Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation for Evaluating Communication Impacts on the Wireless-Network-Controlled Robots

More and more robot automation applications have changed to wireless communication, and network performance has a growing impact on robotic systems. This study proposes a hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) simulation methodology for connecting the simulated robot platform to real network devices. This project seeks to provide robotic engineers and researchers with the capability to experiment without heavily modifying the original controller and get more realistic test results that correlate with actual network conditions. We deployed this HiL simulation system in two common cases for wireless-network-controlled robotic applications: (1) safe multi-robot coordination for mobile robots, and (2) human-motion-based teleoperation for manipulators. The HiL simulation system is deployed and tested under various network conditions in all circumstances. The experiment results are analyzed and compared with the previous simulation methods, demonstrating that the proposed HiL simulation methodology can identify a more reliable communication impact on robot systems.Comment: 6 pages, 11 figures, to appear in 48th Annual Conference of the Industrial Electronics Society IECON 2022 Conferenc

Fluid‐driven soft CoboSkin for safer human–robot collaboration: fabrication and adaptation

In human–robot collaboration, the wrapping material on robots is not only required to have the sensing ability to adapt to the external environment but also need to have the function of cushioning the collision between human and robot. Herein, a fluid‐driven soft robot skin with sensing and actuating function is successfully applied to a collaborative robot and working well with the host robot. The skin is an integration of sponge force sensors and pneumatic actuators. By altering the internal air pressure in pneumatic actuators, the developed robot skin can provide more than ten times tunable stiffness and sensitivity. In addition, the skin can reduce the peak force of the collision and achieve the actuating function. Using three‐dimensional printing and computer‐aided design, the skin is fabricated and attached to a collaborative robot conformally. Drawing upon the data acquisition and control system, the experiment for illustrating the applications of the CoboSkin is successfully performed. The skin provides the robot with multi‐functions, which are similar to the human muscle and skin attached to human bones. By mimicking human skin and muscle with tactile sensing function and stiffness tuning function, CoboSkin can enhance the adaptability of the robot to human daily life

Toward real-time control in future wireless networks: communication-control co-design

Wireless networks are undergoing a transition from connecting people to connecting things, which will allow human interaction with the physical world in a real-time fashion, for example, Tactile Internet, industrial automation, self-driving vehicles, and remote surgery. Therefore, future wireless networks need to support real-time control since it is the essential function enabling such emerging applications. In this article, some fundamental design capabilities needed to realize real-time control in future wireless networks are discussed, with primary emphasis given to communication-control because both communication and control systems have strong dynamics and interdependencies, and they tightly interact with each other. A case study is provided to demonstrate the necessity of such co-design

Low-latency Networking: Where Latency Lurks and How to Tame It

While the current generation of mobile and fixed communication networks has been standardized for mobile broadband services, the next generation is driven by the vision of the Internet of Things and mission critical communication services requiring latency in the order of milliseconds or sub-milliseconds. However, these new stringent requirements have a large technical impact on the design of all layers of the communication protocol stack. The cross layer interactions are complex due to the multiple design principles and technologies that contribute to the layers' design and fundamental performance limitations. We will be able to develop low-latency networks only if we address the problem of these complex interactions from the new point of view of sub-milliseconds latency. In this article, we propose a holistic analysis and classification of the main design principles and enabling technologies that will make it possible to deploy low-latency wireless communication networks. We argue that these design principles and enabling technologies must be carefully orchestrated to meet the stringent requirements and to manage the inherent trade-offs between low latency and traditional performance metrics. We also review currently ongoing standardization activities in prominent standards associations, and discuss open problems for future research

Ecosystem-Driven Design of In-Home Terminals Based on Open Platform for the

Abstract—In-home healthcare services based on the Internet-of-Things (IoT) have great business potentials. To turn it into reality, a business ecosystem should be established first. Technical solutions should therefore aim for a cooperative ecosystem by meeting the interoperability, security, and system integration requirements. In this paper, we propose an ecosystem-driven design strategy and apply it in the design of an open-platform-based in-home healthcare terminal. A cooperative business ecosystem is formulated by merging the traditiona

Homecare Robotic Systems for Healthcare 4.0: Visions and Enabling Technologies

Powered by the technologies that have originated from manufacturing, the fourth revolution of healthcare technologies is happening (Healthcare 4.0). As an example of such revolution, new generation homecare robotic systems (HRS) based on the cyber-physical systems (CPS) with higher speed and more intelligent execution are emerging. In this article, the new visions and features of the CPS-based HRS are proposed. The latest progress in related enabling technologies is reviewed, including artificial intelligence, sensing fundamentals, materials and machines, cloud computing and communication, as well as motion capture and mapping. Finally, the future perspectives of the CPS-based HRS and the technical challenges faced in each technical area are discussed

Technologies and Architectures of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) for Health and Well-being

The emerging technology breakthrough of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) is expected to offer promising solutions for food supply chain (FSC) and in-home healthcare (IHH), which may significantly contribute to human health and well-being. In this thesis, we have investigated the technologies and architectures of the IoT for these two applications as so-called Food-IoT and Health-IoT respectively. We intend to resolve a series of research problems about the WSN architectures, device architectures and system integration architectures. To reduce the time-to-market and risk of failure, business aspects are taken into account more than before in the early stage of technology development because the technologies and applications of IoT are both immature today. The challenges about enabling devices that we have addressed include: the WSN mobility and wide area deployment, efficient data compression in resource-limited wireless sensor devices, reliable communication protocol stack architecture, and integration of acting capacity to the low cost intelligent and interactive packaging (I2Pack). Correspondingly, the WAN-SAN coherent architecture of WSN, the RTOS-based and multiprocessor friendly stack architecture, the content-extraction based data compression algorithm, and the CDM-based I2Pack solution are proposed and demonstrated. At the system level, we have addressed the challenges about effective integration of scattered devices and technologies, including EIS and information integration architectures such as shelf-life prediction and real-time supply chain re-planning for the Food-IoT, and device and service integration architectures for the Health-IoT. Additionally, we have also addressed some challenges at the top business level, including the Value Chain Models and Value Proposition of the Food-IoT, and the cooperative ecosystem model of the Health-IoT. These findings are generic and not dependent on our proprietary technologies and devices. To be more generalized, we have demonstrated an effective research approach, the so-called Business-Technology Co-Design (BTCD),  to resolve an essential challenge in nowadays research on the IoT -- the lack of alignment of basic technology and practical business requirements. We have shown its effectiveness by our design practice. It could be an instructive example of “the change of mindset” which is essential for the IoT research in the future.QC 20130523</p