA1 influence expression of the main isoenzyme of glutamate biosynthesis with strong repercussions on dendritic spines maturation, which may partially explain the cognitive and learning defects previously reported for this colony of KOLPA1 mice

Characterization of fruit and vegetable waste as an alternative ruminant feed in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico

Objective: to characterize and measure the amount of fruit residues generated during four weeks in a commercial establishment dedicated to the elaboration and sale of fruit juices and cocktails in Pachuca City, Hidalgo, Mexico. Design/Methodology/Approximation: The total of fruit residues generated in a working day (one day) in an establishment dedicated to the sale of juices and smoothies in the city of Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, Mexico was collected from Monday to Saturday during four weeks in September and October 2019. The residues were daily weighed and separated according to the type of fruit and analyzed for dry matter, crude protein and ash. The design was completely random. Results: the orange peel predominated, and the volume of residues was constant accumulating 465 kg during the four weeks. The moisture content was from 75 to 94%, depending on the type of fruit. The CP concentration was from 4.33 to 6.95% except for the papaya peel (11.55% CP) Limitations/Implications: An alternative to avoid landfill deposition of this wastes is to subject it to a silage process and thus reduce negative impacts on the environment, generate valuable products and reduce pressure on natural resources. Findings/Conclusions: The amount of fruit and vegetable wastes is constant throughout the week, its proportion of dry matter is low, but it can be combined with cereal straw and ensiled to generate valuable products and avoid its deposition in landfills.Objective: Measure and characterize the fruit and vegetable waste generated duringa working day in a commercial juice and fruit cocktail establishment in Pachuca,Hidalgo, Mexico, for four weeks.Design/ methodology/ approach: The total amount of fruit waste generated duringa working day in a commercial juice and smoothie establishment in Pachuca,Hidalgo, Mexico, was collected Monday through Saturday for four weeks inSeptember and October 2019. Waste was weighted and separated daily into thedifferent types of fruit. We then analyzed their dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP),and ash (Ash) content. The experimental design was completely randomized.Results: The amount of fruit and vegetable waste was constant during the fourcollection weeks; the total amount of waste collected was 465 kg; orange peel wasthe most abundant waste (75%). The moisture content ranged from 75 to 94% basedon the type of fruit. The CP concentration ranged from 4.33 to 6.95%, except for thepapaya peel, which had a CP content of 11.55%.Limitations/ implications: An alternative to avoid landfilling this type of organicwaste is to subject it to a silage-making process; this would reduce negative 2environmental impacts, generate value-added products, and reduce the pressure onnatural resources.Findings/ conclusions: The amount of fruit and vegetable waste produced everyweek was constant for four weeks. Although their dry matter content is low, thesewastes, mixed with cereal straw and subjected to a silage-making process, can resultin value-added products, and avoid landfilling

Industrial, Collaborative and Mobile Robotics in Latin America: Review of Mechatronic Technologies for Advanced Automation

Mechatronics and Robotics (MaR) have recently gained importance in product development and manufacturing settings and applications. Therefore, the Center for Space Emerging Technologies (C-SET) has managed an international multi-disciplinary study to present, historically, the first Latin American general review of industrial, collaborative, and mobile robotics, with the support of North American and European researchers and institutions. The methodology is developed by considering literature extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, and Aerospace Research Central and adding reports written by companies and government organizations. This describes the state-of-the-art of MaR until the year 2023 in the 3 Sub-Regions: North America, Central America, and South America, having achieved important results related to the academy, industry, government, and entrepreneurship; thus, the statistics shown in this manuscript are unique. Also, this article explores the potential for further work and advantages described by robotic companies such as ABB, KUKA, and Mecademic and the use of the Robot Operating System (ROS) in order to promote research, development, and innovation. In addition, the integration with industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing, architecture and construction, aerospace, smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, and computational social science (human-robot interaction) is analyzed to show the promising features of these growing tech areas, considering the improvements to increase production, manufacturing, and education in the Region. Finally, regarding the information presented, Latin America is considered an important location for investments to increase production and product development, taking into account the further proposal for the creation of the LATAM Consortium for Advanced Robotics and Mechatronics, which could support and work on roboethics and education/R+D+I law and regulations in the Region. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-04-025 Full Text: PD