Absolute Coordinate System Research Articles

推定絶対運動状態を始点とする短周期軌道生成を用いたヒューマノイドの不整地適応歩行制御

This paper presents a novel robust framework for online walking control that can handle unknown terrain. The actual motion of the robot in the absolute coordinate system is estimated and used as the initial conditions of short cycle online walking pattern generation in the framework so that the walking pattern generation is put into the feedback loop of the balance maintenance of the actual walking. We used attitude sensor system for estimating the absolute motion, and the walking patterns are generated at 20[ms] cycle by using full body dynamic model. Since the initial conditions are decided from the estimated actual posture, the pattern generated in each cycle is discontinuous to the one generated in the previous cycle. Therefore, a local sensor feedback controller is developed that can execute discontinuous segments of the trajectory and control the ground reaction force. Damping control of the foot position by using position-controlled leg joints is adopted to attain the desired ground reaction force. In addition, damping control of the torso inclination is implemented in the local sensor feedback to suppress the divergence of the torso motion from that commanded in the absolute coordinate system. The proposed framework is implemented on the full-size humanoid HRP-2, and validated through the experiments including walking on many types of unknown terrain with up to 10 degrees slope uncertainty and over 20[mm] in height uncertainty.

1A2-K06 月面ロボット用キャスティング作業システムに関する研究 : 回転運動を利用したペネトレータの投擲(宇宙ロボティクス・メカトロニクス)

Supposing a space mission of setting monitoring devices at suitable positions on the moon, we discuss how to apply a casting manipulation to the mission. This paper addresses a mechanism of a casting manipulator system and control method to launch a penetrator to the desired position. First, we classify launching methods, and focus on a method by using rotation of a boom. We then propose the mechanism that keeps a posture of the penetrator equipped at the tip of the boom constant for the absolute coordinate system during its rotation. This mechanism prevents the wire which connects the penetrator and the robot's base from winding the boom. Analyzing a position error of landing point caused by delay of releasing the penetrator, we propose the motion control of the boom to reduce the error. Finally, we develop the system and verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

J192012 キャスティング作業システムによるペネトレータの投擲([J19201]ロボティクスと宇宙(1))

Supposing a space mission of setting monitoring devices at suitable positions on the moon, we discuss how to apply a casting manipulation to the mission. This paper addresses a control method to launch a penetrator to the desired position. First, we focus on a method by using rotation of a boom, and then introduce the mechanism that keeps a posture of the penetrator equipped at the tip of the boom constant for the absolute coordinate system during its rotation. This mechanism prevents the wire which connects the penetrator and the robot's base from winding the boom. Analyzing a position error of landing point caused by delay of releasing the penetrator and control error of the boom, we propose the motion control of the boom to reduce the error. Finally, we verify the effectiveness of the proposed method through experiments.

ASSET: A robust algorithm for the automated segmentation and standardization of early Caenorhabditis elegans embryos

The early Caenorhabditis elegans embryo is an attractive model to investigate evolutionarily conserved cellular mechanisms. However, there is a paucity of automated methods to gather quantitative information with subcellular precision in this system. We developed ASSET (Algorithm for the Segmentation and the Standardization of C. elegans Time-lapse recordings) to fill this need. ASSET automatically detects the eggshell and the cell cortex from DIC time-lapse recordings of live one-cell-stage embryos and can also track subcellular structures using fluorescent time-lapse microscopy. Importantly, ASSET standardizes the data into an absolute coordinate system to allow robust quantitative comparisons between embryos. We illustrate how ASSET can efficiently gather quantitative data on the motion of centrosomes and precisely track cortical invaginations, revealing hitherto unnoticed differences between wild-type and saps-1(RNAi) embryos. In summary, we establish ASSET as a novel tool for the efficient quantification and standardization of images from early C. elegans embryos.

Profilometry without phase unwrapping using multi-frequency and four-step phase-shift sinusoidal fringe projection

A three-dimensional (3D) profilometry method without phase unwrapping is proposed. The key factors of the proposed profilometry are the use of composite projection of multi-frequency and four-step phase-shift sinusoidal fringes and its geometric analysis, which enable the proposed method to extract the depth information of even largely separated discontinuous objects as well as lumped continuous objects. In particular, the geometric analysis of the multi-frequency sinusoidal fringe projection identifies the shape and position of target objects in absolute coordinate system. In the paper, the depth extraction resolution of the proposed method is analyzed and experimental results are presented.

The comparison of joint kinematic error using the absolute and relative coordinate systems for human gait

Minimizing artifacts from skin movement is vital for acquiring more accurate kinematic data in human movement analysis. There are several stages that cause skin movement artifacts and these stages depend on the selection of the reference system, the error reduction method and the coordinate system in clinical gait analysis. Due to residual errors, which are applied to the Euler and Bryant angle methods in each stage, significant cumulative errors are generated in the motion analysis procedure. Thus, there is currently a great deal of research focusing on reducing kinematic errors through error reduction methods and kinematic error estimations in relation to the reference system. However, there have been no studies that have systematically examined the effects of the selected coordinate system on the estimation of kinematic errors, because most of these previous studies have been mainly concerned with the analysis of human movement using only the human models that are provided in the commercial 3D motion capture systems.

Quality Assurance of Ultrasound Imaging Systems for Target Localization and Online Setup Corrections

We describe quality assurance paradigms for ultrasound imaging systems for target localization (UISTL). To determine the absolute localization accuracy of a UISTL, an absolute coordinate system can be established in the treatment room and spherical targets at various depths can be localized. To test the ability of such a system to determine the magnitude of internal organ motion, a phantom that mimics the human male pelvic anatomy can be used to simulate different organ motion ranges. To assess the interuser variability of ultrasound (US) guidance, different experienced users can independently determine the daily organ shifts for the same patients for a number of consecutive fractions. The average accuracy for a UISTL for the localization of spherical targets at various depths has been found to be 0.57 +/- 0.47 mm in each spatial dimension for various focal depths. For the phantom organ motion test it was found that the true organ motion could be determined to within 1.0 mm along each axis. The variability between different experienced users who localized the same 5 patients for five consecutive fractions was small in comparison to the indicated shifts. In addition to the quality assurance tests that address the ability of a UISTL to accurately localize a target, a thorough quality assurance program should also incorporate the following two aspects to ensure consistent and accurate localization in daily clinical use: (1) adequate training and performance monitoring of users of the US target localization system, and (2) prescreening of patients who may not be good candidates for US localization.

An Efficient General Purpose Contact Search Algorithm Using the Relative Coordinate System for Multibody System Dynamics

Dynamic analysis of many mechanical systems is often involved with contacts among bodies. This paper presents an efficient and general-purpose contact search algorithm for multibody dynamics in the context of the compliance contact force model. While many conventional collision detection algorithms are based on the absolute coordinate system, this paper proposes to use the relative coordinate system in detecting a contact. A boundary box of a defense surface geometry is divided into many blocks. A contact reference frame is defined on the defense body of a contact pair. Since all geometric variables necessary to detect a contact are measured relative to the contact reference frame attached to the defense body, the variables belonging to the defense body are constant, which significantly reduces computation time associated with the contact search. Therefore, the contact reference frame plays a key role in developing an efficient contact search algorithm. Contour of the defense body is approximated by many piecewise triangular patches, while contour of the hitting body is represented by hitting nodes along its boundary. Bounding boxes inside which contain each body of a contact pair are defined at a preprocessing stage to eliminate an exhaustive contact inspection when two bodies are in a distance. If two bounding boxes are turned out to be in a contact during the pre-search, each node on the hitting boundary is inspected to find out to which block the node belongs in the post-search. Since each block dividing the boundary of the defense body has a list of patches, each node on the hitting boundary is tested for a contact only with the patches in the block that the node belongs. Actual contact calculation is then carried out to find the contact penetration used in calculating the compliant contact force. Numerical example is performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.

Evolution of the lithosphere of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, Pacific Ocean, as inferred from geophysical data

The analysis of geological and geophysical data on the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain indicates that the commonly assumed origin of its lithosphere is inconsistent with the geothermal model of the oceanic-bottom formation. To reveal the nature of the Hawaiian-Emperor Ridge, the main tectonic units of the North Pacific were thoroughly analyzed and a map of geothermal data, magnetic anomalies, and bottom age in this region has been compiled. The subsidence rate of the lithosphere that was thermally rejuvenated by plume material after the passing of the Pacific plate over the Hawaiian hot spot was calculated with the aid of the bathymetric database for the World Ocean. The calculated parameters show that the lithosphere, which underwent thermal rejuvenation, subsides at a much lower rate than it spreads. The obtained empirical equation describes the abrupt uplifting and further subsidence of the oceanic floor during the passing of the Pacific Plate over the Hawaiian plume. The heat flow calculated in line with the thermophysical model of the thermally rejuvenated lithosphere is close to the heat flow measured at the surface of the Hawaiian-Emperor Seamounts. Thus, the proposed model is realistic. Paleogeodynamic reconstructions of the thermal regime during the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain were made in absolute coordinate system for the period 90–20 Ma on the basis of geological and geophysical data and the calculated distribution of bottom ages in the North Pacific.

High-resolution, real-time 3D absolute coordinate measurement based on a phase-shifting method

We describe a high-resolution, real-time 3D absolute coordinate measurement system based on a phase-shifting method. It acquires 3D shape at 30 frames per second (fps), with 266K points per frame. A tiny marker is encoded in the projected fringe pattern, and detected by software from the texture image and the gamma map. Absolute 3D coordinates are obtained from the detected marker position and the calibrated system parameters. To demonstrate the performance of the system, we measure a hand moving over a depth distance of approximately 700 mm, and human faces with expressions. Applications of such a system include manufacturing, inspection, entertainment, security, medical imaging.

Statistics of Absolute and Relative Dispersion in the Atmospheric Convective Boundary Layer: A Large-Eddy Simulation Study

Abstract The influence of the different scales of turbulent motion on plume dispersion in the atmospheric convective boundary layer (CBL) is studied by means of a large-eddy simulation (LES). In particular, the large-scale (meandering) and small-scale (relative diffusion) contributions are separated by analyzing dispersion in two reference systems: the absolute (fixed) coordinate system and the coordinate system relative to the plume’s instantaneous center of mass. In the relative coordinate system, the (vertically) inhomogeneous meandering motion is removed, and only the small-scale, homogeneous turbulent motion contributes to the dispersion process. First, mean plume position, dispersion parameters (variance), and skewness of the plume position are discussed. The analysis of the third-order moments shows how the structure and the symmetry of scalar distribution are affected with respect to the turbulent characteristics of the CBL (inhomogeneity of the large-scale vertical motion) and the presence of the boundary conditions (surface and top of the CBL). In fact, the reflection of the plume by the CBL boundaries generates the presence of nonlinear cross-correlation terms in the balance equation for the third-order moments of the plume position. As a result, the third-order moment of the absolute position is not balanced by the sum of the third-order moments of the meandering and relative plume position. Second, mean concentration and concentration fluctuations are calculated and discussed in both coordinate systems. The intensity of relative concentration fluctuation icr, which quantifies the internal (in plume) mixing, is explicitly calculated. Based on these results, a parameterization for the probability distribution function (PDF) of the relative concentration is proposed, showing very good agreement with the LES results. Finally, the validity of Gifford’s formula, which relates the absolute concentration’s high-order moments to the relative concentration and the PDF of the plume centerline, is studied. It is found that due to the presence of the CBL boundaries, Gifford’s formula is not able to reproduce correctly the value of the absolute mean concentration near the ground. This result is analyzed by showing that, when the plume is reflected by the CBL boundaries, the instantaneous relative plume width z′2r(t) departs from its mean value σ2r. By introducing the skewness of the relative plume position into a parameterization for the relative mean concentration, the results for the calculated mean concentration are improved.

A Relative Method for Finite Element Nonlinear Structural Analysis

Nodal displacements are referred to the initial configuration in the total Lagrangian formulation and to the last converged configuration in the updated Lagrangian formulation. This research proposes a relative nodal displacement method to represent the position and orientation for a node in truss structures. Since the proposed method measures the relative nodal displacements relative to its adjacent nodal reference frame, they are still small for a truss structure undergoing large deformations for the small size elements. As a consequence, element formulations developed under the small deformation assumption are still valid for structures undergoing large deformations, which significantly simplifies the equations of equilibrium. A structural system is represented by a graph to systematically develop the governing equations of equilibrium for general systems. A node and an element are represented by a node and an edge in graph representation, respectively. Closed loops are opened to form a spanning tree by cutting edges. Two computational sequences are defined in the graph representation. One is the forward path sequence that is used to recover the Cartesian nodal displacements from relative nodal displacements and traverses a graph from the base node towards the terminal nodes. The other is the backward path sequence that is used to recover the nodal forces in the relative coordinate system from the known nodal forces in the absolute coordinate system and traverses from the terminal nodes towards the base node. One closed loop structure undergoing large deformations is analyzed to demonstrate the efficiency and validity of the proposed method.

Combining hydrodynamics and molecular kinetics to predict dewetting between a small bubble and a solid surface

This paper examined the dewetting between a small air bubble and a solid surface in deionised water. Hydrodynamics was used in conjunction with surface molecular kinetics to model and predict the velocity of the moving contact line as a function of the dynamic macroscopic contact angle. The dewetting hydrodynamics was modelled following the approach developed specifically for drops and bubbles using the (absolute) coordinate system with the origin located at the centre of the contact area, which does not move with the moving contact line. The model provides accurate corrections unavailable in the generic hydrodynamic theories developed by Voinov and Cox, and removes the need for a macroscopic length scale employed in their generic theories. Molecular kinetics was used to determine the contact angle of the inner region close to the contact line, where the hydrodynamic approach breaks down due to the singularity. Unlike the generic hydrodynamic theories, the inner (microscopic) angle in our combined model is not a constant (a fitting parameter) but is a function of the moving contact line velocity and other molecular properties of the interfaces. The combined model agreed with the experimental data and produced physically consistent values for the slip length, molecular jumping distance and frequency. The dissolved gases accumulated at the non-wetting solid–liquid interface may influence the slip length.

Mobility properties of a Schoenflies-type parallel manipulator

This paper addresses the mobility properties of a novel Schoenflies-type parallel manipulator. By analyzing the degree of freedom (DoF) of the manipulator, we select a set of independent variables to describe the pose relationship of the manipulator and the fixed base, which is the least in number compared with others. Through coordinate transformation, we can obtain the geometric relationship in the absolute coordinate system via a set of parametric equations. As a result, the least order's Jacobian matrix will be gained and the singularity of the manipulator can be expressed as the determinate of the Jacobian matrix is zero. The distinctive merit of this methodology is that the order of Jacobian matrix is the least compared with others.

MO-E-J-6B-01: On the Use of Optically Guided 3D-Ultrasound for Daily in Room Target Localization

Purpose: To describe the commissioning, quality assurance and clinical use of optically guided 3D-ultrasound guided patient positioning systems. Method and Materials: To determine the absolute localization accuracy of an optically guided 3D-ultrasound guided patient positioning system an absolute coordinate system using optical-guidance was established and spherical targets at various depths were localized. In order to test the ability of this system to determine the magnitude of an internal organ shift with respect to the treatment isocenter, a phantom that closely mimics the typical human male pelvic anatomy was used. With the phantom on the treatment couch, optical guidance was used to determine the positions of each organ to within imaging uncertainty, and to align the phantom so the plan and treatment machine coordinates coincided. To simulate a clinical misalignment of the treatment target, the phantom was shifted by different precise offsets, and an experimenter blind to the offsets used ultrasound guidance to determine the magnitude of the shifts. In order to assess the inter-user variability of 3D-ultrasound image guidance, four experienced operators determined independently determined the daily organ shifts for the same 5 patients for 5 consecutive fractions. Moreover, in order to assess the extent of prostate motion during the time required to deliver a treatment, ultrasound localization was repeated at the end of treatment for 6 patients for a total of 29 fractions. For all patients treated at our institution for prostate cancer the prostate is immobilized using a rectal balloon. Results: The accuracy of the system for localization of spherical targets imbedded in a phantom at depths ranging from 3 to 13 cm was determined to be (average ± standard deviation) AP = 0.2 ± 0.7 mm, Lat = 0.9 ± 0.6 mm, Ax = 0.6 ± 1.0 mm. For the phantom organ motion test the magnitude of the shifts could be determined on average to within 1.0 mm along each axis. The interuser variability was found to be small in comparison to the shifts indicated, showing that these shifts would have been worthwhile making in order to reduce the risk of geographical miss of the target. For the intrafraction prostate motion experiment the post-treatment ultrasound showed a mean prostate shift of 1.9 ± 1.0mm. The shift was within the imaging uncertainty of the system for 25 of the 29 fractions. Conclusion: If users are adequately trained in the use of optically guided 3-D ultrasound target localization it can be a valuable tool for aligning patients and allow for the use of reduced margins and more aggressive fractionation schedules. Educational Objectives: 1. Commissioning and quality assurance of optically guided 3D ultrasound patient positioning systems. 2. The clinical use of optically guided 3D ultrasound patient positioning systems.

상대 절점 변위를 이용한 비선형 유한 요소 해석법

Nodal displacements are referred to the initial configuration in the total Lagrangian formulation and to the last converged configuration in the updated Lagrangian formulation. This research proposes a relative nodal displacement method to represent the position and orientation for a node in truss structures. Since the proposed method measures the relative nodal displacements relative to its adjacent nodal reference frame, they are still small for a truss structure undergoing large deformations for the small size elements. As a consequence, element formulations developed under the small deformation assumption are still valid for structures undergoing large deformations, which significantly simplifies the equations of equilibrium. A structural system is represented by a graph to systematically develop the governing equations of equilibrium for general systems. A node and an element are represented by a node and an edge in graph representation, respectively. Closed loops are opened to form a spanning tree by cutting edges. Two computational sequences are defined in the graph representation. One is the forward path sequence that is used to recover the Cartesian nodal displacements from relative nodal displacement sand traverses a graph from the base node towards the terminal nodes. The other is the backward path sequence that is used to recover the nodal forces in the relative coordinate system from the known nodal forces in the absolute coordinate system and traverses from the terminal nodes towards the base node. One open loop and one closed loop structure undergoing large deformations are analyzed to demonstrate the efficiency and validity of the proposed method.

Correction of XRII geometric distortion using a liquid‐filled grid and image subtraction

X-ray image intensifier (XRII) geometric distortion reduces the accuracy of image-guided procedures and quantitative image reconstructions. Due to the dependence of this error on the earth's magnetic field, the required correction is angle dependent, and calibration data should ideally be acquired simultaneously with clinical image data, at a specific orientation. We describe a technique to correct XRII geometric image distortion at any angular position during a stereotactic procedure. This approach uses a machined plastic grid, which contains channels that can be filled with iodinated contrast agent and subsequently flushed with water, providing contrast and mask images, respectively, of a geometric calibration grid. The standard image subtraction capabilities of conventional digital subtraction angiography devices can then be used to create a subtraction image of the iodine-filled channels, without any confounding anatomical structure. Grid-line intersection points are used to determine the control points that are required for a global polynomial correction algorithm, creating a correction map that is specific to the current angular position and XRII field of view (FOV). Tests with a clinical C-arm based XRII show that control points can be obtained with a precision of +/-0.053 mm, resulting in geometric correction accuracy of +/-0.152 mm, at a nominal FOV of 40 cm. While the precision and accuracy are both poorer than that achieved with a high-contrast steel-bead grid, the fact that the liquid grid can remain rigidly attached to the XRII during an entire procedure results in the establishment of an absolute detector coordinate system (referenced to the liquid-filled correction grid). The design of the liquid-filled channels allows the required control points to be introduced into the image or removed in about 30 s, avoiding the appearance of obscuring or confounding markers during clinical image acquisition, with a concurrent increase in patient dose of about 8% in the current design. Applications for this technique include stereotactic surgery, radiosurgery, x-ray stereogrammetry, and other image-guided procedures.

Alignment of CT images of skull dysmorphology using anatomy-based perpendicular axes

Rigid body registration of 3D CT scans, based on manual identification of homologous landmarks, is useful for the visual analysis of skull dysmorphology. In this paper, a robust and simple alignment method was proposed to allow for the comparison of skull morphologies, within and between individuals with craniofacial anomalies, based on 3D CT scans, and the minimum number of anatomical landmarks, under rigidity and uniqueness constraints. Three perpendicular axes, extracted from anatomical landmarks, define the absolute coordinate system, through a rigid body transformation, to align multiple CT images for different patients and acquisition times. The accuracy of the alignment method depends on the accuracy of the localized landmarks and target points. The numerical simulation generalizes the accuracy requirements of the alignment method. Experiments using a human dried skull specimen, and ten sets of skull CT images (the pre- and post-operative CT scans of four plagiocephaly, and one fibrous dysplasia patients), demonstrated the feasibility of the technique in clinical practice.

A method for the reduction of skin marker artifacts during walking : Application to the knee

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of joint angle errors mainly due to skin artifact and measurement errors during gait analysis. Joint angle errors lead to unreliable kinematics and kinetic analyses in the investigation of human motion. The purpose of this paper is to present the Joint Averaging Coordinate System (JACS) method for human gait analysis. The JACS method is based on the concept of statistical data reduction of anatomically referenced marker data. Since markers are not attached to rigid bodies, different marker combinations lead to slightly different predictions of joint angles. These different combinations can be averaged in order to provide a “best” estimate of joint angle. Results of a gait analysis are presented using clinically meaningful terminology to provide better communication with clinical personal. In order to verify the developed JACS method, a simple three-dimensional knee joint contact model was developed, employing an absolute coordinate system without using any kinematics constraint in which thigh and shank segments can be derived independently. In the experimental data recovery, the separation and penetration distance of the knee joint is supposed to be zero during one gait cycle if there are no errors in the experimental data. Using the JACS method, the separation and penetration error was reduced compared to well-developed existing methods such as ACRS and Spoor & Veldpaus method. The separation and penetration distance ranged up to 15 mm and 12 mm using the Spoor & Veldpaus and ACRS method, respectively, compared to 9 mm using JACS method. Statistical methods like the JACS can be applied in conjunction with existing techniques that reduce systematic errors in marker location, leading to an improved assessment of human gait.

T-4-4-3 An Efficient Contact Search Algorithm using the Relative Coordinate System for Multibody System Dynamics

Dynamic analysis of many mechanical systems is often involved with contacts among bodies. This paper presents an efficient and general contact search algorithm for multibody dynamics in the context of the compliance contact model. Many conventional collision detection algorithms are based on the absolute coordinate system. This paper proposes to use the relative coordinate system in detecting a contact. A boundary box of a defense surface geometry is divided into many blocks. A contact reference frame is defined on the defense body of a contact pair. Since all geometric variables necessary to detect a contact are measured relative to the contact reference frame attached to the defense body, the variables belonging to the defense body are constant, which significantly reduces computation time associated with the contact search. Therefore, the contact reference frame plays a key role in developing an efficient contact search algorithm. Contour of the defense body is approximated by many piecewise triangular patches, while contour of the hitting body is represented by hitting nodes along its boundary. Bounding boxes inside which contain each body of a contact pair are defined at a preprocessing stage to eliminate an exhaustive contact inspection when two bodies are in a distance. If two bounding boxes are turned out to be in a contact during the pre-search, each node on the hitting boundary is inspected to find out to which block the node belongs in the post-search. Since each block dividing the boundary of the defense body has a list of patches, each node on the hitting boundary is tested for a contact only with the patches in the block that the node belongs. Actual contact calculation is then carried out to find the contact penetration used in calculating the compliant contact force. Since the searching algorithm is coupled with the stepping algorithm of the numerical integration, a strategy for deciding an integration stepsize is proposed. Dynamic analysis of a paper fed into a copying machine is performed to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method.