Art In Robotics Research Articles

Robotics rehabilitation of the elbow based on surface electromyography signals

Physical rehabilitation based on robotic systems has the potential to cover the patient’s need of improvement of upper extremity functionalities. In this article, the state of the art of resistant and assistive upper limb exoskeleton robots and their control are thoroughly investigated. Afterward, a single-degree-of-freedom exoskeleton matching the elbow–forearm has been advanced to grant a valid rehabilitation therapy for persons with physical disability of upper limb motion. The authors have focused on the control system based on the use of electromyography signals as an input to drive the joint movement and manage the robotics arm. The correlation analysis between surface electromyography signal and the force exerted by the subject was studied in objects’ grasping tests with the purpose of validating the methodology. The authors developed an innovative surface electromyography force–based active control that adjusts the force exerted by the device during rehabilitation. The control was validated by an experimental campaign on healthy subjects simulating disease on an arm, with positive results that confirm the proposed solution and that open the way to future researches.

Whimsical Bodies and Performative Machines: Aesthetics and Affects of Robotic Art

Abstract This article explores the ways in which robots’ behaviours are designed and curated to elicit reactions from their human counterparts. Through the work of artists such as Nam June Paik, Steve Daniels, Edward Ihnatowicz and Norman White, a survey of robotic art illustrates a particular aesthetic and behavioural language that is non-threatening, animalistic, cute, quaint and whimsical. Considering the artists’ programming of behaviours and construction of aesthetics, the use of animal behavioural modelling, and developments in social robotics, this article unpacks how meaning is inscribed onto robots and in return how affect is transmitted to human viewers. By exploring the whimsical bodies, performative machines and networked nonhumans brought forth in robotic artworks, this article draws out how aesthetic and behavioural languages of robotic art play into peoples’ emotional and affective encounters with them.

Neurosurgery and brain shift: review of the state of the art and main contributions of robotics

This paper presents a review about neurosurgery, robotic assistants in this type of procedure, and the approach to the problem of brain tissue displacement, including techniques for obtaining medical images. It is especially focused on the phenomenon of brain displacement, commonly known as brain shift, which causes a loss of reference between the preoperative images and the volumes to be treated during image-guided surgery. Hypothetically, with brain shift prediction and correction for the neuronavigation system, minimal invasion trajectories could be planned and shortened. This would reduce damage to functional tissues and possibly lower the morbidity and mortality in delicate and demanding medical procedures such as the removal of a brain tumor. This paper also mentions other issues associated with neurosurgery and shows the way robotized systems have helped solve these problems. Finally, it highlights the future perspectives of neurosurgery, a branch of medicine that seeks to treat the ailments of the main organ of the human body from the perspective of many disciplines.

Distributed Real-time Control Architecture for ROS-based Modular Robots

Nowadays ROS (Robot Operating System) based platforms have been widely used in state of art robot researches because of providing reliable mechanisms for fast robot development and algorithm reuse. Among them, modular robots are presented as a Distributed Control System (DCS), in which the data supply and the flow rates must be ensured to guarantee a proper execution. Although ROS network architecture provides a solution for distributed communication, it entails some disadvantages. Real-time constraints assurance and large networks management are some of the main problems. Therefore, this works introduces a ROS-compatible solution for Smart Resource services decoupling on modular robots. Smart Resources are defined as cyber-physical systems that provide high-level operation services. The design and analysis of a new distributed communication architecture for accessing Smart Resource services is addressed along this document. This architecture is called ROS Multi-Peer Architecture (RMPA) and features real-time communication, fully decoupled ROS device execution, and device discovery. So, the integration of RMPA in ROS based developments provides realtime access to the high-level supplied by the Smart Resources. This integration promotes the development of ROS-compatible robot modules based on the Smart Resource design. Next, a set of tests is presented to compare RMPA and ROS communication performance. Moreover, a detailed study of the RMPA performance is also addressed. Finally, as a result of these experiments main advantages and withdrawals of this solution are discussed leading to the establishment of future work and enhancements.

Robot-assisted gait training for stroke patients: current state of the art and perspectives of robotics.

In this review, we give a brief outline of robot-mediated gait training for stroke patients, as an important emerging field in rehabilitation. Technological innovations are allowing rehabilitation to move toward more integrated processes, with improved efficiency and less long-term impairments. In particular, robot-mediated neurorehabilitation is a rapidly advancing field, which uses robotic systems to define new methods for treating neurological injuries, especially stroke. The use of robots in gait training can enhance rehabilitation, but it needs to be used according to well-defined neuroscientific principles. The field of robot-mediated neurorehabilitation brings challenges to both bioengineering and clinical practice. This article reviews the state of the art (including commercially available systems) and perspectives of robotics in poststroke rehabilitation for walking recovery. A critical revision, including the problems at stake regarding robotic clinical use, is also presented.

Guest Editorial Introduction to the Focused Section on Design and Control of Hydraulic Robots

The papers in this special section focus on the design and control of hydraulic robots. Since the 1980s hydraulic robots have been a key technology allowing to push the state of the art in robotics by demonstrating new levels of performance in terms of rough terrain locomotion, balance, speed, dexterity, and robustness. Inspired by these results, an increasing number of academic groups are (re-)discovering hydraulic actuation for applications where high power density, robustness, and high control bandwidth are crucial requirements. The ultimate goal for legged robots is agility comparable to bi-/quadrupedal animals (walking, running, jumping), which requires high-performance control of the hydraulic actuators and sufficient power-to-weight ratio provided by the actuators. In addition to these advanced high-tech hydraulic robots, hydraulic actuation has been used for decades in a variety of mobile (off-highway) heavy-duty machines (e.g., construction, forestry, mining, and agricultural machines) due to their higher robustness and significantly larger power-to-weight ratio compared with electric actuators. It is highly expected that the development in robotics will revolutionize this heavy-duty machine industry just as is currently happening in the car industry.

Capricious creatures: Animal behaviour as a model for robotic art

Abstract The lure of animal instinct appears to be an important consideration for the development of intelligent (or simulated intelligent) robotic creatures. Studying the behaviours and playful engagements of animals (like humans) provides robotic artists with a plethora of engagements from which to draw and mimic in their development of whimsical-behaving robot bodies. Animals, as the human other, present us with a counterpoint from which we can study robots as lively entities.

ロボット技術のセンシングデバイスへの展開

ロボット技術のセンシングデバイスへの展開

Multimedia at CHI: Telepresence at Work for Remote Conference Participation

Susanne Boll recounts her experience as a telepresence robot attending this year’s ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI), illustrating the fusion of the state of the art in robotics, long-distance interaction, and shared remote-audio-visual experiences. As a researcher in human computer interaction, yet with an international team facing restricted travel owing to the newly imposed US travel ban, she opted for remote participation at CHI 2017. Furthermore, as a member of the multimedia community, she wanted to explore first-hand how multimedia is at work in the field of telepresence.

Robots as New Tools in Therapy and Education for Children with Autism

Robots are increasingly considered as a promising tool in therapeutic and educational interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). International literature indicates that robots can potentially be applied to a wide range of objectives. The aim of this article is to present an overview of robots that are currently used in therapy and educational for children with ASD and to indicate what objectives they address. Focus group sessions (N=9) with ASD professionals (N=53) from nine organisations were conducted which identified potential objectives for children with ASD. A systematic literature study delivered an overview of the state of the art of robots under study. Professionals reported to work on 74 ASD objectives in 9 different domains (based on the International Classification of Functioning - Child and Youth, ICF-CY). The robots (N=14) found in the literature addressed 24 of these objectives in 8 of the 9 domains, indicating the potential contribution of these robots to therapy and education of children with ASD. Domains that are targeted most often by robots currently are ‘social or interpersonal interactions and relations’, ‘play’ and ‘communication’. Results indicate that robot mediated interventions are considered to be a possible valuable tool in the education or therapy for children with autism. In order to unlock the potential of robots, it is advised that technical developers use knowledge from ASD practice so that meaningful applications can be developed.

Welcome to the Inaugural Issue of the IRATJ

Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Following the advances of the state of the art in robotics and the increasing demand for research on the design and development of innovative solutions, it is evident that no single journal can cover such a vast scope. Thus the demand for new journals is mandated by the continued progress in this field. The International Robotics and Automation Journal (IRATJ) aspire to furnish the researchers in both academia and industry with the latest advances in the field of robotics and emphasize their practical significance and scientific value. The Journal is intended to provide a wider platform for timely dissemination of knowledge pertinent to the recent research developments in this rapidly growing field. Promoting and facilitating more exchanges and collaborations among worldwide researchers stand as one of the main objectives of this Journal; thus contributing to the future advancements in robotics research. The Journal publishes peer-reviewed, original research articles that may include manipulation, automation, sensing, actuation, kinematics and dynamics, micro robotics and other related features. In addition, the Journal provides a venue for scholarly work on integration of experimental and analytical research. We warmly invite you to join its future by submitting manuscripts or reviewing for the journal. As we endeavor to be a high caliber scholarly journal, we are adhering to originality and quality. IRATJ adopts a blind peer-review system with rigorous evaluation criteria closely monitored and managed by an editorial board whose members represent an array of diverse research activities and scholarly achievements.

A State of the Art of Power Transmission Line Maintenance Robots

This paper dealt with a state-of-the-art maintenance robots for power transmission lines (PTL). The paper summarized the PTL maintenance robots that have been developed by eight major research institutions. The main features of the robot navigation were derived and classified through analysis of researches conducted by those institutions. The derived six main features were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively through readiness level assessment. For this, system readiness level (SRL) was used to evaluate the readiness level of overall system. The SRL was obtained using technology readiness level (TRL) and integration readiness level (IRL). In addition, the readiness level for each feature was reviewed through statistical analysis using box and whisker plot. In conclusion, we confirmed the status and direction of research and development on PTL maintenance robots by analyzing conventional robots with respect to six main features.

Survey on research and development of reconfigurable modular robots

This article presents a comprehensive survey of reconfigurable modular robots, which covers the origin, history, the state of the art, key technologies, challenges, and applications of reconfigurable modular robots. An elaborative classification of typical reconfigurable modular robots is proposed based on the characteristics of the modules and the reconfiguration mechanism. As the system characteristics of reconfigurable modular robots are mainly dependent on the functions of modules, the mechanical and electrical design features of modules of typical reconfigurable modular robots are discussed in detail. Furthermore, an in-depth comparison analysis is conducted, which encompasses discussions of module shape, module degrees of freedom, module attribute, connection mechanisms, interface autonomy, locomotion modes, and workspace. Meanwhile, many reconfigurable modular robot researches focus on the study of self-X capabilities (i.e. self-reconfiguration, self-assembly, self-adaption, etc.), which embodies autonomy performance of reconfigurable modular robots in certain extent. An evolutionary cobweb evaluation model is proposed in this article to evaluate the autonomy level of reconfigurable modular robots. Although various reconfigurable modular robots have been developed and some of them have been put into practical applications such as search and rescue missions, there still exist many open theoretical, technical, and practical challenges in this field. This work is hopefully to offer a reference for the further developments of reconfigurable modular robots.

First national survey on use of robotics for visceral surgery in Germany

The operation robot is the most advanced technology available in minimally invasive surgery for facilitating complex surgical procedures and is increasingly used in visceral surgery; however, to date no data are available concerning its use in visceral surgery in Germany. The aim of the survey was to document the development and current state of the art of robotics for visceral surgery in Germany. All 41 surgical departments with access to the da Vinci robot were invited to participate in the survey. Data were acquired with a specially designed Excel spreadsheet, documenting all procedures and also the dignity in gastrointestinal operations for each year since inception of the robot program up to 2015. Of the 41 surgical departments with an active robotic program only 23 participated in the analysis. The overall volume rose steadily from 4 procedures in 2010 to 50 in 2012, 106 in 2013, 441 in 2014 and reached 819 in 2015. In this period 2 centers had >200 operations, 1 center had 150, 3 centers had ≥100, 3 departments had ≥50 and 14 departments had <50 operations. The type of robotic procedures used encompassed the full scope of laparoscopic surgery. Colorectal surgery was predominant with 50 % of all procedures and was performed in 87 % of the departments. Thymus resections amounted to 10 % of all surgical procedures and gastric surgery to 9 %. Approximately 5 % of all cases involved the esophagus, gall bladder and pancreas. Hepatic surgery amounted to only 2.4 % and all other operations even less and were performed in only a few departments. Despite a doubling of procedures in recent years, robotics is still in the initial phase for visceral surgery in Germany.

Design in robotics based in the voice of the customer of household robots

The aim of this study is the analysis of the state of the art in consumer robotics dedicated to personal care and housekeeping, for further critical analysis of it. After interviewing different users we will follow a methodology to find the voice of the customer. From these interviews we get the customer’s needs which will be structured and ordered in a hierarchy that will help us to set the priorities, concluding with the design requirements and the basic features that the robot must have.

Review on Land-Based Wheeled Robots

This paper presents an overview of the state of art of mobile robots presenting aspects of their current level of sophistication, fields mobile robots are being presently used, the future application and scope of mobile robots. Classifying the primary research topics of multi-robot systems into seven major categories (Biological inspirations, architecture, localization/mapping/exploration, object transport and manipulation, motion co-ordination, reconfigurable and learning robot systems, vision), we discuss the current state of research in these areas. An attempt to cover the points for which a general agreement has emerged within the scientific domain, are then presented, followed by a discussion of alternative approaches and currently unsolved problems. This paper also reviews the most relevant literature and previous research activity regarding mobile robotics. We conclude by identifying more topics of scientific consensus, open research issues and a discussion of some application areas where mobile robots could be used with existing technology.

A ROBÓTICA NA ARTE: PERSPECTIVAS, CONTEXTOS E POÉTICAS

The Cyberarts represent the expression of current artistic creation and perhaps the best way to express the feelings and man's knowledge of the XXI century. In a art and technology context, specifically with robotics used as a tool, the overlaps between art and technology become fluid, especially when we question what are the limits of art in this new concept of creation. Therefore, robotic art in a contemporary times, is understood as a support and part of a set of practical usefulness and artistic skills in interactive installations, in performances, multimedia art etc. Thus, this article aims to understand and situate some notions that concern the concept and the context which robotic art is inserted, as well as the poetic perspectives that artists bring to use it.

State of the art in robots used in minimally invasive surgeries. Natural Orifice Transluminal Surgery (NOTES) as a particular case

Purpose– This paper aims to provide an insight into recent advancements and developments of robotics for Natural Orifice Transluminal Surgery (NOTES) procedures.Design/methodology/approach– Following an introduction that highlights the evolution from Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) to NOTES in the medical field, this paper reviews the main robotics systems that have been designed and implemented for MIS and NOTES, summarising their advantages and limitations and remarking the technological challenges and the requirements that still should be addressed and fulfilled.Findings– The state-of-the-art presented in this paper shows that the majority of the platforms created for NOTES are laboratory prototypes, and their performances are still far from being optimal. New solutions are required to solve the problems confronted by the proposed systems such as the limited number of DOFs, the limited resolution, the optimal fixation and stiffening of the instruments for enabling stable and precise operation, the effective transmission of forces to the tip tools, the improvement of the force feedback feeling and the proper visualization and spatial orientation of the surgical field. Advances in robotics can contribute significantly to the development and future implementation of the NOTES procedure.Originality/value– This paper highlights the current trends and challenges ahead in robotics applied to NOTES procedure.

Surgical robotics beyond enhanced dexterity instrumentation: a survey of machine learning techniques and their role in intelligent and autonomous surgical actions.

Advances in technology and computing play an increasingly important role in the evolution of modern surgical techniques and paradigms. This article reviews the current role of machine learning (ML) techniques in the context of surgery with a focus on surgical robotics (SR). Also, we provide a perspective on the future possibilities for enhancing the effectiveness of procedures by integrating ML in the operating room. The review is focused on ML techniques directly applied to surgery, surgical robotics, surgical training and assessment. The widespread use of ML methods in diagnosis and medical image computing is beyond the scope of the review. Searches were performed on PubMed and IEEE Explore using combinations of keywords: ML, surgery, robotics, surgical and medical robotics, skill learning, skill analysis and learning to perceive. Studies making use of ML methods in the context of surgery are increasingly being reported. In particular, there is an increasing interest in using ML for developing tools to understand and model surgical skill and competence or to extract surgical workflow. Many researchers begin to integrate this understanding into the control of recent surgical robots and devices. ML is an expanding field. It is popular as it allows efficient processing of vast amounts of data for interpreting and real-time decision making. Already widely used in imaging and diagnosis, it is believed that ML will also play an important role in surgery and interventional treatments. In particular, ML could become a game changer into the conception of cognitive surgical robots. Such robots endowed with cognitive skills would assist the surgical team also on a cognitive level, such as possibly lowering the mental load of the team. For example, ML could help extracting surgical skill, learned through demonstration by human experts, and could transfer this to robotic skills. Such intelligent surgical assistance would significantly surpass the state of the art in surgical robotics. Current devices possess no intelligence whatsoever and are merely advanced and expensive instruments.

Racial Recalibration

Widely recognized as the first video artist, Nam June Paik’s artistic career from the 1960s onwards is often understood through his pioneering appropriation of technological developments such as the television and video. Paik foresaw not only the aesthetic potential of video, but also other emerging technologies, such as robotics. While his work in robotic art is less commonly analyzed, it sheds significant light on his position not only as a foremost artist of new media but also on discussions concerning his ethnic identity. This essay demonstrates how, in the 1964 creation of robot K-456 and tv Bra for Living Sculpture, the artist deployed the strategy of racial recalibration—a racial formation that occurs through aesthetic tinkering, hacking, and recreating with emergent technologies that re-wires racial knowledge of the Asian American as robot.