Smart Robot Research Articles

AI Governance in Neom City: Exploring Legal Personality for Smart Robots and a Framework for Ethical Innovation

Neom City, a burgeoning smart city in Saudi Arabia, exemplifies the convergence of cutting-edge technology and unique cultural contexts. As AI-powered smart robots permeate service sectors, novel legal and ethical challenges emerge. This paper delves into these challenges, analyzing the intersection of AI with Islamic legal principles and exploring the concept of advanced legal personality for smart robots. Drawing upon comparative legal frameworks and governance models, the study proposes a framework for responsible AI innovation in Neom, balancing technological progress with ethical considerations and societal values.

Assembly-free fabrication of the deformable system composed by continuous fiber embedded 4D printing actuators

The 4D printed deformable actuator with embedded continuous fibers exhibits the advantages of convenient direct drive without environment stimulate and flexible control response position or response time. Rapid manufacturing of complex systems consisting of multiple actuators spatial arrangements relies on multi-axis printing strategy. However, existing multi-axis printing methods cannot match the continuous fibers 4D printing predefined design feature, such as the layer distribution and fiber arrangement. Therefore, a novel assembly-free printing method is proposed to print complex 4D printed deformable system with embedded continuous fibers. Based on design features of multi-actuators deformable system, a toolpath planning algorithm is provided to analyze the printing steps of the complex structure and generate toolpaths. Herein, the effect of different nozzle tilt angles on the deformation performance during the printing process is investigated, and the corresponding compensatory strategy is proposed during toolpath generation. After discussing the advantages of assembly free printing, a deformable ratchet and an intelligent five-finger gripper are printed to demonstrate the practicality of the proposed method. The presented method exhibited unique capability in fabricating deformable system with complex 3D geometry or complex drive features for various promising applications on smart robot and metamaterial.

Alternating current electroluminescence devices: recent advances and functional applications.

Wearable smart devices and visualisation sensors based on alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) have received considerable attention in recent years. Due to the unique properties of ACEL devices, such as high mechanical strength, adaptability to complex environments, and no need for energy level matching, ACEL is suitable for multifunctional applications and visualisation sensing platforms. This review comprehensively outlines the latest developments in ACEL devices, starting with an analysis of the mechanism, classification, and optimisation strategies of ACEL. It introduces the functional applications of ACEL in multicolour displays, high-durability displays, stretchable and wearable displays, and autonomous function displays. Particularly, it emphasises the research progress of ACEL in sensory displays under interactive conditions such as liquid sensing, environmental factor sensing, kinetic energy sensing, and biosensing. Finally, it forecasts the challenges and new opportunities faced by future functional and interactive ACEL devices in fields such as artificial intelligence, smart robotics, and human-computer interaction.

The LMIT: Light-mediated minimally-invasive theranostics in oncology.

Minimally-invasive diagnosis and therapy have gradually become the trend and research hotspot of current medical applications. The integration of intraoperative diagnosis and treatment is a development important direction for real-time detection, minimally-invasive diagnosis and therapy to reduce mortality and improve the quality of life of patients, so called minimally-invasive theranostics (MIT). Light is an important theranostic tool for the treatment of cancerous tissues. Light-mediated minimally-invasive theranostics (LMIT) is a novel evolutionary technology that integrates diagnosis and therapeutics for the less invasive treatment of diseased tissues. Intelligent theranostics would promote precision surgery based on the optical characterization of cancerous tissues. Furthermore, MIT also requires the assistance of smart medical devices or robots. And, optical multimodality lay a solid foundation for intelligent MIT. In this review, we summarize the important state-of-the-arts of optical MIT or LMIT in oncology. Multimodal optical image-guided intelligent treatment is another focus. Intraoperative imaging and real-time analysis-guided optical treatment are also systemically discussed. Finally, the potential challenges and future perspectives of intelligent optical MIT are discussed.

Flexible tactile sensors with interlocking serrated structures based on stretchable multiwalled carbon nanotube/silver nanowire/silicone rubber composites.

Flexible tactile sensors have attracted significant interest because of their application scope in the fields of biomedicine, motion detection, and human-computer interaction. However, the development of tactile sensors with high sensitivity and flexibility remains a critical challenge. This study develops a patterned, stretchable, and fully elastomeric multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/silver nanowire (Ag NW)/silicone rubber (SR) composite. The addition of Ag NWs to MWCNTs enhances the transmission path of the conductive network, yielding a CNT/Ag NW/SR composite with a sensitivity coefficient of 40. This characteristic renders it suitable for use as a piezoresistive sensing material. The interlocking sawtooth structure can convert the mechanical stimuli of the sensor to the tensile strain of the composite, thereby enhancing its sensitivity and flexibility. Experimental results indicate that the developed tactile sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 2.82 N-1 at 0-0.5 N and 1.51 N-1 at 0.5-2 N. These haptic sensors also demonstrate good dynamic response, repeatability, and long life. Furthermore, experimental results show that these haptic sensors exhibit high reproducibility, fast dynamic response, and good mechanical and electrical stability. Because of these exceptional properties, the as-prepared sensor can be applied in the development of smart robots, prosthetics, and wearable devices.

Challenges of ecocentric sustainable development in agriculture with special regard to the internet of things (IoT), an ICT perspective

Abstract“Feed the global population and regenerate the planet.”The conditions necessary for the implementation of the above commonly used slogan did not exist 10–15 years ago. We did not have access to the information and databases that would have allowed us to increase yields for the purpose of feeding the growing population. While increasingly meeting sustainability requirements and regenerating the Earth. Anthropocentrism, the belief that humans are superior to everything else, benefits humans by exploiting human greed and ignorance, which is a dead end for both individuals and societies. Only humans can ignore the dynamic equilibrium processes of nature and disregard the consequences that adversely affect future generations. Ecocentric agricultural practices have several prerequisites. It is important for the academic sphere to recognize its significance. Another fundamental challenge is the continuous monitoring of the production unit and its close and distant environment for the purpose of decision preparation using Big Data. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a global infrastructure that represents the network of physical (sensors) and virtual (reality) “things” through interoperable communication protocols. This allows devices to connect and communicate using cloud computing and artificial intelligence, contributing to the integrated optimization of the production system and its environment, considering ecocentric perspectives. This brings us closer to the self-decision-making capability of artificial intelligence, the practice of machine-to-machine (M2M) interaction, where human involvement in decision-making is increasingly marginalized. The IoT enables the fusion of information provided by deployed wireless sensors, data-gathering mobile robots, drones, and satellites to explore complex ecological relationships in local and global dimensions. Its significance lies, for example, in the prediction of plant protection. The paper introduces small smart data logger robots, including the Unmanned Ground Vehicles (robots) developed by the research team. These can replace sensors deployed in the Wireless Sensor Net (WSN).

2D Materials Beyond Post-AI Era: Smart Fibers, Soft Robotics, and Single Atom Catalysts.

Recent consecutive discoveries of various 2D materials have triggered significant scientific and technological interests owing to their exceptional material properties, originally stemming from 2D confined geometry. Ever-expanding library of 2D materials can provide ideal solutions to critical challenges facing in current technological trend of the fourth industrial revolution. Moreover, chemical modification of 2D materials to customize their physical/chemical properties can satisfy the broad spectrum of different specific requirements across diverse application areas. This review focuses on three particular emerging application areas of 2D materials: smart fibers, soft robotics, and single atom catalysts (SACs),which hold immense potentials for academic and technological advancements in the post-artificial intelligence (AI) era. Smart fibers showcase unconventional functionalities including healthcare/environmental monitoring, energy storage/harvesting, and antipathogenic protection in the forms of wearable fibers and textiles. Soft robotics aligns with future trend to overcome longstanding limitations of hard-material based mechanics by introducing soft actuators and sensors. SACs are widely useful in energy storage/conversion and environmental management, principally contributing to low carbon footprint for sustainable post-AIera. Significance and unique values of 2D materials in these emerging applications are highlighted, where the research group has devoted research efforts for more than a decade.

Three-phase soft mechanical metamaterials for tunable negative expansion deformation and bandgaps

As the new artificial composite structures combing the smart materials and extensible topologies, the mechanical negative-expansion metamaterials deformation are promising in the fields of aerospace, robotics, medical devices, and flexible electronics. Based on the swelling characteristics of hydrogels, this work develops 2D and 3D soft mechanical metamaterials suitable for super large negative expansion deformations. The 2D and 3D metamaterials are fabricated by the multi-material 4D printing, and characterized by the experiments of self-driven negative expansion deformation and recovery. To accurately and quickly predict the deformation behavior of negative expansion response, a large-deformation theoretical model is developed based on finite element method and verified by the experimental characterizations. The influence of lattice parameters on the negative expansion response deformation and the corresponding adjustability are characterized and demonstrated through the theory, simulations and experiments. The 2D and 3D soft mechanical metamaterials show that their elastic wave bandgaps can be regulated actively and flexibly using the evolution of the lattice during the negative expansion deformation process. The present metamaterials can be used to design and manufacture instruments with adjustable negative expansion deformation and acoustic functionalities, showing the potential applications in the fields of smart soft robots and active metamaterial devices.

Research on quasi-social interaction and loneliness between users and smart home from the perspective of media dependence

"The development of media technology has given people a new experience of human-computer interaction. Understanding how human-computer conduct quasi-social interaction is of great significance for understanding the deep psychology of individuals and human-computer relationship. Based on the fact that smart home robots are widely used, from the theoretical perspective of quasi-social interaction, through the questionnaire survey of smart home robot users, the research questions and important concepts are extracted on the basis of existing literature, and the survey data are deeply interpreted and analyzed. Finally, on the path of human-machine quasi-social interaction, it is discussed that the quasi-social interaction between users and smart home will have an impact on users ' loneliness."

Usability study of a smart transfer-assistive robot with dual arms for care workers

Purpose The predicted global labor shortages and health problems for long-term care workers can be addressed by care robots. We have developed a smart transfer-assistive robot with dual arms to assist in patient transfers. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of a transfer-assistive robot with dual arms for long-term care workers in the Living Lab of Kyung Hee University. Methods Long-term care workers (N = 15) transferred healthy adults using the transfer-assistive robot and subsequently reported the workload differences of manual care and the transfer-assistive robot, as measured by the Borg rating of the perceived exertion scale (RPE) and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). They also completed questionnaires on the usability of transfer-assistive robots and open-ended interviews. The RPE and NASA-TLX values for each task were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and descriptive statistics were used to calculate demographics and usability. Results The RPE scale indicated that the perceived physical burden was significantly reduced when using the transfer-assistive robot compared with the manual method. The robot-aided transfer method significantly reduced the physical demand in the NASA-TLX subscales. In the usability test, the averages for safety, operability, and satisfaction were all three points or higher, indicating a positive result. Conclusion This study demonstrates that a transfer-assistive robot has the potential to reduce physical stress and the risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in long-term care workers. This study shows that the robot is effective for long-term care workers suffering from the burden of the transferring/lifting action, emphasizing the need to introduce a transfer-assistive robot into the care field in South Korea.

Enhancing energy harvesting performance of bilayered parylene triboelectric nanogenerators through interfacial polarization

Self-powered multifunctional devices have found applications in various fields including internet of things, smart robotics, and wearable haptic technologies. Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs) are particularly noteworthy as they operate based on simple triboelectrification between contacting materials, and provide significantly higher output performance compared to other energy harvesting devices. In this study, we introduce soft bilayer structured films to significantly enhance the interfacial polarization and the resulting triboelectric output performance. The soft bilayer film is composed of two layers: a layer of parylene derivatives with different functional groups and a composite layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) embedded with multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT). The parylene-deposited MWCNT-PDMS films effectively induce interfacial polarization due to the difference in permittivity between the parylene derivatives and MWCNT-PDMS, resulting in substantial improvement in triboelectric performances. Moreover, the specific functional groups present in the parylene monomers significantly affect the triboelectric polarity of the parylene-deposited bilayer films. The bilayer films deposited with parylene including fluorine, methyl hydroxyl, and hydroxyl groups, which improve the electron-withdrawing capability, exhibit negative triboelectric properties. In contrast, the bilayer film deposited with parylene including methyl amine group, which enhances the electron-donating ability, exhibits a positive triboelectric property. Owing to the highly improved interfacial polarization in the parylene-deposited bilayer films, our TENG consisting of paired bilayer films demonstrates superior output performance (4.57 W/cm2 and 10.28 W/cm2 for contact and separation step, respectively) compared to devices based solely on single layers of parylene- or PDMS (less than a few of mW/cm2). Our approach to designing layer-structured dielectric films offers a simple yet effective method to significantly enhance the output performance of self-powered flexible devices through improved polarization.

A highly sensitive pressure sensor based on Ag-graphene-PDMS film and its applications

The fast progress in artificial intelligence has increased the need for wearable electronics. Herein, a piezoresistive pressure sensor consisting of three layers has been proposed. The soft sensing film has been fabricated by filling PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) with Ag-graphene by a simple mixing method, which possesses low cost and excellent sensing properties, including high sensitivity, high conductivity, and quick response to different pressures. Furthermore, the characterizations were performed by using a scanning electron microscope to study the microstructure and surface morphologies of the Ag-graphene-PDMS film to explore its internal working mechanism. Moreover, the single sensor and sensor array were tested for many applications. The results showed that the fabricated pressure sensor effectively identified various human movements and distinguished pressures with different values and positions. As a result, this sensor has a wide range of applications, including smart wearable technologies and soft robotics.

Encoding the Enforcement of Safety Standards into Smart Robots to Harness Their Computing Sophistication and Collaborative Potential: A Legal Risk Assessment for European Union Policymakers

Abstract Until robots and humans mostly worked in fast-paced and yet separate environments, occupational health and safety (OHS) rules could address workers’ safety largely independently from robotic conduct. This is no longer the case: collaborative robots (cobots) working alongside humans warrant the design of policies ensuring the safety of both humans and robots at once, within shared spaces and upon delivery of cooperative workflows. Within the European Union (EU), the applicable regulatory framework stands at the intersection between international industry standards and legislation at the EU as well as Member State level. Not only do current standards and laws fail to satisfactorily attend to the physical and mental health challenges prompted by human–robot interaction (HRI), but they exhibit important gaps in relation to smart cobots (“SmaCobs”) more specifically. In fact, SmaCobs combine the black-box unforeseeability afforded by machine learning with more general HRI-associated risks, towards increasingly complex, mobile and interconnected operational interfaces and production chains. Against this backdrop, based on productivity and health motivations, we urge the encoding of the enforcement of OHS policies directly into SmaCobs. First, SmaCobs could harness the sophistication of quantum computing to adapt a tangled normative architecture in a responsive manner to the contingent needs of each situation. Second, entrusting them with OHS enforcement vis-à-vis both themselves and humans may paradoxically prove safer as well as more cost-effective than for humans to do so. This scenario raises profound legal, ethical and somewhat philosophical concerns around SmaCobs’ legal personality, the apportionment of liability and algorithmic explainability. The first systematic proposal to tackle such questions is henceforth formulated. For the EU, we propose that this is achieved through a new binding OHS Regulation aimed at the SmaCobs age.

Highly Stretchable and Conductive MXene‐Encapsulated Liquid Metal Hydrogels for Bioinspired Self‐Sensing Soft Actuators

AbstractAdvanced sensation and actuation abilities of various living organisms in nature have inspired researchers to design bioinspired self‐sensing soft actuators. However, the majority of conventional soft actuators primarily possess actuation capabilities while lacking a real‐time sensing signal feedback. Here, a promising strategy is reported to develop highly stretchable and conductive hydrogels for bioinspired self‐sensing soft actuators, which integrate actuation and strain‐sensing functions into a single materials system. The conductive hydrogels are designed and fabricated by in situ copolymerization of amino‐functionalized MXene‐encapsulated liquid metal nanodroplets (LM@A‐MXene) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels with controllable activated nanogels as nano‐cross‐linkers. The resulting hydrogel presents a compacted conducting network and highly porous microstructure, giving rise to robust integration of high conductivity, excellent strain sensitivity, broad stretchability, high stability, and fast response speed. Interestingly, the gradient network structure, formed by self‐precipitation of LM@A‐MXene, endows the hydrogel with shape‐programmable actuation, light‐driven remote control, and self‐sensing function. As a proof‐of‐concept application, the soft gripper based on the self‐sensing hydrogel actuators is developed, which can not only grasp, lift, and release objects, but also perceive every movement state by monitoring resistance changes. The proposed self‐sensing soft actuator can offer new insights for developing smart soft robotics and other artificial intelligent devices.

Strategic status quo and trend of enterprise economic management innovation based on media group

The article is devoted to an overview of Midea Group's activities in the home appliance industry. The Midea Group comprises three listed companies and four industrial groups, making it one of China's most prominent white goods manufacturing and exporting centers. Over the years, the company has expanded its portfolio into five business segments: smart home, building technology, industrial technology, robotics and automation, and digital innovation. The company operates in more than 200 countries and regions. The article discusses the importance of effectively managing the enterprise economy in the modern business landscape. Skillful economic management has been vital for optimizing resource allocation, increasing profitability, and ensuring sustainable development. The importance of innovations in economic management is determined, and an analysis of various indicators of economic management for different periods is provided. Midea Group's economic analysis uses the POWERSWOT analysis method, which characterizes several factors contributing to its success. Midea Group's management decisions are found to be practical, and the company uses incentive plans to motivate employees, which has led to a dramatic increase in operating income. The Midea Group's commitment to compliance with regulations and seizing policy opportunities that have helped it maintain steady growth in ROI and R&D while supporting sustainable operations is clarified. The company's use of non-operating investment gains has contributed to diversified growth despite prudently managing its debt. Midea Group focuses on sophisticated incentive plans and a people-centric approach, extending stock incentive plans to employees of various positions. The company prioritizes sustainable development, using the principles of economic management to improve its long-term prospects and sustainability in the global market. Keywords: globalization, enterprise development, strategic practices, Midea Group, global market, competitive advantage, cultural adaptation, global value chain, innovation.

Learning by doing: A dual-loop implementation architecture of deep active learning and human-machine collaboration for smart robot vision

To develop vision systems for autonomous robotic disassembly, this paper presents a dual-loop implementation architecture that enables a robot vision system to learn from human vision in disassembly tasks. The architecture leverages human visual knowledge through a collaborative scheme named ‘learning-by-doing’. In the dual-loop implementation architecture, a human-robot collaborative disassembly loop containing autonomous perception, human-robot interaction and autonomous execution processes is established to address perceptual challenges in disassembly tasks by introducing human operators wearing augmented reality (AR) glasses, while a deep active learning loop is designed to use human visual knowledge to develop robot vision through autonomous perception, human-robot interaction and model learning processes. Considering uncertainties in the conditions of products at the end of their service life, an objective ‘informativeness’ matrix integrating the label information and regional information is designed for autonomous perception, and AR technology is utilised to improve the operational accuracy and efficiency of the human-robot interaction process. By sharing the autonomous perception and human-robot interaction processes, the two loops are simultaneously executed. To validate the capability of the proposed architecture, a screw removal task was studied. The experiments demonstrated the capability to accomplish challenging perceptual tasks and develop the perceptual ability of robots accurately, stably, and efficiently in disassembly processes. The results highlight the potential of learning by doing in developing robot vision towards autonomous robotic disassembly through collaborative human-machine vision systems.

Consumers’ perceived value of Social IoT based online community: investigating social awareness processes surrounding smart kitchen robot appliances

ABSTRACT Situated within the broader Social Internet of Things (SIoT) paradigm, where objects autonomously communicate, learn, and establish social relationships (Machine 2 Machine and Machine 2 Human), this study investigates via Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) the social awareness processes at hand and establishes the drivers of consumers’ perceived value of SIoT based online communities (OCs). We leverage the case of smart kitchen robot appliances, such as Cookeo by Moulinex, and a sample of female respondents (n = 335) from France who all own and use such SIoT kitchen robot devices. The model demonstrates that the perceived value of SIoT based OCs stems from three SIoT community related activities, mutual aid, participation, and enjoyment, that are respectively driven by three motivational factors, including the willingness to co-produce, the willingness to connect to others, and the willingness to learn from the community. The vibrant exchanges in these cooking OCs reveal evolving relationships’ configuration and demands among participants integrating SIoT technology reach in the meaning and historical specificity of cooking as a cultural practice. Our contributions relate to the identification of consumers’ perceived value of SIoT based OCs drivers and to the critical debate about gender in SIoT technology and services development.

Highly Reversible Zinc‐Air Batteries at −40 °C Enabled by Anion‐Mediated Biomimetic Fat

AbstractThe wide application of portable electrical equipment, aerial vehicles, smart robotics, etc. has boosted the development of advanced batteries with safety, high energy density, and environmental adaptability. Inspired by the fat layer on animal bodies, biomimetic fat is constructed as electrolytes of solid‐state zinc‐air batteries to achieve excellent cycling performance at low temperatures. Via tailored anion‐H2O interaction, the antifreezing gel electrolytes, with the multi‐performance of interface compatibility, temperature adaptability, and stable power supply simultaneously, build robust Zn|electrolyte interface, thus promoting uniform interfacial electric fields and Zn deposition. Excellent long‐term cyclability of 120 h at a high current density of 50 mA cm−2 are exhibited at 25 °C. Moreover, at −40 °C, a record‐long cycling life of 205 h at a current density as large as 10 mA cm−2 is achieved.

NDE 4.0: Progress, promise, and its role to industry 4.0

“Industry 4.0” stands for the fourth industrial revolution, the transition from production by computer controlled isolated machines to the concept of a smart factory, where machines, materials, and personnel are digitally connected, to actively adapt to changes in workflow. It emerges from the confluence of operational technologies (OT) and information technologies (IT), which allows for higher flexibility and manufacturing of unique custom products to suit individual customer requirements.To assure quality, embracing digital transformation of non-destructive evaluation is essential. It can be an integral part of the cyber-controlled production and asset life-cycle maintenance. These two value propositions covering the asset life cycle, require digitally controlled NDE procedures and qualitative data to support automated decision making, for most known situations. With that scenario, NDE must be considered in conjunction with other engineering disciplines. Reliability assessments become a necessary prerequisite for the use of NDE data. In addition, the approach to inspector certification and experience needs to be revised.The digital technologies that are being deployed to enhance production under industry 4.0 can very well be the enablers of digitalized NDE and their integration with the asset and its owner. Model-based definition, smart robots, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and digital twins can all be used to enhance NDE inspections to a new level of performance in quality and safety assurance. These new NDE trends are summarized under the term “NDE 4.0” to meet the needs of Industry 4.0.The present review paper is aimed at capturing recent advances in digital technologies for non-destructive inspections, examples of their use, and other aspects that must be addressed to shift the paradigm. The paper also highlights the global collaboration and current trends, with an intent to inspire industry professionals to engage with NDE 4.0 – a must for Industry 4.0.

Smart robots’ virus defense using data mining technology

Abstract In order to realize online detection and control of network viruses in robots, the authors propose a data mining-based anti-virus solution for smart robots. First, using internet of things (IoT) intrusion prevention system design method based on network intrusion signal detection and feedforward modulation filtering design, the overall design description and function analysis are carried out, and then the intrusion signal detection algorithm is designed, and finally, the hardware design and software development for a breach protection solution for the IoT are completed, and the integrated design of the system is realized. The findings demonstrated that based on the mean value of 10,000 tests, the IoT’s average packet loss rate is 0. Conclusion: This system has high accuracy, good performance, and strong compatibility and friendliness.