Innovative Robot Research Articles

Special Issue on Motion Control and its Applications in Robot Technology (RT)

Robot Technology (RT) now surpasses information technology (IT) in strategic importance. With robot applications leading to expansion beyond manufacturing into the bioindustrial, medical/welfare, and lifesciences fields, conversion from an industrial to a solutions business is critical. This requires that we define new robot concepts that push the envelope beyond conventional consideration into intellectualization that functions throughout the real world through robotic technologies. This further emphasizes the importance of motion control as a major robotic innovation. Advances in high-function hardware, flexible information processing, and real-time image processing are expected to launch new trends in addition to the above. This special issue presents papers and technical reports featuring a wide academic and industrial repertoire. Topics cover aspects of motion viewed through RT. We thank Prof. Kazuhiro Kosuge of Tohoku University, the contributors, and the reviewers who made this special issue possible. Thanks also go the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Robotics and Mechatronics, Prof. Makoto Kaneko of Hiroshima University, who provided the opportunity for editing this special issue.

Improving market helps innovation

Recent National Manufacturing Week Show in Chicago highlighted many new innovations. Assembly system designers can choose from new low inertia drives, more compact linear and rotary motors, innovative robots and pneumatic actuators along with new modular structural components which were featured at the show and in other recent introductions.

What's new in cardiac surgery.

w n the spring of 2003, cardiac surgery celebrated the 50 nniversary of the first successful use of a heart-lung achine by John H Gibbon Jr to perform safe operaions inside the opened heart. Since that first successful losure of an atrial septal defect, exponential progress has ontinued to the present day. Continuing improvements n cardiopulmonary bypass itself, the operative proceures that it enabled, and many other technologies were ot even imaginable at that time. The major developments in cardiac surgery are conentrated in those areas that most cardiac surgeons deal ith every day: treatment of coronary artery disease CAD), congenital heart disease, valvular disease, translantation, and mechanical assist. In addition, there are articularly new and important developments in the rea of surgical treatment of arrhythmias, thoracic aortic isease, and the application of robotic innovations for inimally invasive approaches. Finally, a number of imortant changes in thoracic surgical education have ocurred this past year. All of these topics will be the subect of this article, which should be considered a snapshot in time” of the journey initiated 50 years ago y Dr Gibbon.

BMW chooses innovative robotic machining system for axle carriers

BMW axle design has evolved considerably in recent years to reduce weight and increase performance. The latest developments have created the need for a relatively precise finish machining operation on axle carriers. To perform this machining, BMW uses innovative Tricept robots due to the high level of flexibility they offer. The automaker has installed two highly automated machining systems based on Tricept robots at its Dingolfing plant. Their capacity, operating three shifts a day, 5 days a week, is more than 1,400 parts per day.

The first “Industrial Robot Innovation Award” presented at CLAWAR 2003

The first “Industrial Robot Innovation Award” presented at CLAWAR 2003

Dynamic and experimental analysis for inchwormlike biomimetic robots Ver-Vite

The intent of this work was to design an innovative robot to imitate inchworm locomotion. The prototype built demonstrates successful implementation of using only friction and variable masses to generate the motion. The theoretical model was simulated using working model and validated experimentally. The computer simulation shows the dynamic and kinetic effects on inchworm mobility, providing a complete understanding of the design concept. The experimental results compare well with the theoretical model, although the exact coefficient of friction during the experiment was not measured. Theoretical and experimental results both indicate a slight backward motion of the robot during the contractile phase of the cycle of motion. Although the results are similar, the theoretical model fails to include such phenomena as the friction in the revolute joints and the vibration produced by the pump and servos. The theoretical model will be used in future work to optimize the design of the robot for dynamic performance.

Robot innovation continues as sales suffer

Pre‐packaged robot applications now include robot‐served computerized measurement systems. Accessory suppliers innovate with compact electric powered grippers and vacuum suction cup‐style grippers with self‐contained vacuum supply. Linear slides and actuators beef up features and options to meet the new demands from pick and place requirements.

Model Driven Therapy

Taking into account a priori knowledge is a key issue to meet the medical, scientific and industrial challenges of the progresses of Minimally Invasive Surgery. We propose an overview of these challenges. Models play a major role in representing the relevant knowledge to plan and realize complex medical and surgical interventions. We analyze the three basic steps of Perception, Decision and Action, and illustrate by some instances how models may be integrated in these steps. We propose a selection of the results obtained in Model Driven Therapy. These results illustrate the issues of Perception (models allow accurate reconstruction of 3D objects from a limited set of X-ray projections), Decision (models allow to take into account elastic and dynamic characteristics of muscles), and Action (models allow to design innovative navigational and robotics aids to the realization of complex interventions). Likewise, models play a major role in the process of surgeon's education, which leads to the concept of Virtual Orthopedic University. Model Driven Therapy emerges as the way to perform optimal medical and surgical interventions, providing physicians and surgeons with the possibility to augment their capacities of sensing multi-modal information, of combining them to define optimal strategies, and of performing accurate and safe actions.

Enzymatic Amplification of DNA by PCR: Standard Procedures and Optimization

AbstractThis unit describes a method for amplifying DNA enzymatically by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including procedures to quickly determine conditions for successful amplification of the sequence and primer sets of interest, and to optimize for specificity, sensitivity, and yield. Hot‐start methods are described which can greatly improve specificity, sensitivity, and yield. This protocol suggests some relatively inexpensive methods to achieve hot start, and lists several commercial hot‐start options which may be more convenient, but of course more expensive. The unit has recently been updated to include new information on reagents to enhance the reaction, better cycling parameters, and innovations in robotics and high‐performance thermocyclers.

NorTRACKTM product tracking system—development and implementation

Abstract This paper presents the experience gained by developers and users with implementation and operation of NorTRACK TM , a real-time computerized product tracking system. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) collects and transfers data in real time to NorTRACK’s Oracle TM database on a Windows NT TM server network. After extensive development and Beta testing at MDS Nordion’s Canadian Irradiation Centre in Montreal, Canada, NorTRACK was installed in January 1997 with a new irradiation facility in Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc.’s Albuquerque plant in the United States. NorTRACK communicates with the irradiator control and safety system, the plant's central manufacturing database, an innovative pallet staging and tote loading robot, and an automated dosimetry reading system. This integrated system allows the sterilization facility to monitor the irradiator operation and the flow of many products, through varied processing modes, continuously and reliably. As a result of operating with NorTRACK, both MDS Nordion’s CIC facility and the Endo-Surgery manufacturing site, are beginning to realize unique benefits in their respective operations. MDS Nordion is also initiating several future product enhancements and additional productivity modules. This paper describes the NorTRACK system, the various stages of the development project and Beta tests, and the experience of the users to date in their operations.

Free-floating closed-chain planar robots: Kinematics and path planning

The study of free-floating manipulators is important for the success of robotics program in space and in the design of innovative robot systems which can operate over a large workspace. In order to study the fundamental theoretical and experimental issues encountered in space robotics, a closed-chain planar manipulator was built at Ohio University (OU) which floats on a flat table using air bearings. Due to the absence of external forces in the plane of the table and couples normal to this plane, the linear momentum in the plane and the angular momentum normal to this plane are conserved. It is well known that the linear momentum equations are holonomic while the angular momentum equation is nonholonomic. Due to this nonholonomic behavior, the path-planning schemes commonly used for fixed-base manipulators do not directly apply to free-floating manipulators. In this paper, we present an algorithm for motion planning of planar free-floating manipulators based on the inverse position kinematics of the mechanism. It is demonstrated that the inverse position kinematics algorithms, commonly used for fixed-base manipulators, can be successfully applied to free-floating manipulators using an iterative search procedure to satisfy the nonholonomic angular momentum constraints. This procedure results in paths identical to those predicted by inverse rate kinematics. The inverse position kinematics algorithm is then used to avoid singularities during motion to result in successful paths. The results of the simulation of this algorithm using parameter estimates of the OU free-floating robot are presented.

Diffusion of robotic innovations in health care environments using the interactive evaluation methodology

Numerous factors will determine the successful diffusion of robotic technologies into health and human service domains. This paper will present an overview of some of the issues that require consideration for the application of smart technologies to service roles. Adaptation of classical diffusion of innovation theory [23] in conjunction with recent innovative methodologies for advanced technology research, design, and development [10] provide the framework for discussion of these issues.

The diffusion of industrial robots in Japan and the United States

The competition degree and characteristics of the target markets based on a global vision provide references for market entrants and policymakers. This study describes a method for identifying the global technology innovations market layout competitiveness based on time series data analysis. We map the time series data from 30 countries or areas of the global industrial robot technology innovations market through retrieval strategy and data mining onto complex networks by visibility graph algorithm. We analyze the dynamic characteristics by the VGNs’ topological measures after the development trend overview and stage division analyses. We use cosine similarity to evaluate the differences and similarities between countries or areas. To further uncover the relationships among them, a similarity complex network is constructed by setting a link threshold. Seven community categories as sub-markets are found through community division. CN and US rank as the top two largest industrial robot innovation markets. Most European countries share the same community because of their similarity of economic development brought by geographical proximity except for several earlier developed economies such as DE, GB, FR, and IT. Some catching-up countries, for example, IN and PH, show potential similar dynamic trends respectively in their group for the sharing characteristics probably with the similar economic development type as the reason behind, whereas RU is distinct for its unique economy type.