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Upper-limb joint kinematics are highly complex and the kinematics of rehabilitation exoskeletons fail to reproduce them, resulting in hyperstaticity and human–machine incompatibility. The purpose of this paper is to design and develop a compatible exoskeleton robot (Co-Exos II) to address these problems.

The configuration synthesis of Co-Exos II is completed using advanced mechanism theory. A compatible configuration is selected and four passive joints are introduced into the connecting interfaces based on optimal configuration principles. A Co-Exos II prototype with nine degrees of freedom (DOFs) is developed and still owns a compact structure and volume. A new approach is presented to compensate the vertical glenohumeral (GH) movements. Co-Exos II and the upper arm are simplified as a guide-bar mechanism at the elevating plane. The theoretical displacements of passive joints are calculated by the kinematic model of the shoulder loop. The compatible experiments are completed to measure the kinematics of passive joints.

The compatible configuration of the passive joints can effectively reduce the gravity influences of the exoskeleton device and the upper extremities. The passive joints exhibit excellent compensation effect for the GH joint movements by comparing the theoretical and measured results. Passive joints can compensate for most GH movements, especially vertical movements.

Co-Exos II possesses good human–machine compatibility and wearable comfort for the affected upper limbs. The proposed compensation method is convenient to therapists and stroke patients during the rehabilitation trainings.

This paper aims at the problem of attaching the data of doctors, patients and the real-time sensor data of the exoskeleton to the cloud in intelligent rehabilitation applications. This study designed the exoskeleton cloud-brain platform and validated its safety assessment.

According to the dimension of data and the transmission speed, this paper implements a three-layer cloud-brain platform of exoskeleton based on Alibaba Cloud's Lambda-like architecture. At the same time, given the human–machine safety status detection problem of the exoskeleton, this paper built a personalized machine-learning safety detection module for users with the multi-dimensional sensor data cloned by the cloud-brain platform. This module includes an abnormality detection model, prediction model and state classification model of the human–machine state.

These functions of the exoskeleton cloud-brain and the algorithms based on it were validated by the experiments, they meet the needs of use.

This thesis innovatively proposes a cloud-brain platform for exoskeletons, beginning the digitalization and intelligence of the exoskeletal rehabilitation process and laying the foundation for future intelligent assistance systems.

The history, successes, failures and future needs that relate to the allocation of functions to humans and/ or machines in manufacturing environments are presented. The various methodologies that have been proposed for performing function allocation are discussed. The basic process involves matching the capabilities and limitations of the particular human or automated system with the requirements imposed by the manufacturing operation. This process can range from a global, systems approach down to the delineation of specific capabilities of humans and automated systems. Both recent advances and obstacles to the effective allocation of tasks to humans or machines based on the capabilities of each are presented. The current status and the areas where future research and development are needed are discussed.

The objective of this work was to demonstrate a novel approach to human machine interaction that seamlessly uses teleoperation and automation in a complex environment.

This work leverages developments in the area of operational software Operational Software Components for Advanced Robotics (OSCAR), decision making, human‐machine interface, and motion planning. This demonstration uses a 17 degrees‐of‐freedom (DOF) dual arm robot that is equipped with modern tool changers, crash protectors, force‐torque sensors and electrical and pneumatic power at the tools. Four different end‐effector tools are also provided. These are electric grippers, electric rotary saw, electric drill, and a pneumatic spray gun. The system can be used both in teleoperation and automation mode. In teleoperation mode, the user has a choice of five different input devices. These are computer keyboard, spaceball and spacemouse, RSI manual controller and kraft force feedback controller. Automation is performed using a novel graphical user interface with 3D graphics used for previewing and verifying manipulator motion. Automation tasks that are demonstrated include automatic grasping, sawing, drilling, spray painting, point‐to‐point motion, and teaching. The controller for the dual arm system is developed using OSCAR and supports a variety of decision‐making algorithms and obstacle avoidance. The integration of this controller with the input devices and human machine interface is done using a novel protocol that is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) for maximum reuse and distributed integration. This protocol is further based on a well‐defined and scalable XML schema that can be easily extended as controller functionality is changed and/or additional input devices are added.

It is necessary to combine automation with teleoperation to reduce worker fatigue and also provide higher value robotic functions. This is possible as most remote tasks can be broken down into structured and unstructured components. On the integration front, we see XML‐based integration providing a loosely coupled system that can make interoperability between various robot systems possible. For end‐effector tooling, it is better to have special purpose tools that can be switched out versus the use of a general purpose tool such as a robotic hand.

This research was done in a laboratory environment, and as such, its application in the field will require partnering with a commercial entity. Force‐feedback on manual controllers during teleoperation was not very effective. In fact, providing visual queues to the operator about the forces were a better guide to the operator.

The software for this work provides obstacle avoidance capability. The obstacle avoidance is based on a known world model that is derived from a CAD environment. In reality, this model will have to be sensed in real‐time, and decoded into a geometric model. Significant work in this area needs to be done.

The software developed for this work was based on the OSCAR software framework. This is a unique framework that at its core uses performance criteria to control the behavior of the robot during teleoperation and automation. The value of this work is that it shows as completely feasible the control of a 17 DOF dual arm system using the latest integration technologies (such as XML), integrated simulation, multiple tools and multiple input devices. It also shows that all these choices can be provided to an operator through a single user interface.

This paper aims to describe the advancements of the activities that have been carried out, in the Cost-Optimized Avionics SysTem (COAST) project, to complete the design and in-flight demonstration of the Tactical Separation System (TSS), which is an automatic support system to the pilot’s decision-making, onboard on small air transport (SAT) vehicles under single pilot operations, in the separation management.

In the framework of the Clean Sky 2 funded project COAST, some enabling technologies for single pilot operations in the EASA CS-23 category vehicles are designed and demonstrated in flight. Among the relevant flight management technologies addressed in the project, the specific one devoted to the real-time support to pilot’s decision-making in maintaining the vehicle self-separation is the TSS, designed by the Italian Aerospace Research Centre.

The TSS design started in the year 2016 and has been completed in the year 2021 after successful in-flight demonstration in the dedicated flight test campaign. The system has been validated by means of several simulation campaigns and finally demonstrated its effectiveness in providing its intended functionalities (situational awareness, conflict detection, conflict resolution) to the pilot in real flight trials, involving the presence of real conflicting aircraft.

The TSS contributes enabling the implementation of single pilot operations in CS-23 category vehicles, thanks to the possibility to support the pilot with provision of consolidated traffic picture, detection of conflicting surrounding traffic and suggestion of suitable conflict resolution manoeuvre real-time during the flight, through dedicated human–machine interface designed on purpose. The TSS supports the new separation modes that are envisaged in the future SESAR ATM target concept, with particular reference to the possible delegation of the separation responsibility to the pilot.

Manufactured artefacts will always be needed to satisfy human needs, but the business of manufacturing faces a range of challenges in the emerging knowledge economy. Six main areas are identified where manufacturing must develop and excel: concurrency, integrating human and technological resources, the conversion of information to knowledge, environmental compatibility, developing reconfigurable enterprises and innovative processes. There are many emerging technologies which can assist, but if Europe is to remain a force in manufacturing it needs to take positive action to enhance its strengths and alleviate its weaknesses – and nowhere more so than in the field of research.

This work attempts briefly to identify factors affecting the success of technology transfer in order to reduce the potential of incompatibilities in respect to micro‐ and macro‐ergonomics and to optimize the decision process of managers in DCs.

Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was selected as appropriate technique. The decision model developed in this research is specified in the context of micro‐ and macro‐ergonomics view of technology transfer in DCs.

Based on the AHP, it is possible to determine the global priority weights of different technology alternatives and examine the critical factors and benefits that affect the appropriateness of technology transfer based on micro‐ and macro‐ergonomics considerations. In its general form, the model provides a useful conceptual framework for evaluating alternative technologies in respect to ergonomics and suggests the ergonomics choices which must be made.

As noted above, this study is unique in its provides a holistic analysis of the risk factors that are expected to contribute to the inappropriateness of technology transfer, also provides a useful conceptual framework for evaluating alternative technologies and identifying incompatibility problems in respect to human factors, and can be extended to suggesting action for improving the decision process of managers.

This paper examines the beliefs of human resource professionals (HRPs) regarding the impact of Industry 4.0 on organizations in terms of readiness for human resources management (HRM) transformation, the challenges of a potential new legal and financial framework, the new means on performance management and automation, and finally the decision-making process in the era of human-machine cooperation.

The authors analyzed a sample of 251 HRPs from 11 different countries divided into 4 cultural clusters to explore their attitude to incorporate new practices to the HR field because of technological development. The paper explores HRPs' beliefs in a legal and financial context, performance management issues, and the impact of automation on the decision-making process. Furthermore, the authors perform a cross-cultural comparison analysis to examine potential significant differences between cultural clusters.

HRPs are aware of how technology adoption is affecting work environment and they highlight the importance of human resources (HR) for businesses, despite the global trend of extensive machinery exploitation. Interestingly, our results suggest that overall globalization, common knowledge, and internationalized practices lead to homogeneity for most issues under study.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, there has not been any comprehensive study exploring and analyzing the effects of Industry 4.0 on HRPs perceptions in the context of a dynamic HR environment influenced by technological transformation. The study shows that HRPs' present similar perspectives for most issues addressed, irrespective of cultural characteristics of HRPs. Hence, this paper generates some important insights in an attempt to build a framework for enhancing HR in this new era.

Soft robotics is a burgeoning field owing to its high adaptability and safety in human–machine interaction and unstructured environments. However, the feedback control of soft actuators with flexible sensors is still a challenge.

To address this issue, this study proposes an optical fibre-based sensing membrane for the posture measurement of soft pneumatic bending actuators. The major contribution is the development of a flexible sensing membrane with a high sensitivity and repeatability for the feedback control of soft actuators. The characteristics of sensing membrane were analysed. The relationship between wavelength shift and bending curvature was derived. The curvatures of soft actuator were measured at four bending status, and the postures were reconstructed.

The results indicate that the measurement error is less than 2.1% of the actual bending curvature. The sensitivity is up to 212.8 pm/m⁻¹, and the signal fluctuation in repeated measurements is negligible. This approach has broad application prospects in soft robotics, because it makes the optical fibre achieve more strength and compatible with soft actuators, thus improving the sensing accuracy, sensitivity and reliability of fibre sensors.

Different from previous approaches, an optical fibre with FBGs is embedded into a multilayered polyimide film to form a flexible sensing membrane, and the membrane is embedded into a soft pneumatic bending actuator as the smart strain limited layer which is able to measure the posture in real time. This approach makes the optical fibre stronger and compatible with the soft pneumatic bending actuator, and the sensing accuracy, sensitivity and reliability are improved. The proposed sensing configuration is effective for the feedback control of the soft pneumatic bending actuators.

Supernumerary robotic limbs (SRLs) are a new type of wearable robot, which improve the user’s operating and perceive the user’s environment by extra robotic limbs. There are some literature reviews about the SRLs’ key technology and development trend, but the design of SRLs has not been fully discussed and summarized. This paper aims to focus on the design of SRLs and provides a comprehensive review of the ontological structure design of SRLs.

In this paper, the related literature of SRLs is summarized and analyzed by VOSviewer. The structural features of different types of SRLs are extracted, and then discuss the design approach and characteristics of SRLs which are different from typical wearable robots.

The design concept of SRLs is different from the conventional wearable robots. SRLs have various reconfiguration and installed positions, and it will influence the safety and cooperativeness performance of SRLs.

This paper focuses on discussing the structural design of SRLs by literature review, and this review will help researchers understand the structural features of SRLs and key points of the ontological design of SRLs, which can be used as a reference for designing SRLs.