957 research outputs found
In-Hand Object Stabilization by Independent Finger Control
Grip control during robotic in-hand manipulation is usually modeled as part
of a monolithic task, relying on complex controllers specialized for specific
situations. Such approaches do not generalize well and are difficult to apply
to novel manipulation tasks. Here, we propose a modular object stabilization
method based on a proposition that explains how humans achieve grasp stability.
In this bio-mimetic approach, independent tactile grip stabilization
controllers ensure that slip does not occur locally at the engaged robot
fingers. Such local slip is predicted from the tactile signals of each
fingertip sensor i.e., BioTac and BioTac SP by Syntouch. We show that stable
grasps emerge without any form of central communication when such independent
controllers are engaged in the control of multi-digit robotic hands. These
grasps are resistant to external perturbations while being capable of
stabilizing a large variety of objects.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Robotics Journal. arXiv admin note:
text overlap with arXiv:1612.0820
Design of a cybernetic hand for perception and action
Strong motivation for developing new prosthetic hand devices is provided by the fact that low functionality and controllabilityâin addition to poor cosmetic appearanceâare the most important reasons why amputees do not regularly use their prosthetic hands. This paper presents the design of the CyberHand, a cybernetic anthropomorphic hand intended to provide amputees with functional hand replacement. Its design was bio-inspired in terms of its modular architecture, its physical appearance, kinematics, sensorization, and actuation, and its multilevel control system. Its underactuated mechanisms allow separate control of each digit as well as thumbâfinger opposition and, accordingly, can generate a multitude of grasps. Its sensory system was designed to provide proprioceptive information as well as to emulate fundamental functional properties of human tactile mechanoreceptors of specific importance for grasp-and-hold tasks. The CyberHand control system presumes just a few efferent and afferent channels and was divided in two main layers: a high-level control that interprets the userâs intention (grasp selection and required force level) and can provide pertinent sensory feedback and a low-level control responsible for actuating specific grasps and applying the desired total force by taking advantage of the intelligent mechanics. The grasps made available by the high-level controller include those fundamental for activities of daily living: cylindrical, spherical, tridigital (tripod), and lateral grasps. The modular and flexible design of the CyberHand makes it suitable for incremental development of sensorization, interfacing, and control strategies and, as such, it will be a useful tool not only for clinical research but also for addressing neuroscientific hypotheses regarding sensorimotor control
Optimal motion control and vibration suppression of flexible systems with inaccessible outputs
This work addresses the optimal control problem
of dynamical systems with inaccessible outputs. A case in which
dynamical system outputs cannot be measured or inaccessible.
This contradicts with the nature of the optimal controllers which can be considered without any loss of generality as state feedback control laws for systems with linear dynamics. Therefore, this work attempts to estimate dynamical system states through a novel state observer that does not require injecting the dynamical system outputs onto the observer structure during its design. A linear quadratic optimal control law is then realized based on the
estimated states which allows controlling motion along with active vibration suppression of this class of dynamical systems with inaccessible outputs. Validity of the proposed control framework is evaluated experimentally
Diffractive Higgs boson production at the Tevatron and LHC
Improved possibilities to find the Higgs boson in diffractive events, having
less hadronic activity, depend on whether the cross section is large enough.
Based on the soft color interaction models that successfully describe
diffractive hard scattering at HERA and the Tevatron, we find that only a few
diffractive Higgs events may be produced at the Tevatron, but we predict a
substantial rate at the LHC.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, uses Revtex
Rapidity gaps at HERA and the Tevatron from soft colour exchanges
Models based on soft colour exchanges to rearrange colour strings in the
final state provide a general framework for both diffractive and
non-diffractive events in ep and hadron-hadron collisions. We study two such
models and find that they can reproduce rapidity gap data from both HERA and
the Tevatron. We also discuss the influence of parton cascades and multiple
interactions on the results.Comment: 4 pages, 4 EPS figures, presented at UK Phenomenology Workshop on
Collider Physics, Durham. Uses iopart.cl
Color separate singlets in annihilation
We use the method of color effective Hamiltonian to study the properties of
states in which a gluonic subsystem forms a color singlet, and we will study
the possibility that such a subsystem hadronizes as a separate unit. A parton
system can normally be subdivided into singlet subsystems in many different
ways, and one problem arises from the fact that the corresponding states are
not orthogonal. We show that if only contributions of order are
included, the problem is greatly simplified. Only a very limited number of
states are possible, and we present an orthogonalization procedure for these
states. The result is simple and intuitive and could give an estimate of the
possibility to produce color separated gluonic subsystems, if no dynamical
effects are important. We also study with a simple MC the possibility that
configurations which correspond to "short strings" are dynamically favored. The
advantage of our approach over more elaborate models is its simplicity, which
makes it easier to estimate color reconnection effects in reactions which are
more complicated than the relatively simple annihilation.Comment: Revtex, 24 pages, 7 figures; Compared to the previous version, 1 new
figure is added and Monte-Carlo results are re-analyzed, as suggested by the
referee; To appear in Phys. Rev.
How Much In-Kind Support Do Low-Income Nonresident Fathers Provide? A Mixed-Method Analysis
Past child support research has largely focused on cash payments made through the courts (formal support) or given directly to the mother (informal support), almost to the exclusion of a third type: non-cash goods (in-kind support). Drawing on repeated, semistructured interviews with nearly 400 low-income noncustodial fathers, the authors found that in-kind support constitutes about one quarter of total support. Children in receipt of some in-kind support receive, on average, $60 per month worth of goods. Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated that children who are younger and have more hours of visitation, as well as those whose father has a high school education and no current substance abuse problem, receive in-kind support of greater value. Yet children whose fathers lack stable employment, or are Black, receive a greater proportion of their total support in kind. A subsequent qualitative analysis revealed that fathers' logic for providing in-kind support is primarily relational, and not financial
Second language user support
Computer users rarely experience entirely trouble-free interaction. The natural variety ofindividuals ensures that no software systems yield constantly fluent interaction for allusers. In consequence, software designers often strive to ameliorate this situation bybuilding 'user support' into their systems. User support can take different forms but,conventionally, each aims to assist the needy end-user by means of facilities directly supporting the performance of certain operations, or through supply of information thatadvises the user on available system functionality.The present paper briefly characterises a range of user support facilities before describingone requirement in greater detail. This aspect considers the needs of users whose mother-tongue is not English, but who are obliged to use English-based information systems. Inthis context, 'helping the user' must reasonably extend beyond mere advice on systemoperation to selective elucidation of information content. We regard this move as alogical extension of the user support concept, by seeking to address specific interactionneeds in a target user population. An example of this approach is described through aninformation system, in the domain of civil engineering, for native Chinese speakers ofEnglish
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