MECHANISM DESIGN AND MOTION ANALYSIS OF A SPHERICAL MOBILE ROBOT

A new spherical mobile robot BHQ-1 is designed. The spherical robot is driven by two internally mounted motors that induce the ball to move straight and turn around on a fiat surface. A dynamic model of the robot is developed with Lagrange method and factors affecting the driving torque of two motors are analyzed. The relationship between the turning radius of the robot and the length of two links is discussed in order to optimize its mechanism design. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the good controllability and motion performance of BHQ-1.

A Survey of Mathematical Tools in Topology and Performance Integrated Modeling and Design of Robotic Mechanism

Topology and performance are the two main topics dealt in the development of robotic mechanisms.However,it is still a challenge to connect them by integrating the modeling and design process of both parts in a unified frame.As the properties associated with topology and performance,finite motion and instantaneous motion of the robot play key roles in the procedure.On the purpose of providing a fundamental preparation for integrated modeling and design,this paper carries out a review on the existing unified mathematic frameworks for motion description and computation,involving matrix Lie group and Lie algebra,dual quaternion and pure dual quaternion,finite screw and instantaneous screw.Besides the application in robotics,the review of the work from these mathematicians concentrates on the description,composition and intersection operations of the finite and instantaneous motions,especially on the exponential-differential maps which connect the two sides.Furthermore,an in-depth discussion is worked out by investigating the algebraical relationship among these methods and their further progress in integrated robotic development.The presented review offers insightful investigation to the motion description and computation,and therefore would help designers to choose appropriate mathematical tool in the integrated design and modeling and design of mechanisms and robots.

2nd ASME/IFToMM International Conference on Reconfigurable Mechanisms and Robots(ReMAR2012)

With the development of science and technology and with space exploration, hazardous environment work, and production requirements of small batch and quick change-over, the traditional concept of mechanisms and robots development is facing a challenge in the 21 st century for adaptability and reconfigurability.

SYNTHESIS OF ROBOTIC MECHANISM FOR MICROSURGICAL CORNEAL GRAFTING

In order to enhance the effect of comeal grafting, an assisting microsurgical robot has been developed. As one of principal issues for the robotic system design, type and size synthesis of the robotic mechanism is discussed. For this purpose, timeline subtask is analyzed with surgical component motion in manual comeal grafting microsurgery, as the reference of robotic mechanism synthesis. On the basis of study on the kinematic correlation between the arm structures and the wrist structures, configuration of joint is determined for the surgical task and motion in type synthesis of the mechanism. The objective for size synthesis of robotic mechanism is optimization of the mechanism dexterity as a manipulation capability. The condition number based on Jacob matrix is chosen as dexterity measure of the mechanism. The prototype is developed.

Method for Six-Legged Robot Stepping on Obstacles by Indirect Force Estimation

Adaptive gaits for legged robots often requires force sensors installed on foot-tips,however impact,temperature or humidity can affect or even damage those sensors.Efforts have been made to realize indirect force estimation on the legged robots using leg structures based on planar mechanisms.Robot Octopus III is a six-legged robot using spatial parallel mechanism（UP-2UPS） legs.This paper proposed a novel method to realize indirect force estimation on walking robot based on a spatial parallel mechanism.The direct kinematics model and the inverse kinematics model are established.The force Jacobian matrix is derived based on the kinematics model.Thus,the indirect force estimation model is established.Then,the relation between the output torques of the three motors installed on one leg to the external force exerted on the foot tip is described.Furthermore,an adaptive tripod static gait is designed.The robot alters its leg trajectory to step on obstacles by using the proposed adaptive gait.Both the indirect force estimation model and the adaptive gait are implemented and optimized in a real time control system.An experiment is carried out to validate the indirect force estimation model.The adaptive gait is tested in another experiment.Experiment results show that the robot can successfully step on a 0.2 m-high obstacle.This paper proposes a novel method to overcome obstacles for the six-legged robot using spatial parallel mechanism legs and to avoid installing the electric force sensors in harsh environment of the robot＇s foot tips.

Artificial Intelligence-Supported Systems in Anesthesiology and Its Standpoint to Date—A Review

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the technique that enables computers to solve problems and perform tasks that traditionally require human intelligence. The availability of large amounts of medical data from electronic medical records and powerful modern microcomputers enables the development of AI in medicine. AI has proven its applicability in many different medical areas, such as drug discovery, diagnostic radiology and pathology, as well as interventional applications in cardiology and surgery. However, until today, AI is scarcely used in the clinical practice of anesthesiology. Although there has been a significant body of research published on AI applications for anesthesiology in the literature, the number of developed robot systems for commercial use or those ready for clinical trials remains limited. The limitations of AI systems are identified and discussed, which include incorrect medical data formatting, individual patient variability, the lack of ability of current AI systems, anesthesiologist inexperience in AI usage, system unreliability, unexplainable AI conclusions and strict regulations. In order to ensure anesthesiologists’ trust in AI systems and improve their implementation in daily practice, strict quality control of the systems and algorithms should be undertaken. Further, anesthesiology personnel should play an integral role in the development of AI systems before we are able to see more AI integration in clinical anesthesiology.

Mechanics Unloading Analysis and Experimentation of a New Type of Parallel Biomimetic Shoulder Complex

The structure design for high ratio of carrying capacity to deadweight is one of the challenges for the bionic mechanism,while the problem concerning high carrying capacity has not yet be solved for the existing shoulder complex.A new type biomimetic shoulder complex,which adopts 3-PSS/S（P for prismatic pair,S for spherical pair） spherical parallel mechanism（SPM）,is proposed.The static equilibrium equations of each component are established by using the vector method and the equations for constrain forces with certain load are solved.Then the constrain force on the middle limb and that on the side limbs are compared in order to verify the unloading performance of the mechanism.In addition,the prototype mechanism of the shoulder complex is developed,and the force feedback experiment is conducted to verify the static analysis,which indicates that the middle limb suffers most of the external force and the effect of mechanics unloading is achieved.The 3-PSS/S spherical parallel mechanism is presented for the shoulder complex,and the realization of mechanics unloading is benefit for the improvement of the carrying capacity of the shoulder complex.

Application of Parallel Mechanism in Varistructured Quadruped/Biped Human-carrying Walking Chair Robot

For the existing problems of walking chair robot such as simple function,lower bearing capacity and not walking in complex environment,a novel varistructured quadruped / biped human-carrying walking chair robot is proposed.The proposed robot could be used as biped and quadruped walking chair robots.Considering the conversion of the walking chair robot from the quadruped to the biped or vice versa,6-UPS and 2-UPS＋UP（U,P and S are universal joint,the prismatic pair,and sphere joint,respectively） parallel mechanisms are selected as the leg mechanism of the biped walking robot and quadruped walking robot,respectively.Combining the screw theory and theory of mechanism,the degrees of freedom of the leg mechanism and the body mechanism in diferent motion states are computed so as to meet the requirements of mechanism design.The motion characteristics of the 2-UPS＋UP parallel mechanism which is the key part of the walking chair robot are analyzed.Then,the workspace of the moving platform is drawn and the efect of the structural parameters on the workspace volume is studied.Finally,it is found that the volume of the workspace of the moving platform is bigger when the side length ratio and the vertex angle ratio of the fxed platform and the moving platform which are isosceles triangles are close to 1.This study provides a theoretical foundation for the prototype development.

Development and Evaluation of a Wearable Lower Limb Rehabilitation Robot

This paper introduces a rigid-flexible coupling wearable exoskeleton robot for lower limb,which is designed in light of gait biomechanics and beneficial for low limb movement disorders by implementing gait training.The rationality of the proposed mechanism is shown with the implementation of the dynamic simulation through MSC ADAMS.For the purposes of lightweight,the exoskeleton mechanism is optimized through finite element analysis.It can be concluded from performance evaluation experiment,the mechanism has certain advantages over existing exoskeleton robots,namely,comfortable,lightweight,low cost,which can be utilized for rehabilitation training in medical institutions or as a daily-walking ancillary equipment for patients.

Development of Wheel-less Snake Robot with Two Distinct Gaits and Gait Transition Capability

Snake robots are mostly designed based on single mode locomotion. However, single mode gait most likely could not work effectively when the robot is subject to an unstructured working environment with different measures of terrain complexity. As a solution, mixed mode locomotion is proposed in this paper by synchronizing two types of gaits known as serpentine and wriggler gaits used for non-constricted and narrow space environments, respectively, but for straight line locomotion only. A gait transition algorithm is developed to efficiently change the gait from one to another. This study includes the investigation on kinematics analysis followed by dynamics analysis while considering related structural constraints for both gaits. The approach utilizes the speed of the serpentine gait for open area locomotion and exploits the narrow space access capability of the wriggler gait. Hence, it can increase motion flexibility in view of the fact that the robot is able to change its mode of locomotion according to the working environment.

A Novel Undulatory Propulsion Strategy for Underwater Robots

Stingrays can undulate their wide pectoral fins to thrust themselves and swim freely underwater.Many researchers have used bionics to directly imitate their undulating mechanism and manufacture undulatory underwater robots.Based on the limitations of the existing undulatory underwater robots,this paper proposes a novel undulatory propulsion strategy,which aims to use the stingray undulating mechanism more thoroughly.First,the mathematical models of both traditional and novel structures are established to accurately describe their undulating mechanism.Then,based on the dynamic mesh technology,the flow field vortex structure they generated is analyzed through fluid-structure interaction simulation,and the thrust force and lateral force generated by them are calculated,which verified that this novel propulsion strategy is indeed more effective.Finally,a prototype robot based on the improved propulsion strategy is manufactured.Compared with the existing stingray robots,the prototype has obvious advantages,thus verifying the accuracy of the simulation results.

Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal System and Its Biomimetic Implications： A Review

Biological musculoskeletal system （MSK）, composed of numerous bones, cartilages, skeletal muscles, tendons, ligaments etc., provides form, support, movement and stability for human or animal body. As the result of million years of selection and evolution, the biological MSK evolves to be a nearly perfect mechanical mechanism to support and transport the human or animal body, and would provide enormously rich resources to inspire engineers to innovate new technology and methodology to develop robots and mechanisms as effective and economical as the biological systems. This paper provides a general review of the current status of musculoskeletal biomechanics studies using both experimental and computational methods. This includes the use of the latest three-dimensional motion analysis systems, various medical imaging modalities, and also the advanced rigid-body and continuum mechanics musculoskeletal modelling techniques. Afterwards, several representative biomimetic studies based on ideas and concepts inspired from the structures and biomechanical functions of the biological MSK are dis- cussed. Finally, the major challenges and also the future research directions in musculoskeletal biomechanics and its biomimetic studies are proposed.