EXOT: Exit-aware Object Tracker for Safe Robotic Manipulation of Moving Object

Current robotic hand manipulation narrowly operates with objects in predictable positions in limited environments. Thus, when the location of the target object deviates severely from the expected location, a robot sometimes responds in an unexpected way, especially when it operates with a human. For safe robot operation, we propose the EXit-aware Object Tracker (EXOT) on a robot hand camera that recognizes an object's absence during manipulation. The robot decides whether to proceed by examining the tracker's bounding box output containing the target object. We adopt an out-of-distribution classifier for more accurate object recognition since trackers can mistrack a background as a target object. To the best of our knowledge, our method is the first approach of applying an out-of-distribution classification technique to a tracker output. We evaluate our method on the first-person video benchmark dataset, TREK-150, and on the custom dataset, RMOT-223, that we collect from the UR5e robot. Then we test our tracker on the UR5e robot in real-time with a conveyor-belt sushi task, to examine the tracker's ability to track target dishes and to determine the exit status. Our tracker shows 38% higher exit-aware performance than a baseline method. The dataset and the code will be released at https://github.com/hskAlena/EXOT.Comment: 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA

Design of Single-modal Take-over Request in SAE Level 2 & 3 Automated Vehicle

Recently, cutting-edge technology has led to the development of automated vehicles, but the limitations of the related technology may lead to hazardous situations. This resulted in the remarkable significance of the interaction between automated vehicles and drivers. In particular, the transition between the driver and the automated vehicle in accordance with Level 3 of SAE J3016 is inevitable, and guidelines or standards regarding the takeover should be provided. Therefore, we aim to prepare the safety guidelines for the takeover and to conduct a comparative test. First, guidelines for visual, auditory, and haptic displays in existing vehicles were examined. Second, preliminary research was conducted on the modality of automated vehicles. Third, we carried out a modality investigation regarding the partially automated vehicle. Based on this, we proposed visual, auditory, and haptic signals for each modality. This will serve as a significant starting point for future research based on multimodal methods

Investigation of correlation between surface runoff rate and stream water quality

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between stream water quality and the surface runoff rate defined as the ratio of annual surface runoff to annual average precipitation. The surface runoff rate was first estimated in the Han River basin located in South Korea using the calibrated and validated HSPF model. Then a linear regression analysis was performed to investigate the correlation between the computed surface runoff rate and the observed water quality. It was found that there were statistically significant relationships between the surface runoff rate and concentrations of BOD, COD, and T-P and higher surface runoff rate led to the deterioration of water quality in streams. Finally, the applicability of the surface runoff rate as an indicator to measure the impact of land development on stream water quality was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the surface runoff rate could be utilized as a useful indicator to illustrate the degradation of stream water quality at the watershed scale. The results from this study also suggest that the surface runoff rate needs to be managed and controlled within about 15% to prevent the degradation of stream water quality.Y

A Rare Case of Aggressive Melanotic Schwannoma Occurred in Spinal Nerve of a 59-Year-Old Male

Melanotic schwannoma (MS) is a rare variant of nerve sheath neoplasm that shows ultrastructural and immunophenotypical features of Schwann cells but also has cytoplasmic melanosomes and is reactive for melanocytic markers as well. Unlike conventional schwannoma, which is totally benign, MS has an unpredictable prognosis and is thought to have low-malignant potential. Herein, we present a rare case of recurrent MS in lumbar spine of a 59-year-old male

Comparison of Jaw Mode and Field Width for Left-Breast Cancer Using TomoDirect Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy: A Phantom Study

It is very important to use effective parameters in the treatment plan of breast cancer patients in TomoDirect (TD)-three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (TD-3DCRT). The objective of this study was to compare the radiation treatment plans to the parameters (jaw width and jaw mode) of TD-3DCRT for left-breast cancer. This study was conducted using the phantom, the jaw mode (fixed and dynamic) and field width (2.5 cm and 5.0 cm) were controlled to compare the TD-3DCRT treatment plans. There was small difference in the conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) values for target according to the jaw mode for each field width. As a result of observation in terms of dose, treatment time and unnecessary damage to surrounding normal organs could be minimized when dynamic jaw with a field width of 5.0 cm was used. In conclusion, we verified that the use of dynamic jaws and 5.0 cm field width was effective in left-breast cancer radiotherapy plan using TD-3DCRT