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1 – 10 of 10Yanmin Zhou, Zheng Yan, Ye Yang, Zhipeng Wang, Ping Lu, Philip F. Yuan and Bin He
Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing…
Abstract
Purpose
Vision, audition, olfactory, tactile and taste are five important senses that human uses to interact with the real world. As facing more and more complex environments, a sensing system is essential for intelligent robots with various types of sensors. To mimic human-like abilities, sensors similar to human perception capabilities are indispensable. However, most research only concentrated on analyzing literature on single-modal sensors and their robotics application.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a systematic review of five bioinspired senses, especially considering a brief introduction of multimodal sensing applications and predicting current trends and future directions of this field, which may have continuous enlightenments.
Findings
This review shows that bioinspired sensors can enable robots to better understand the environment, and multiple sensor combinations can support the robot’s ability to behave intelligently.
Originality/value
The review starts with a brief survey of the biological sensing mechanisms of the five senses, which are followed by their bioinspired electronic counterparts. Their applications in the robots are then reviewed as another emphasis, covering the main application scopes of localization and navigation, objection identification, dexterous manipulation, compliant interaction and so on. Finally, the trends, difficulties and challenges of this research were discussed to help guide future research on intelligent robot sensors.
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Miaoxian Guo, Shouheng Wei, Chentong Han, Wanliang Xia, Chao Luo and Zhijian Lin
Surface roughness has a serious impact on the fatigue strength, wear resistance and life of mechanical products. Realizing the evolution of surface quality through theoretical…
Abstract
Purpose
Surface roughness has a serious impact on the fatigue strength, wear resistance and life of mechanical products. Realizing the evolution of surface quality through theoretical modeling takes a lot of effort. To predict the surface roughness of milling processing, this paper aims to construct a neural network based on deep learning and data augmentation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study proposes a method consisting of three steps. Firstly, the machine tool multisource data acquisition platform is established, which combines sensor monitoring with machine tool communication to collect processing signals. Secondly, the feature parameters are extracted to reduce the interference and improve the model generalization ability. Thirdly, for different expectations, the parameters of the deep belief network (DBN) model are optimized by the tent-SSA algorithm to achieve more accurate roughness classification and regression prediction.
Findings
The adaptive synthetic sampling (ADASYN) algorithm can improve the classification prediction accuracy of DBN from 80.67% to 94.23%. After the DBN parameters were optimized by Tent-SSA, the roughness prediction accuracy was significantly improved. For the classification model, the prediction accuracy is improved by 5.77% based on ADASYN optimization. For regression models, different objective functions can be set according to production requirements, such as root-mean-square error (RMSE) or MaxAE, and the error is reduced by more than 40% compared to the original model.
Originality/value
A roughness prediction model based on multiple monitoring signals is proposed, which reduces the dependence on the acquisition of environmental variables and enhances the model's applicability. Furthermore, with the ADASYN algorithm, the Tent-SSA intelligent optimization algorithm is introduced to optimize the hyperparameters of the DBN model and improve the optimization performance.
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Kang Min, Fenglei Ni and Hong Liu
The purpose of the paper is to propose an efficient and accurate force/torque (F/T) sensing method for the robotic wrist-mounted six-dimensional F/T sensor based on an excitation…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to propose an efficient and accurate force/torque (F/T) sensing method for the robotic wrist-mounted six-dimensional F/T sensor based on an excitation trajectory.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an efficient and accurate F/T sensing method based on an excitation trajectory. First, the dynamic identification model is established by comprehensively considering inertial forces/torques, sensor zero-drift values, robot base inclination errors and forces/torques caused by load gravity. Therefore, the sensing accuracy is improved. Then, the excitation trajectory with optimized poses is used for robot following and data acquisition. The data acquisition is not limited by poses and its time can be significantly shortened. Finally, the least squares method is used to identify parameters and sense contact forces/torques.
Findings
Experiments have been carried out on the self-developed robot manipulator. The results strongly demonstrate that the proposed approach is more efficient and accurate than the existing widely-adopted method. Furthermore, the data acquisition time can be shortened from more than 60 s to 3 s/20 s. Thus, the proposed approach is effective and suitable for fast-paced industrial applications.
Originality/value
The main contributions of this paper are as follows: the dynamic identification model is established by comprehensively considering inertial forces/torques, sensor zero-drift values, robot base inclination errors and forces/torques caused by load gravity; and the excitation trajectory with optimized poses is used for robot following and data acquisition.
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Upinder Kumar, Mahender Singh Kaswan, Rakesh Kumar, Rekha Chaudhary, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, Rajeev Rathi and Rohit Joshi
The main aim of this study is to review different aspects of Industry 5.0 (I5.0) along with Kaizen measures to foster this novel aspect of industrial sustainability. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
The main aim of this study is to review different aspects of Industry 5.0 (I5.0) along with Kaizen measures to foster this novel aspect of industrial sustainability. The study makes a comprehensive study to explore the implementation status of I5.0 in industries, key technologies, adoption level in different nations and barriers to I5.0 adoption together with mitigation actions.
Design/methodology/approach
To do a systematic study of the literature, the authors have used preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) methodology to extract articles related to the field of the study.
Findings
It has been found that academic literature on the I5.0 is continuously growing as the wheel of time is running. Most of the studies on I5.0 are conceptual-based, and manufacturing and medical industries are the flag bearer in the adoption of this novel aspect. Further, due to I5.0's infancy, many organizations face difficulty to adopt the same due to financial burden, resistive nature, a well-designed standard for cyber-physical systems (CPS) and an effective mechanism for human–robot collaboration. Further studies also provide avenues for future research in terms of the identification of collaborative mechanisms between machines and wells, the establishment of different standards for comparison and the development of I5.0-enabled models for different industrial domains.
Originality/value
The study is the first of its kind that reviews different facets of I5.0in conjunction with Kaizen's measures and application areas and provides avenues for future research to improve an organization's environmental and social sustainability.
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Rafiu King Raji, Yini Wei, Guiqiang Diao and Zilun Tang
Devices for step estimation are body-worn devices used to compute steps taken and/or distance covered by the user. Even though textiles or clothing are foremost to come to mind in…
Abstract
Purpose
Devices for step estimation are body-worn devices used to compute steps taken and/or distance covered by the user. Even though textiles or clothing are foremost to come to mind in terms of articles meant to be worn, their prominence among devices and systems meant for cadence is overshadowed by electronic products such as accelerometers, wristbands and smart phones. Athletes and sports enthusiasts using knee sleeves should be able to track their performances and monitor workout progress without the need to carry other devices with no direct sport utility, such as wristbands and wearable accelerometers. The purpose of this study thus is to contribute to the broad area of wearable devices for cadence application by developing a cheap but effective and efficient stride measurement system based on a knee sleeve.
Design/methodology/approach
A textile strain sensor is designed by weft knitting silver-plated nylon yarn together with nylon DTY and covered elastic yarn using a 1 × 1 rib structure. The area occupied by the silver-plated yarn within the structure served as the strain sensor. It worked such that, upon being subjected to stress, the electrical resistance of the sensor increases and in turn, is restored when the stress is removed. The strip with the sensor is knitted separately and subsequently sewn to the knee sleeve. The knee sleeve is then connected to a custom-made signal acquisition and processing system. A volunteer was employed for a wearer trial.
Findings
Experimental results establish that the number of strides taken by the wearer can easily be correlated to the knee flexion and extension cycles of the wearer. The number of peaks computed by the signal acquisition and processing system is therefore counted to represent stride per minute. Therefore, the sensor is able to effectively count the number of strides taken by the user per minute. The coefficient of variation of over-ground test results yielded 0.03%, and stair climbing also obtained 0.14%, an indication of very high sensor repeatability.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted using limited number of volunteers for the wearer trials.
Practical implications
By embedding textile piezoresistive sensors in some specific garments and or accessories, physical activity such as gait and its related data can be effectively measured.
Originality/value
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of piezoresistive sensing in the knee sleeve for stride estimation. Also, this study establishes that it is possible to attach (sew) already-knit textile strain sensors to apparel to effectuate smart functionality.
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Guanchen Liu, Dongdong Xu, Zifu Shen, Hongjie Xu and Liang Ding
As an advanced manufacturing method, additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides new possibilities for efficient production and design of parts. However, with the continuous…
Abstract
Purpose
As an advanced manufacturing method, additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides new possibilities for efficient production and design of parts. However, with the continuous expansion of the application of AM materials, subtractive processing has become one of the necessary steps to improve the accuracy and performance of parts. In this paper, the processing process of AM materials is discussed in depth, and the surface integrity problem caused by it is discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, we listed and analyzed the characterization parameters of metal surface integrity and its influence on the performance of parts and then introduced the application of integrated processing of metal adding and subtracting materials and the influence of different processing forms on the surface integrity of parts. The surface of the trial-cut material is detected and analyzed, and the surface of the integrated processing of adding and subtracting materials is compared with that of the pure processing of reducing materials, so that the corresponding conclusions are obtained.
Findings
In this process, we also found some surface integrity problems, such as knife marks, residual stress and thermal effects. These problems may have a potential negative impact on the performance of the final parts. In processing, we can try to use other integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, try to combine various integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, or consider exploring more efficient AM technology to improve processing efficiency. We can also consider adopting production process optimization measures to reduce the processing cost of adding and subtracting materials.
Originality/value
With the gradual improvement of the requirements for the surface quality of parts in the production process and the in-depth implementation of sustainable manufacturing, the demand for integrated processing of metal addition and subtraction materials is likely to continue to grow in the future. By deeply understanding and studying the problems of material reduction and surface integrity of AM materials, we can better meet the challenges in the manufacturing process and improve the quality and performance of parts. This research is very important for promoting the development of manufacturing technology and achieving success in practical application.
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Mahesh Babu Purushothaman and Kasun Moolika Gedara
This pragmatic research paper aims to unravel the smart vision-based method (SVBM), an AI program to correlate the computer vision (recorded and live videos using mobile and…
Abstract
Purpose
This pragmatic research paper aims to unravel the smart vision-based method (SVBM), an AI program to correlate the computer vision (recorded and live videos using mobile and embedded cameras) that aids in manual lifting human pose deduction, analysis and training in the construction sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a pragmatic approach combined with the literature review, this study discusses the SVBM. The research method includes a literature review followed by a pragmatic approach and lab validation of the acquired data. Adopting the practical approach, the authors of this article developed an SVBM, an AI program to correlate computer vision (recorded and live videos using mobile and embedded cameras).
Findings
Results show that SVBM observes the relevant events without additional attachments to the human body and compares them with the standard axis to identify abnormal postures using mobile and other cameras. Angles of critical nodal points are projected through human pose detection and calculating body part movement angles using a novel software program and mobile application. The SVBM demonstrates its ability to data capture and analysis in real-time and offline using videos recorded earlier and is validated for program coding and results repeatability.
Research limitations/implications
Literature review methodology limitations include not keeping in phase with the most updated field knowledge. This limitation is offset by choosing the range for literature review within the last two decades. This literature review may not have captured all published articles because the restriction of database access and search was based only on English. Also, the authors may have omitted fruitful articles hiding in a less popular journal. These limitations are acknowledged. The critical limitation is that the trust, privacy and psychological issues are not addressed in SVBM, which is recognised. However, the benefits of SVBM naturally offset this limitation to being adopted practically.
Practical implications
The theoretical and practical implications include customised and individualistic prediction and preventing most posture-related hazardous behaviours before a critical injury happens. The theoretical implications include mimicking the human pose and lab-based analysis without attaching sensors that naturally alter the working poses. SVBM would help researchers develop more accurate data and theoretical models close to actuals.
Social implications
By using SVBM, the possibility of early deduction and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders is high; the social implications include the benefits of being a healthier society and health concerned construction sector.
Originality/value
Human pose detection, especially joint angle calculation in a work environment, is crucial to early deduction of muscoloskeletal disorders. Conventional digital technology-based methods to detect pose flaws focus on location information from wearables and laboratory-controlled motion sensors. For the first time, this paper presents novel computer vision (recorded and live videos using mobile and embedded cameras) and digital image-related deep learning methods without attachment to the human body for manual handling pose deduction and analysis of angles, neckline and torso line in an actual construction work environment.
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Yahao Wang, Zhen Li, Yanghong Li and Erbao Dong
In response to the challenge of reduced efficiency or failure of robot motion planning algorithms when faced with end-effector constraints, this study aims to propose a new…
Abstract
Purpose
In response to the challenge of reduced efficiency or failure of robot motion planning algorithms when faced with end-effector constraints, this study aims to propose a new constraint method to improve the performance of the sampling-based planner.
Design/methodology/approach
In this work, a constraint method (TC method) based on the idea of cross-sampling is proposed. This method uses the tangent space in the workspace to approximate the constrained manifold pattern and projects the entire sampling process into the workspace for constraint correction. This method avoids the need for extensive computational work involving multiple iterations of the Jacobi inverse matrix in the configuration space and retains the sampling properties of the sampling-based algorithm.
Findings
Simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the planner when using the TC method under the end-effector constraint surpasses that of other methods. Physical experiments further confirm that the TC-Planner does not cause excessive constraint errors that might lead to task failure. Moreover, field tests conducted on robots underscore the effectiveness of the TC-Planner, and its excellent performance, thereby advancing the autonomy of robots in power-line connection tasks.
Originality/value
This paper proposes a new constraint method combined with the rapid-exploring random trees algorithm to generate collision-free trajectories that satisfy the constraints for a high-dimensional robotic system under end-effector constraints. In a series of simulation and experimental tests, the planner using the TC method under end-effector constraints efficiently performs. Tests on a power distribution live-line operation robot also show that the TC method can greatly aid the robot in completing operation tasks with end-effector constraints. This helps robots to perform tasks with complex end-effector constraints such as grinding and welding more efficiently and autonomously.
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Wen-Qian Lou, Bin Wu and Bo-Wen Zhu
This study aims to clarify influencing factors of overcapacity of new energy enterprises in China and accurately predict whether these enterprises have overcapacity.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to clarify influencing factors of overcapacity of new energy enterprises in China and accurately predict whether these enterprises have overcapacity.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on relevant data including the experience and evidence from the capital market in China, the research establishes a generic univariate selection-comparative machine learning model to study relevant factors that affect overcapacity of new energy enterprises from five dimensions. These include the governmental intervention, market demand, corporate finance, corporate governance and corporate decision. Moreover, the bridging approach is used to strengthen findings from quantitative studies via the results from qualitative studies.
Findings
The authors' results show that the overcapacity of new energy enterprises in China is brought out by the combined effect of governmental intervention corporate governance and corporate decision. Governmental interventions increase the overcapacity risk of new energy enterprises mainly by distorting investment behaviors of enterprises. Corporate decision and corporate governance factors affect the overcapacity mainly by regulating the degree of overconfidence of the management team and the agency cost. Among the eight comparable integrated models, generic univariate selection-bagging exhibits the optimal comprehensive generalization performance and its area under the receiver operating characteristic curve Area under curve (AUC) accuracy precision and recall are 0.719, 0.960, 0.975 and 0.983, respectively.
Originality/value
The proposed integrated model analyzes causes and predicts presence of overcapacity of new energy enterprises to help governments to formulate appropriate strategies to deal with overcapacity and new energy enterprises to optimize resource allocation. Ten main features which affect the overcapacity of new energy enterprises in China are identified through generic univariate selection model. Through the bridging approach, the impact of the main features on the overcapacity of new energy enterprises and the mechanism of the influence are analyzed.
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Kabir Ibrahim, Fredrick Simpeh and Oluseyi Julius Adebowale
Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to poor health and safety practices. This study aims to investigate benefits derivable from using wearable technologies to improve construction health and safety. The study also reports the challenges associated with adopting wearable technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative design, administering close-ended questions to professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. The research data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings
The study found that the critical areas construction organizations can benefit from using WSDs include slips and trips, sensing environmental concerns, collision avoidance, falling from a high level and electrocution. However, key barriers preventing the organizations from adopting wearable technologies are related to cost, technology and human factors.
Practical implications
The time and cost lost to H&S incidents in the Nigerian construction sector can be reduced by implementing the report of this study.
Originality/value
Studies on WSDs have continued to increase in developed countries, but Nigeria is yet to experience a leap in the research area. This study provides insights into the Nigerian reality to provide directions for practice and theory.
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