Harjateräksen ominaisuuksien mittaaminen konenäön avulla

Harjateräksen valmistukseen on tarkat standardit, joiden noudattamista viranomaistaho valvoo mittaamalla tuotannosta otettavia näytepaloja aika ajoin. Harjateräsvalmistajat mittaavat tuotteitaan varmistuakseen vaatimusten täyttymisestä. Pintos Oy:llä mittaukset on tehty tähän asti käsin muun muassa työntömitalla. Tähän kaivattiin automatisointia lähinnä mittaustoistettavuuden parantamiseksi. Projekti aloitettiin tutkimalla erilaisia harjaterästangon mittaustapoja. Aluksi tutkittiin erilaisia mekaanisia tekniikoita, mutta konenäköjärjestelmän edut nousivat muiden tekniikoiden edelle. Suunniteltaessa konenäköjärjestelmää todettiin, että on hyödyllistä tehdä harjaterästangosta 3D-malli, josta pystytään laskemaan tarvittavat ominaisuudet. 3D-mallin tekemiseen päädyttiin, koska 2D-kuva ei sisällä tarpeeksi tietoa vaadittaviin mittauksiin. Myös kuvaustekniikan valinta oli haasteellista harjaterästangon muodon ja materiaalin vuoksi. Lopulta taustavaloa vasten eri kulmista otettujen kuvien yhdistäminen ja niistä 3D-mallin muodostaminen osoittautui hyväksi ratkaisuksi. Idean toteuttamiskelpoisuus todettiin erilaisten testausversioiden avulla. Osa järjestelmän komponenteista, kuten kamera ja optiikka, ostettiin valmiina, mutta suurin osa suunniteltiin ja toteutettiin varta vasten tätä pilottijärjestelmää varten. Lopullinen harjateräksen ominaisuuksien mittaamiseen tehty pilottijärjestelmä koostuu telineestä, siihen integroidusta kamerasta, optiikasta, taustavalosta, askelmoottorista ja ohjauselektroniikasta sekä niitä ohjaavasta ohjelmistosta. Järjestelmä mittaa harjaterästangon harjakorkeuden, harjavälin, harjakulman, harjan nousukulman, harjan poikkipinta-alan sekä harjarivien välisen etäisyyden.Reinforcing bar (re-bar) manufacturing is strictly standardized. Certified third party checks that the standards are followed by measuring the re-bar samples taken from the production line. Also the manufacturers measure the re-bars time to time to make sure that their re-bars fulfil the requirements set by the standard. Pintos Oy used mostly caliper in measuring re-bar characteristics. This measuring process needed to be automated. The project started by studying different kind of possible measuring techniques for re-bars. The testing started with different kind of mechanical measuring methods, but shortly machine vision was discovered to be the most potential method. In this designing process the 3D model was found to be a useful way to measure the needed characteristics because 2D image did not give enough information. It was also very challenging to choose the right imaging technique because of the shape and material of the re-bar. Finally, creating 3D model of a re-bar by combining images taken from different angles of the re-bar was found to be a very successful solution. The viability of the idea was proven with different kind of test versions. Some of the components like camera and optics used in this system were bought, but most of the parts were designed and purpose-built. The final pilot system made for measuring the re-bar characteristics consists of a platform, a camera, an optics, a back light, a stepper motor and a controlling electronics but also of a program which controls the whole system. This system measures the rib height, the rib angle, the distance between the ribs, rib’s longitudinal cross-section area, the rib flank inclination and a distance between rib rows

Miehet seuraa hakemassa - Homo- ja heteroseksuaalimiesten seksuaalislangi MTV3:n tekstiviestichateissa

Tutkimuksessani käyn läpi homo- ja heteroseksuaalimiesten seuranhaun kieltä ja keskityn etenkin seksuaalislangin tutkimiseen. Tavoitteenani on selvittää, miten miehet käyttävät seksuaalislangia joko mies- tai naisseuraa hakiessaan. Slangin käyttö auttaa kertomaan, mitä asioita pitää kertoa slangilla ja millaista sanastoa kuuluu ryhmän kielenkäyttökulttuuriin. Aineistonani on kahden MTV3:n tekstiviestichatin viestejä, homoseksuaalimiesten viestit ovat Gay-chatista ja heteroseksuaalimiesten viestit Se Oikea -chatista. Näitä viestejä tutkin sosiolingvistisen teorian ja etenkin slangitutkimuksen avulla. Taustoitan tätä kertomalla chattien käytöstä, viestien sensuroimisesta sekä tekstiviesteistä ja niiden kielestä. Olen luokitellut tutkittavan materiaalin seksuaalislangin osalta kolmeen pääluokkaan. Tutkin intiimialueista puhumista, seksuaaliominaisuuksia koskevaa slangia ja seksuaalisen kanssa-käymisen kieltä. Lisäksi käyn läpi yleistä seuranhakuchatin kieltä. Nämä ovat asioita, jotka toistuvat usein viestittäjien seuranhauissa. Sekä hetero- että homoseksuaalimiehet käyttävät runsaasti seksuaalislangia, mutta sanasto on erottavana tekijänä. Slangisanojen esiintymismäärässä on myös suuria eroja, Gay-chatin viesteissä on enemmän seksuaalislangiaineksia. Gay-chatin viesteissä seksuaalisuus ja ”mies puhuu miehelle” -henki ovat voimakkaasti läsnä. Oletettavasti seksuaalikeskeisyyden syynä ei ole käyttäjien homoseksuaalisuus vaan se, että juuri tämä chat on muodostunut sisällöltään seksikeskeiseksi. Heteroseksuaalit miehet pyrkivät kuvaamaan itseään laaja-alaisesti muutenkin kuin vain fyysisinä subjekteina. Vaikka heteroseksuaalimiehet kirjoittavat itselleen moniulotteista julkisivua, niin silti he nostavat hakemansa seuran ulkoiset ja seksuaaliset ominaisuudet useimmin esiintyviksi hakukriteereiksi. Heteroseksuaalimiehet tuntuvatkin hakevan toisenlaista seuraa kuin mitä itse tarjoavat.fi=Opinnäytetyö kokotekstinä PDF-muodossa.|en=Thesis fulltext in PDF format.|sv=Lärdomsprov tillgängligt som fulltext i PDF-format

Co-designed technology for elderly care : Mobile robots and passive RFID for nighttime safety

Ageing of the world's population is one of the significant challenges of the modern era. As the care resources are limited, new tools are needed for supporting elderly to live high quality life. Technology is identified as one of the potential tools. In this article, a combination of mobile robotics and RFID technology is used to provide a new tool for care homes, especially targeted for helping in night shifts. By combining passive RFID and mobile robots in a unique way, we create a system that can take actions in preventing potential accidents by identifying, alerting and helping a care home client at risk. The design process followed a co-design approach, where the use scenario and technical setup were created in a multidisciplinary collaboration. This was followed by building a laboratory version of the system, in which a mobile robot identifies and greets a person wandering in the care environment at night, and gently guides the person back to the room for a safe night. Although there are multiple technical details, which need to be developed further, the laboratory test results were very encouraging.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Validation of a Mobile Robot-Integrated RFID and Machine Vision System for Elderly Care Environments

By combining mobile robots, passive RFID, and machine vision, we create and validate a system that can take actions by identifying, alerting, and helping in a care home environment. According to our results, both RFID and machine vision systems integrated into a mobile robot were technically functional in a lit room, while the functionality of the machine vision system in a dark room needs further development. The main added value of this research was to bring together all this commercial equipment to validate the idea as proof-of-concept.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Mobile Robots and RFID Technology-Based Smart Care Environment for Minimizing Risks Related to Employee Turnover during Pandemics

During a pandemic, it is imperative that all staff members have up-to-date information on changing work practices in the healthcare environment. This article presents a way to implement work environment orientation amongst different groups in care facilities by utilizing mobile robots, radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies, and data synthesis. We offer a scenario based on a co-design approach, in which a mobile robot works as an orientation guide for new employees, RFID tags are applied on objects around the premises and people's clothing. The mobile robot takes advantage of the information provided by its known location and each RFID tag read by the RFID reader integrated with the robot. We introduce the scenario here, along with the details of its practical test implementation. Further, the challenges met in the test implementation are discussed as well as the future potential of its application. In conclusion, our study indicates that repetitive training and orientation-related duties can be successfully transferred to a mobile robot. Through RFID, the mobile robot can deliver the relevant information to the right people and thus contribute to patient and personnel safety and the resource efficiency of the orientation process

Additional use cases for RFID tags by implementing 3D printed push-button functionalities

© 2022 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works. This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by IEEE in 2022 IEEE 9th Electronics System-Integration Technology Conference (ESTC) on 11/11/2022, available online: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9939553 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be embedded to objects and to the surrounding environment for identification and sensing. The potential of the technology can be further increased by designing new features, such as push-button functionalities, to the tags. In this study, the additional features were created in a unique way through 3D printing, as it enables the designing and manufacturing of versatile and individually tailored products. The first prototype was created around a commercial tactile push-button, while the second prototype was fully self-designed and based on thick two-sided tape and copper tape. These kinds of structures can be used to sense the state of the battery-free push-button wirelessly from a distance. Both prototype devices were found to be fully functional when tested with a hand-held RFID reader from a 1-meter distance by 4 people. Finally, care professionals were gathered to ideate versatile future use cases for the developed push-button prototypes as an assistive technology. New possibilities for using the buttons were identified especially for persons with limited cognitive and physical capabilities. The next steps are to first design special-purpose push-button objects based on these ideas and then 3D print prototypes of these objects.Academy of FinlandPublished versio

Co-designing a Hybrid Game for Training Use of Proper Personal Protective Equipment in Different Clinical Scenarios

As highlighted by the current COVID-19 pandemic, all healthcare staff must use proper personal protective equipment in each clinical environment. This requires an understanding on the suitability of various types of equipment for different clinical scenarios, as well as knowledge on their appropriate application. Thus, learning how to use personal protective equipment in different healthcare environments is of great importance, and innovative ideas to support learning are needed. Recently, digital game-based learning has gained a lot of interest as a tool creating motivational learning for different learners. In this publication, we are presenting a hybrid game for training use of proper personal protective equipment. The player needs to select and put on suitable equipment for the clinical scenarios presented by the game. The initial game concept and the technical setup were created by following co-designing method in a multidisciplinary workshop. Subsequently, an early prototype version was introduced to nurses and nursing teachers for comments on further development ideas. According to the experts, the game concept is warmly welcomed for different user groups. The experts also provided several development ideas, which are introduced in this publication and implemented for the future versions of the game. The game is built around personal protective equipment tagged with passive UHF RFID tags and can thus be easily modified for different personal safety equipment and different clinical scenarios.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Joustavan 3D-kuvaukseen perustuvan yhteistyörobottisovelluksen kehittäminen

Tämän opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli kehittää 3D-kuvaukseen perustuva laatikosta poimiva (Bin picking) järjestelmä yhteistyörobotilla. Tällaisten järjestelmien kysyntä on tällä hetkellä suurta erilaisissa teollisuusyrityksissä. Työ toteutettiin tutkimuksellisena kehittämisprosessina, joka soveltuu erittäin hyvin tällaisen teknologiakehittämisen prosessin menetelmäksi, koska työllä vastataan suoraan työelämän kehittämistarpeisiin yhdistämällä tutkimusta ja kehittämistä. Työn tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi työ aloitettiin tutkimalla eri 3D-konenäköjärjestelmiä ja niiden eroja sekä valittiin järjestelmään mahdollisimman hyvin soveltuva 3D-kamera. 3D-kuvaukseen perustuviin poimintasovelluksiin tarkoitetut kamerat ovat nykyään voimakkaassa kehitysvaiheessa, joten puolueettomien mielipiteiden hankkiminen oli haastavaa, koska uusimmat kamerat olivat olleet vasta vähän aikaan markkinoilla. Tästä johtuen jouduttiin mainosmateriaaleihin tutustumisen lisäksi selvittämään laitteiden toisiaan vastaavat ominaisuudet käytännössä niiden kameroiden kanssa, joihin päästiin fyysisesti tutustumaan. Tämän lisäksi selvitettiin, miten valittu kamera saatiin kommunikoimaan olemassa olevan yhteistyörobotin kanssa, ja miten kyseinen robotti saatiin toimimaan odotetulla tavalla kameran antamien tietojen mukaan. Työn valmistuttua oli tuloksena toimiva testiympäristö, jossa yhteistyörobotti haki 3D-kuvauksen ohjaamana laatikosta käytettäviä kappaleita ja pinosi ne pöydälle pinoihin. Tuotannossa kappaleet olisi viety esimerkiksi kuljetushihnalle tai suoraan työstökoneeseen, mutta tämän muutoksen tekeminen ei olisi vaikeaa tehdylle sovellukselle. Tutkittu 3D-konenäön ja yhteistyörobotin kombinaatio tuotteiden noukkimisesta kuljetuslaatikoista onnistui kuten suunniteltiinkin.The purpose of this thesis was to develop a 3D Bin picking system with a collaborative robot. Demand for such systems is currently high in different kind of industrial companies. The thesis was carried out as a research and development process, which is a very good method for such a technology development process, because the work responds directly to the development needs of the working life by combining research and development. In order to achieve the goals of the thesis, the work was started by examining different 3D machine vision systems and their differences, and choosing the most suitable 3D camera for the system. 3D cameras designed for Bin picking applications are in a critical stage of development, so acquiring neutral reviews was a challenge as the latest cameras were only recently available on the market. As a result, in addition to familiarizing with the promotional materials, the equivalent features of the devices had to be determined in practice with the cameras that could be accessed. In addition, it had to be found out how the selected camera communicates with an existing collaborative robot and how the robot could work according to the information provided by the camera. When the work was completed, the result was a test environment where a 3D imaging controlled collaborative robot picked the selected pieces from the box, and stacked them on the table. In production, the pieces would have been taken, for example, to a conveyor belt or directly to a machine tool. Making this change for this application would not be difficult to do. The studied combination of 3D machine vision and collaboration robot for picking up products from transport boxes succeeded as planned

A Smart Chair Physiotherapy Exergame for Fall Prevention – User Experience Study

Older adults form a large and increasing proportion of the world’s population, with falls representing one of the major causes of their mortality and morbidity. When considering the aging population, falls and fall-related injuries pose a major challenge, affecting continued ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), independence, and quality of life. With the emergence of smart furniture technologies, opportunities arise within the health and rehabilitation sector. Amalgamating technology with game orientated exercise (exergames) facilitates the delivery of entertaining, complimentary tools in the provision of preventative and rehabilitative intervention. The aim of this paper is to study the potential of an exergame for seniors’ physical activation. In this study, a prototype physiotherapeutic exergames based on a smart chair was developed in collaboration with physiotherapists and game developers. User experiences were then investigated through a demo event to investigate the motivation, interest, social interaction, and suitability of the game concept for self-initiated physical training. User experience data was gathered based on researchers’ observations and a questionnaire. This data was collected from users (older adults) and facilitators (social and health care professionals and students). The results indicate the game and the chair controller to be suitable and accepted by elderly as a mean of self-activation and physical training. The game concept also showed potential in enhancing social interaction in a group-setting. Although the responses from the participants show some variation, generally the results indicate feeling of usefulness and need for exergames. More research is required to investigate the long-term effects of the games on user experiences, physical/social effects, and potential decrease of fall risk.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe