Teleoperability and dynamic teleoperability

Teleoperated systems are used in many hostile environments and are therefore very complex. Current design procedures select kinematic configurations based on the designer\u27s past experience and some standard practice guidelines. Yet, no unifying theory exists to quantifiably discern between competing kinematic designs and guide in the selection of key operational strategies such as indexing, length scaling, and mass scaling. Manipulability and dynamic manipulability theory attempt to present a quantitative measure which can be used to evaluate a robotic manipulator. This thesis expands this theory to teleoperability and dynamic teleoperability which can be used to evaluate teleoperated manipulator systems. The mathematical developments of teleoperability and dynamic teleoperability are presented. The behavior of the teleoperability and dynamic teleoperability measures in various operational conditions is presented. Special attention is given to the effects of indexing, length scaling, and mass scaling between the master and slave. Simple experimental results validate the theory. Teleoperability, dynamic teleoperability and the associated ellipsoids and measures are useful concepts for the design, implementation, and selection of teleoperated systems. Specifically, this theory can be used in the selection of master and slave configurations, guide in control system design, and provide insight into necessary and/or helpful operational features for teleoperated and telerobotic systems

Modeling Coordinate Measuring Machine Scanning Operations

International standards require that dimensional inspection operations include an assessment of measurement uncertainty. Scanning coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) are frequently used to measure part surfaces and features, and there is a continuing need to improve their performance for high precision measurement applications. This research provides a mechanism for minimizing the uncertainty of measurements made with a CMM in scanning mode by developing a model of CMM scanning that allows selection of optimum scanning parameters. The method for selecting scanning parameters is based on models developed from measurements of a ring with a constant five micrometer amplitude swept sine wave machined on the inner and outer diameters. The inputs to the model are the scanning force, scanning speed, low-pass filter cut-off frequency, rotary table action, probe tip diameter, and ring orientation. The methods used in this work are based on techniques developed for point-to-point probing. The first phase of research develops a calibration method for the ring artifact and determines the calibration measurement uncertainty. The second phase develops models of CMM scanning operations based on measurements of the wavy ring. The final phase generates a measurement protocol to select scanning parameters based on these models. The primary significance of this research is that it provides a method to develop and validate a model of probe/workpiece interaction for a scanning CMM. Additionally, a method is provided to select the scanning parameters such as probe tip diameter, filters, scanning speed, and probing force to minimize measurement uncertainty. Finally, this work establishes a framework for future modeling of precision scanning operations. The methodology used is applicable to other precision metrology applications. This work will reduce uncertainty in scanning measurements and will minimize the number of measurement operations required to measure part features as well as surface texture. Therefore, this research has extended the capabilities of CMMs

TA Mentoring: Issues and Questions

The widespread use of graduate teaching assistants (TAs) in higher education has generated a search for techniques to improve the quality of teaching of TAs as well as enhance the entire TA experience. One such technique is mentoring. This paper attempts to accomplish four things: (a) delineate issues to be addressed, (b) share feedback from educators with mentoring experience, (c) present questions to guide decision making, and (d) provide a bibliography of literature on mentoring. The information presented comes from a questionnaire administered to basic course directors, a conference discussion on mentoring and the personal experiences of the authors

Electronic Mail

By the end of the century it seems possible that electronic mail (EM) will have the capacity to replace much of today\u27s written correspondence

Remaking Femininity and Desire: a Post-War Reconstruction Project

A study of some of the 1950s novels that presented images of woman, including Xavier Herbert's Soldiers Women