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Safety-enhanced control strategy of a power soft robot driven by hydraulic artificial muscles Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-03-08 Yunhao Feng; Tohru Ide; Hiroyuki Nabae; Gen Endo; Ryo Sakurai; Shingo Ohno; Koichi Suzumori
Power soft robots—defined as novel robots driven by powerful soft actuators, achieving both powerfulness and softness—are potentially suitable for complex collaborative tasks, and an approach to actuating a power soft robot is the McKibben artificial muscle. This study aims to show the potential of hydraulic artificial muscles to be implemented in a power soft robot with high safety, including higher
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EKF-based self-attitude estimation with DNN learning landscape information Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-03-06 Ryota Ozaki; Yoji Kuroda
This paper presents an EKF-based self-attitude estimation with a DNN (deep neural network) learning landscape information. The method integrates gyroscopic angular velocity and DNN inference in the EKF. The DNN predicts a gravity vector in a camera frame. The input of the network is a camera image, the outputs are a mean vector and a covariance matrix of the gravity. It is trained and validated with
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Projection-mapping-based object pointing using a high-frame-rate camera-projector system Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Deepak Kumar; Sushil Raut; Kohei Shimasaki; Taku Senoo; Idaku Ishii
The novel approach to physical security based on visible light communication (VLC) using an informative object-pointing and simultaneous recognition by high-framerate (HFR) vision systems is presented in this study. In the proposed approach, a convolutional neural network (CNN) based object detection method is used to detect the environmental objects that assist a spatiotemporal-modulated-pattern (SMP)
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Correction to: Design and implementation of a maxi‑sized mobile robot (Karo) for rescue missions Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-02-22 Soheil Habibian; Mehdi Dadvar; Behzad Peykari; Alireza Hosseini; M. Hossein Salehzadeh; Alireza H. M. Hosseini; Farshid Najafi
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.
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Deformation model and experimental evaluation of a contractable and bendable wire-pulling mechanism with embedded soft tubes for a robotic tongue Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-02-17 Nobutsuna Endo
Few physical models of oral and laryngeal systems for human speech movement exist for computer or mechanical simulators. In particular, a robot tongue mechanism that fully reproduces the deformation motion of the human tongue is lacking. The human tongue is an aggregate of muscles that is devoid of a skeleton. It possesses only a small hyoid. A mechanism that can drive and control the deformation of
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Vehicular trajectory estimation utilizing slip angle based on GNSS Doppler/IMU Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-02-16 Kanamu Takikawa; Yoshiki Atsumi; Aoki Takanose; Junichi Meguro
Accurate vehicular trajectory estimation is important for the recently developed autonomous driving systems. As the accuracy of the vehicular trajectory estimation is reduced with the slippage that occurs during turning, we propose a method in this study to accurately estimate the trajectory of a vehicle, focusing on the slip angle estimation. Although the two-wheel model is used as a general concept
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Development of a tour guide and co-experience robot system using the quasi-zenith satellite system and the 5th-generation mobile communication system at a Theme Park Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-02-16 Kohei Matsumoto; Hiroyuki Yamada; Masato Imai; Akihiro Kawamura; Yasuhiro Kawauchi; Tamaki Nakamura; Ryo Kurazume
Autonomous robots are expected to replace dangerous, dirty, and demanding (3D) jobs. At a theme park, surveillance, cleaning, and guiding tasks can be regarded as 3D jobs. The present paper attempts to develop an autonomous tour guide robot system and co-experience system at a large theme park. For realizing such autonomous service robots used in our daily environment, localization is one of the most
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Multisensor robust localization in various environment with correlation checking test Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-02-08 Nozomu Ohashi; Yuki Funabora; Shinji Doki; Kae Doki
Probabilistic localization based on Bayesian theory has been researched as a sensor fusion method to improve the robustness of localization. Pieces of position information, generated by sensors’ observation models with consideration for noises, are fused according to Bayesian theory. However, having large noises not considered in their observation models, the sensors output erroneous position information;
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Evaluation of the deformation shape of a balloon-type dielectric elastomer actuator prestretched with water pressure Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-01-18 Natsumi Koike; Takeshi Hayakawa
In this study, we evaluated the deformation shape of a balloon-type dielectric elastomer actuator (DEA) that has been prestretched with water pressure. We fabricated the DEA with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as the elastomeric material and carbon grease as the electrode. We derived analytical solutions for the deformation of the DEA based on structural mechanical models. Additionally, we compared
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Design and implementation of a maxi-sized mobile robot (Karo) for rescue missions Robomech J. Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Soheil Habibian; Mehdi Dadvar; Behzad Peykari; Alireza Hosseini; M. Hossein Salehzadeh; Alireza H. M. Hosseini; Farshid Najafi
Rescue robots are expected to carry out reconnaissance and dexterity operations in unknown environments comprising unstructured obstacles. Although a wide variety of designs and implementations have been presented within the field of rescue robotics, embedding all mobility, dexterity, and reconnaissance capabilities in a single robot remains a challenging problem. This paper explains the design and
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Dynamic manipulation of unknown string by robot arm: realizing momentary string shapes Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-12-04 Kenta Tabata; Hiroaki Seki; Tokuo Tsuji; Tatsuhiro Hiramitsu; Masatoshi Hikizu
We propose a method to realize the dynamic manipulation of a string with unknown characteristics via a high-speed robot arm. We use a mass-spring-damper model for the string and repeat three steps: motion generation, real manipulation, and parameter estimation. Robot motion is given by the joint angular velocities expressed by the Bezier curves. Their control points are randomly positioned to generate
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Estimation of resistance force at steady-state sinkage for cylindrical wheel-typed lunar/planetary exploration rovers with function of push–pull locomotion Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-10-27 Daisuke Fujiwara; Naoki Tsujikawa; Tetsuya Oshima; Kojiro Iizuka
Planetary exploration rovers have required a high traveling performance to overcome obstacles such as loose soil and rocks. Push-pull locomotion rovers is a unique scheme, like an inchworm, and it has high traveling performance on loose soil. Push-pull locomotion uses the resistance force by keeping a locked-wheel related to the ground, whereas the conventional rotational traveling uses the shear force
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A robotic end-effector with rolling up mechanism for pick-and-release of a cotton sheet Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-10-20 Taiki Abe; Yuichi Kawasaki; Kimitoshi Yamazaki
In this paper we introduce a novel robotic end-effector for pick-and-release of a sheet of cotton cloth. One of the main operations in a factory for sewing cloth products is to pick up cloth parts, provide them to a sewing machine, and sew them together. Fabric products are assembled by performing this work in various processes. Each work starts with a lot of cloth parts stacked near a sewing machine
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Pose estimation by extended Kalman filter using noise covariance matrices based on sensor output Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-10-19 Ayuko Saito; Satoru Kizawa; Yoshikazu Kobayashi; Kazuto Miyawaki
This paper presents an extended Kalman filter for pose estimation using noise covariance matrices based on sensor output. Compact and lightweight nine-axis motion sensors are used for motion analysis in widely various fields such as medical welfare and sports. A nine-axis motion sensor includes a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a three-axis magnetometer. Information obtained from
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Locomotion approach of bipedal robot utilizing passive wheel without swing leg based on stability margin maximization and fall prevention functions Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-10-15 Kohei Kimura; Noriaki Imaoka; Shintaro Noda; Yohei Kakiuchi; Kei Okada; Masayuki Inaba
This paper proposes a locomotion approach of leg-wheel robot utilizing passive wheel attached to the foot of bipedal robot. The key feature of this approach is bipedal mobility without swing leg. This mobility contributes the stability based on expansion of support polygon during locomotion, the robustness for obstacles and stopping to prevent fall, and the adaptability by prevention of body swing
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Study of a robotic system to detect water leakage and fuel debris-System proposal and feasibility study of visual odometry providing intuitive bird’s eye view- Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-10-13 Zhenyu Wang; Gen Endo; Masashi Takahashi; Hiroyuki Nabae; Koichi Suzumori; Nobuyoshi Tsuzuki; Hideharu Takahashi; Kazushi Kimoto; Tomonori Ihara; Hiroshige Kikura
To obtain the necessary information on fuel debris and water leakages during the decommissioning task of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, an ultrasonic-based method was proposed for future internal investigation of the primary containment vessel (PCV). In this article, we describe the rotatable winch mechanism and visual localization method, which were used to aid the investigation. We used
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Lifelogging caption generation via fourth-person vision in a human–robot symbiotic environment Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-09-24 Kazuto Nakashima; Yumi Iwashita; Ryo Kurazume
Automatic analysis of our daily lives and activities through a first-person lifelog camera provides us with opportunities to improve our life rhythms or to support our limited visual memories. Notably, to express the visual experiences, the task of generating captions from first-person lifelog images has been actively studied in recent years. First-person images involve scenes approximating what users
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Development of novel mobile robot with semicircular wheels Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-08-19 Kanta Yamamoto; Takeshi Aoki
This paper describes development of a mobile robot using semicircular wheels on uneven terrain. It performs the crawl gait on flat ground without changing potential energy and the butterfly gait to climb over debris. We also used crawl gait to perform turning motion. The butterfly gait is used to climb over high steps. Turning motion is achieved not only by creating a difference in angular velocity
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Characterization of bulk piezoelectric element-based ultrasonic motors Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-08-19 Shunsuke Izuhara; Tomoaki Mashimo
We propose miniature ultrasonic motors using stators made of a single bulk piezoelectric element. The bulk piezoelectric stator has the potential to increase output by reducing the dissipation that occurs in the adhesion layer between the PZTs and a metallic component in the stator. In this paper, we build two kinds of bulk piezoelectric stators: a cubic bulk stator with a side length of 4.2 mm and
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Design, assessment and evaluation of structural stabilization system for weather buoys using a moving foil Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-07-31 Mina Malek Azari; Jose Victorio Salazar Luces; Yasuhisa Hirata
This paper proposes a novel, simple and high-efficient submerged structural stabilization system for a self-stabilizing buoy that provides a stable platform for oceanographic and meteorological sensors. The proposed stabilization system is a Seesaw-like Tuned Mass Damper (STMD) combined with a foil and is designed in a way to harvest the activation energy from incoming waves. A fixed rudder in the
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Generalization of movements in quadruped robot locomotion by learning specialized motion data Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-06-25 Hiroki Yamamoto; Sungi Kim; Yuichiro Ishii; Yusuke Ikemoto
Machines that are sensitive to environmental fluctuations, such as autonomous and pet robots, are currently in demand, rendering the ability to control huge and complex systems crucial. However, controlling such a system in its entirety using only one control device is difficult; for this purpose, a system must be both diverse and flexible. Herein, we derive and analyze the feature values of robot
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Active fault-diagnosis method using adaptive allocator and fault-tolerant adaptive control system design Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-06-25 Natsuki Kawaguchi; Nozomu Araki; Takao Sato; Masaharu Kuroda; Toshihiko Asami
A new approach to the active fault diagnosis (AFD) for input redundant plants is presented in this paper. A test signal which helps the diagnosis is injected to the plant in addition to nominal control input in the AFD typically. One feature of the proposed AFD is adaptive allocation of the test signal. The adaptive allocator which distributes the test signal and injects it to the redundant actuators
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Proposal for a layer-based IoT construction method and its implementation and evaluation on a rolling stand-up walker Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-06-22 Katsushi Ogawa; Kenji Uegami; Itaru Chiba; Kyono Uno; Hiroki Aoyama; Kazuo Yonenobu; Seonghee Jeong
It is a problem that the poor gait function of many elderly people affects their activities of daily living (ADL), and deteriorates their quality of life (QoL). To enhance rehabilitation of the gait function, it is desirable to increase the amount of training received. In this research, we develop a measurement system for a gait training device that enables effective rehabilitation using the internet
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Analysis of firefighting skill with a teleoperated robot Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-06-20 Yoshihiro Tamura; Hisanori Amano; Jun Ota
Teleoperated robots are expected to perform tasks in extreme environments such as disaster sites. However, only few teleoperated robots are used for this purpose because their usability is poor compared to human skill in such tasks. Further, the use of human–machine interfaces used by teleoperated robots is in itself a human skill. In this study, we compare the skills of firefighters (experts) when
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Trajectory estimation and position correction for hopping robot navigation using monocular camera Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-06-09 Gabor Kovacs; Yasuharu Kunii; Takao Maeda; Hideki Hashimoto
In this paper, a navigation and environment mapping method is presented for small exploration robots that use hopping motion. While previous research about hopping rovers mostly focuses on mobility and mechanical design, the motivation for the proposed method is to provide a fully autonomous navigation system using only a monocular camera. The method accurately estimates the hopping distance and reconstruct
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High precision control model of large-sized gantry-type linear motor slider Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-05-28 Tetsuya Ojiro; Toshiyuki Tachibana; Hideki Honda; So Watanabe; Hiroshi Hamamatsu; Kazuhiro Tsuruta
Large-sized gantry-type linear motor sliders are widely used in industry (e.g. in liquid crystal panel production equipment). An appropriate control model is important for deriving control methods to improve control performance. Although various control models of large-sized gantry-type linear motor sliders have been developed in previous studies, no results are yet reported regarding control models
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Attitude control of an inverted-pendulum-type robotic wheelchair to climb stairs considering dynamic equilibrium Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-05-16 Yuya Onozuka; Nobuyasu Tomokuni; Genki Murata; Motoki Shino
The wheelchair is the major means of transport for elderly and physically disabled people in their daily lives. However it cannot overcome architectural barriers such as curbs and stairs. In this study, we developed an inverted-pendulum-type robotic wheelchair for climbing stairs. This wheelchair has a seat slider and two rotary links between the front and rear wheels on each side. When climbing stairs
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Development of quadruped walking robot with spherical shell: improvement of climbing over a step Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-05-13 Takeshi Aoki; Keisuke Asami; Satoshi Ito; Shotaro Waki
We have proposed and developed a new quadruped walking robot with a spherical shell, called “QRoSS”. QRoSS is a transformable robot that can store its legs in the spherical shell. The shell not only absorbs external forces from all directions, but also improves mobile performance because of its round shape. In rescue operations at a disaster site, carrying robots into a site is dangerous for operators
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Gait modification for improving walking stability of exoskeleton assisted paraplegic patient Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-04-30 Mengze Li; Tadayoshi Aoyama; Yasuhisa Hasegawa
The currently available exoskeleton for assisting the paraplegic patient in walking usually adapts a pre-programmed gait that involves the patient following an exoskeleton lead. The system allows the patient to hold a pair of canes in order to keep balance, and does not contribute to keeping balance without the patient’s action. This paper proposes an algorithm based on the zero moment point (ZMP)
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Stair-climbing gait for a four-wheeled vehicle Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-04-18 Shuro Nakajima
This paper proposes a stair-climbing gait for a four-wheeled vehicle. The idea and methodology of climbing stairs are described, and the results of experiments are shown. Crawler-type vehicles and vehicles with special, complicated mechanisms are commonly used for climbing continuous steps (stairs). In contrast, in this paper, a four-wheeled vehicle with additional degrees of freedom, whose mechanism
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A pilot study on locomotion training via biomechanical models and a wearable haptic feedback system Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-04-07 Emel Demircan
Locomotion is a fundamental human skill. Real-time sensing and feedback is a promising strategy for motion training to reconstruct healthy locomotion patterns lost due to aging or disease, and to prevent injuries. In this paper, we present a pilot study on locomotion training via biomechanical modeling and a wearable haptic feedback system. In addition, a novel simulation framework for motion tracking
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Stiff and safe task-space position and attitude controller for robotic manipulators Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-30 Gyuho Byun; Ryo Kikuuwe
This paper proposes a stiff and safe task-space position and attitude control scheme for robotic manipulators. This study extends the work of Kikuuwe et al’s. (2006) velocity-bounding proxy-based sliding mode control by explicitly addressing the attitude part. The proposed controller has a Jacobian-based structure, which realizes smooth trajectories when the desired attitude is far rotated from the
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Geometric conditions of a two-link-and-six muscle structure based on internal force stability Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-30 Hiroaki Ochi; Hitoshi Kino; Kenji Tahara; Yuki Matsutani
In a musculoskeletal system, internal tensile forces are generated among the muscles because it is a redundant system. The balancing of the internal tensile forces for a given posture generates a potential field in the system. Therefore, the potential field is utilized for the sensorless feedforward position control and improvement of stability based on the feedback method. However, the stability of
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Design of knee support device based on four-bar linkage and hydraulic artificial muscle Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-27 Sarin Kittisares; Hiroyuki Nabae; Gen Endo; Koichi Suzumori; Ryo Sakurai
One of the main challenges for the elderly is insufficient lower limb strength during sit-to-stand movement, which may be improved by supporting the joint externally. Existing lower extremity exoskeletons use perfect revolute joints as knee joints, which do not match with human joint biomechanics. They also require a complex control system to produce the required torque at the corresponding joint angle
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Free viewpoint image generation system using fisheye cameras and a laser rangefinder for indoor robot teleoperation Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-12 Ren Komatsu; Hiromitsu Fujii; Yusuke Tamura; Atsushi Yamashita; Hajime Asama
In robot teleoperation, a lack of depth information often results in collisions between the robots and obstacles in its path or surroundings. To address this issue, free viewpoint images can greatly benefit the operators in terms of collision avoidance as the operators are able to view the robot’s surrounding from the images at arbitrary points, giving them a better depth information. In this paper
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Dexterous object manipulation by a multi-fingered robotic hand with visual-tactile fingertip sensors Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-12 Seung-hyun Choi; Kenji Tahara
In this paper, a novel visual-tactile sensor is proposed; additionally, an object manipulation method for a multi-fingered robotic hand grasping an object is proposed by detecting a contact position using the visual-tactile sensor. The visual-tactile sensor is composed of a hemispheric fingertip made of soft silicone with a hollow interior and a general USB camera located inside the fingertip to detect
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Use of communication robots to converse with people suffering from schizophrenia Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-12 Tomoe Ozeki; Tetsuya Mouri; Hiroko Sugiura; Yuu Yano; Kunie Miyosawa
Medication is an important approach of treatment for patients with schizophrenia; however, the availability of visiting nurses and other human-related support is limited. This study aims to build a system in which service robots support the treatment of individuals with schizophrenia with medication at home. Moreover, medical staff can seamlessly monitor the status of their patients through the robots
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Necessity and feasibility of care training assistant robot (CaTARo) as shoulder complex joint with multi-DOF in elderly care education Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-03 Miran Lee; Ko Ameyama; Hirotake Yamazoe; Joo-Ho Lee
As the geriatric population expands, caregivers require more accurate training to handle and care for the elderly. However, students lack methods for acquiring the necessary skill and experience, as well as sufficient opportunities to practice on real human beings. To investigate the necessity and feasibility of care training assistant robots in care education, we developed a simulated robot as a shoulder
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Rubber artificial skin layer with flexible structure for shape estimation of micro-undulation surfaces Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-03-03 Mitsuhito Ando; Toshinobu Takei; Hiromi Mochiyama
In this paper, we propose a wearable tactile sensor for measuring the shape of micro-undulations on a hard surface. The proposed sensor has two layers. The inner one is a thin rubber layer into which a strain gauge is embedded that is formed around a user’s finger. The outer layer is a flexible structure that consists of numerous pins on a flexible sheet. The shape of micro-undulations on an object
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Pneumatically-driven stretching machine for ankle dorsiflexion: safety concepts and effectiveness test involving healthy young subjects Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-02-18 Yuma Shiraishi; Shogo Okamoto; Naomi Yamada; Koki Inoue; Yasuhiro Akiyama; Yoji Yamada
Stretching is a major treatment for restoring the ankle range of motion while decreasing the ankle stiffness. An automatic stretching machine can provide long-term continual stretching at home. However, no commercial stretching machines are currently available, and therefore, no safety guidelines exist for them. In this study, we prototyped a stretching machine using a chassis from a commercial foot
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Verbal guidance for sit-to-stand support system Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-02-18 Mizuki Takeda; Yasuhisa Hirata; Yueh-Hsuan Weng; Takahiro Katayama; Yasuhide Mizuta; Atsushi Koujina
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based robots have become popular in various fields, thereby increasing the demand for care robots. Such care robots recognize or estimate factors such as human states and then perform actions depending on the estimation results. If the humans cooperating with robots do not understand robot functions well, the task will not be performed appropriately. Additionally, it is
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Friction and noise suppression for force control system based on integration of observer and force sensor information Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-02-17 Yuki Nagatsu; Hideki Hashimoto
Measuring and controlling external force from the environment and human beings are essential to realize the future application of the robot systems for medical, nursing, and personal support systems. This paper proposes a friction and noise suppression for force control system based on the integration of the reaction torque observer and force (torque) sensor information. The proposed method performs
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Microfluidic device for rapid investigation of the deformability of leukocytes in whole blood samples Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-01-29 Anas Mohd Noor; Taisuke Masuda; Fumihito Arai
The mechanical properties of cells, such as leukocytes, in a diseased state differ from those of healthy cells, typically due to their microstructure. The deformability of the cells through a constrictive area is analyzed by the applied stress to the cell. This study investigates the relationship between the sample flow speed and distribution of captured leukocytes based on the cell deformability using
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Sagittal alignment in an MR-TRUS fusion biopsy using only the prostate contour in the axial image Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-01-15 Riki Igarasihi; Norihiro Koizumi; Yu Nishiyama; Kyohei Tomita; Yuka Shigenari; Sunao Shoji
This paper examines the feasibility of automated alignment in sagittal direction in MR-TRUS fusion biopsy of the prostate by comparing the prostate contour in axial images between different modalities. In the treatment of prostate cancer, an important factor affecting the prognosis of patients is focal therapy of cancer within the prostate. Therefore, MR-TRUS fusion biopsy of the prostate is attracting
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On-chip cell manipulation and applications to deformability measurements Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-01-13 Hiroaki Ito; Makoto Kaneko
Active microfluidics for the applications to cellular deformability measurements is an emerging research field ranging from engineering to medicine. Here, we review conventional and microfluidic methods, and introduce an on-chip cell manipulation system with the design principle of fast and fine cell manipulation inside a microchannel. In the latter part of the review, we focus on the results of red
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Suction pad unit using a bellows pneumatic actuator as a support mechanism for an end effector of depalletizing robots Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-01-03 Junya Tanaka; Akihito Ogawa; Hideichi Nakamoto; Takafumi Sonoura; Haruna Eto
This paper describes a vacuum suction-type end effector for depalletizing robots in distribution centers. The developed end effector has multiple suction pad units to which a bellows pneumatic actuator is applied as the support mechanism. Load-bearing capacity is improved due to a high-strength wire provided inside the bellows, and the contraction force is improved due to ring members placed inside
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Development of a vibratory cueing system using an implicit method to increase walking speed in patients with stroke: a proof-of-concept study Robomech J. Pub Date : 2020-01-03 Kazuhiro Yasuda; Yuki Hayashi; Anna Tawara; Hiroyasu Iwata
One of the main sequelae of stroke is dificulty walking, which is characterized by a decreased gait velocity and asymmetrical walking patterns. The purpose of this research was initially focused on developing a vibro-tactile cueing device that recognizes an implicit increase in cadence frequency. Subsequently, a proof-of-concept study with patients who had experienced stroke was conducted to examine
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Miniaturization effect of electroosmotic self-propulsive microswimmer powered by biofuel cell Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-12-19 Toshiro Yamanaka; Fumihito Arai
For future medical microrobotics, we have proposed the concept of the electroosmotic self-propulsive microswimmer powered by biofuel cell. According to the derived theoretical model, its self-propulsion velocity is inversely proportional to the length of the microswimmer, while it is proportional to the open circuit potential generated by the biofuel cell which does not depend on its size. Therefore
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Worm gear mechanism with switchable backdrivability Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-12-19 Toshio Takayama; Naoto Hisamatsu
A worm gear has the advantages of a large reduction ratio and non-backdrivability. Because of this non-backdrivability, it can maintain a joint angle without energy consumption. Today, many robots have large workspaces that extend into the living spaces of humans, and they are required to work cooperatively with humans. In such cases, backdrivability is necessary to achieve high compliance for robots
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Spatial change detection using normal distributions transform Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-12-18 Ukyo Katsura; Kohei Matsumoto; Akihiro Kawamura; Tomohide Ishigami; Tsukasa Okada; Ryo Kurazume
Spatial change detection is a fundamental technique for finding the differences between two or more pieces of geometrical information. This technique is critical in some robotic applications, such as search and rescue, security, and surveillance. In these applications, it is desirable to find the differences quickly and robustly. The present paper proposes a fast and robust spatial change detection
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Development of catheter-type tactile sensor composed of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-12-16 Kazuto Takashima; Keisuke Ota; Masaki Yamamoto; Makoto Takenaka; Satoshi Horie; Kenji Ishida
To achieve quantitative palpation in vivo, we developed a catheter-type tactile sensor composed of a polyvinylidene fluoride film for minimally invasive surgery. We evaluated the fundamental performance of the prototype sensor by a weight-drop test. We also measured the output of the prototype sensor as it was inserted into a blood vessel model with shapes mimicking lesions. The ø2-mm sensor passed
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An intelligent shopping support robot: understanding shopping behavior from 2D skeleton data using GRU network Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-12-16 Md Matiqul Islam; Antony Lam; Hisato Fukuda; Yoshinori Kobayashi; Yoshinori Kuno
In supermarkets or grocery, a shopping cart is a necessary tool for shopping. In this paper, we have developed an intelligent shopping support robot that can carry a shopping cart while following its owners and provide the shopping support by observing the customer’s head orientation, body orientation and recognizing different shopping behaviors. Recognizing shopping behavior or the intensity of such
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A clinical pilot study on posture stabilization via light contact with cane-type companion robot Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-11-27 Shunki Itadera; Tadayoshi Aoyama; Yasuhisa Hasegawa; Keita Aimoto; Kenji Kato; Izumi Kondo
In this paper, toward robotic gait assistance, we investigate the feasibility of a cane-type assistive mobile robot accompanying the user autonomously through a clinical pilot experiment. As widely known, gait ability is important for all people to keep their quality of life. However, for people having weakened lower limbs such as elderly people, their postural sway during walking could be insuppressible
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Real-time high-resolution video stabilization using high-frame-rate jitter sensing Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-11-15 Sushil Raut; Kohei Shimasaki; Sanjay Singh; Takeshi Takaki; Idaku Ishii
In this study, the novel approach of real-time video stabilization system using a high-frame-rate (HFR) jitter sensing device is demonstrated to realize the computationally efficient technique of digital video stabilization for high-resolution image sequences. This system consists of a high-speed camera to extract and track feature points in gray-level $$512\times 496$$ image sequences at 1000 fps
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Modeling and control of planar slippage in object manipulation using robotic soft fingers Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-11-08 Amin Fakhari; Imin Kao; Mehdi Keshmiri
Slippage occurrence has an important roll in stable and robust object grasping and manipulation. However, in majority of prior research on soft finger manipulation, presence of the slippage between fingers and objects has been ignored. In this paper which is a continuation of our prior work, a revised and more general method for dynamic modeling of planar slippage is presented using the concept of
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Influence of bimanual exercise on muscle activation in post-stroke patients Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-11-06 Matti Itkonen; Álvaro Costa; Hiroshi Yamasaki; Shotaro Okajima; Fady Alnajjar; Takatsune Kumada; Shingo Shimoda
Brain damage due to stroke often leaves survivors with lateral functional motor deficits. Bimanual rehabilitation of the paretic arm is an active field of research aimed at restoring normal functionality by making use of the complex neural bindings that exist between the arms. In search of an effective rehabilitation method, we introduced a group of post-stroke rehabilitation patients to a set of bimanual
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An automated fruit harvesting robot by using deep learning Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-11-01 Yuki Onishi; Takeshi Yoshida; Hiroki Kurita; Takanori Fukao; Hiromu Arihara; Ayako Iwai
Automation and labor saving in agriculture have been required recently. However, mechanization and robots for growing fruits have not been advanced. This study proposes a method of detecting fruits and automated harvesting using a robot arm. A highly fast and accurate method with a Single Shot MultiBox Detector is used herein to detect the position of fruit, and a stereo camera is used to detect the
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Structurally isolated photoactuation of graphene-mixed temperature-responsive hydrogels in soft-rigid series structure Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-09-18 Tomoki Watanabe; Yoshiyuki Yokoyama; Takeshi Hayakawa
This paper presents fabrication and actuation methods for a soft microrobot with a hybrid structure composed of soft microactuators and a rigid supporting body. This hybrid structure enables actuation of the microrobot with independent driving of multiple actuators to provide complex movement like that of living microorganisms. We use the temperature-responsive hydrogel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)
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Age-related injury risk curves for the lumbar spine for use in low-back-pain prevention in manual handling tasks Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-09-18 Naoki Kudo; Yoji Yamada; Daisuke Ito
This study introduces injury risk curves for the lumbar spine for use in the risk assessment of low back pain (LBP) caused by manual lifting of heavy loads. LBP has been a longstanding problem among industrial workers, giving rise to the development of assistive devices. However, quantitative evaluation methods to verify the safety of such devices have not yet been established. The notable biomechanical
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Enhanced frequency analysis on a vibrated tumor with a compression cylinder Robomech J. Pub Date : 2019-08-28 Satoshi Miura; Hidekazu Ishiuchi; Yuta Shintaku; Victor Parque; Ayako Torisaka; Tomoyuki Miyashita
Breast cancer diagnosis has been mostly accomplished through imaging. These methods have great advantages in being able to detect the presence and location of breast cancer. However, it is difficult to distinguish between a benign and malignant tumor located in a deep position because both tumor types look similar. In this paper, tissue including the tumor from skin was vibrated using a compression
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